Streusel Cupcakes (16)

December is finally here! It's been here for 12 days actually, I just didn't have time to notice. It's a very busy month, as Decembers usually are. First week, there was an exam (which I passed), then the first weekend and making of the Daring Bakers' challenge (which was delicious, but I can't tell you what it is yet), a bit of pre-Christmas shopping (mostly gifts for myself, of course, I deserve them), and a trip to Bologna to see 30 Seconds to Mars live (again!). Yesterday, my mother organized a birthday/dinner party for her friends and I baked the Daring Bakers' challenge again (and it certainly wasn't the last time this month!). 

Now this weekend is almost over and another hectic week is on its way. I have two exams scheduled for tomorrow, the drivers' license exam and the french exam at the end of my French I course. On Wednesday, I'm going to Vienna to feel the Christmas spirit and I can't wait, since I've never been there before and I've heard it's beautiful. Plus, I can't wait to try the original Sacher torte! The only thing I'm not looking forward to, is the departure time: 5 AM (oh, how I wish I could teleport). Of course, Vienna is far away and it will probably take us 5 hours to get there. 5 very uncomfortable hours. Then, some more Christmas shopping, maybe even in Vienna (this time not only gifts for me but for other people too), a week of school, Christmas, and the day after Christmas I'm flying off to London! It really is going to be a busy month.

I chose to bake these cupcakes because the ingredients were quite inexpensive and I had all of them at home when I started baking. The photo in the cookbook seemed nice, so I expected the finished product to be nice too! Oh, I was so wrong.

Streusel Cupcakes (makes 24)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C), Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Stir in vanilla by hand. Add flour mixture and sour cream; stir until just combined.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups. Sprinkle half the topping over cupcakes, gently pressing it into the batter. Sprinkle evenly with remaining topping. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
4. To finish, place cupcakes on a wire rack set over a baking sheet; drizzle evenly with milk glaze. Glazed cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.

Streusel topping (makes enough for 24 cupcakes)

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

Whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt; cut in the butter using a pastry blender, your fingertips, or two table knives until combined but still crumbly. Refrigerate 30 minutes before using.

Milk Glaze (makes enough for 24 cupcakes)

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons milk

Whisk together ingredients until smooth. Use immediately.

The cupcakes look nice, don't they? But, in the book, they look totally different! I didn't make the milk glaze though, but I really doubt that it would've made such a huge difference. Something was definitely wrong with the topping, because most of it just fell off. Besides, my family and I - we don't like white cake. That's just the way it is. The taste was too salty, the texture... everything was a bit off. Note to self: next time, choose chocolate cupcakes!

Look: 4/5

Taste: 2/5

Approximate cost of one cupcake: 0.30 €

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