Popcorn cupcakes

Popcorn cupcakes

So yes, I'm starting to get a reputation.

Bring a dish? I always end up bringing cupcakes. They're so easy to make, they come in easy individual packaging, and I love the way you can tailor them with different decorations or flavours for every occasion.

After variations that included black sesame, Coca Cola and chocolate bacon, I decided to continue my current salty obsession with popcorn cupcakes, inspired both by Adriano Zumbo's salted butter popcorn macarons and a popcorn-swirled ice cream eaten recently at Gelatissimo.

These are a simple vanilla cupcake topped with a slightly salty buttercream icing, a swipe of butter and a couple of popcorn pieces pressed into the top. A good sprinkle of salt flakes to finish is essential.


Popcorn cupcakes

125g salted butter softened
125g sugar
125g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
2 Tbsp milk

Popcorn icing
125g + 2Tbsp salted butter, softened
250g pure icing sugar
salt flakes (I used Murray River salt flakes)
buttered popcorn (I used microwave popcorn)


Preheat oven to 170C or 150C if using fan-forced.

Combine the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla essence and eggs in a food processor and blitz until well combined. If you do not have a food processor, cream the butter and sugar first and then add the flour, baking powder, vanilla essence and eggs and beat until well combined.

Add one tablespoon of milk and blitz/beat. Add the second tablespoon if the mixture still looks a little thick.

Distribute the batter evenly across twelve patty pans in a muffin tin. I usually dollop out a generous tablespoon in each.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into one of the cupcakes comes out clean.

When the cupcakes are cool, spread with a thin layer of salted icing. Use a knife to dab on extra butter on top, then press in popped corn kernels. Sprinkle with extra salt flakes, to taste.

Salted icing
Using an electric mixer, cream 125g unsalted butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the icing sugar, beating until well combined. Continue adding the icing sugar until you reach a spreadable edible consistency. If the mixture is a little thick, add a tablespoon or two of milk. Season with salt flakes to personal preference.

~~~
Where were these cupcakes heading? To a weekend lunch hosted by the lovely Ellie from Almost Bourdain. Fourteen female food bloggers descended on her home, a group that included Belle, Betty, Jen, Karen, Leona, Linda, Minh & Teresa, Lisa, Steph, Suze, Trish and Trissa.

Ellie cooked up a Malaysian feast, and almost everyone ending up bringing a plate - mostly dessert! It was an afternoon of endless food - my favourite kind of gathering!


Barley water drink


Michael Jackson - a black-and-white drink of soy milk with grass jelly cubes


Chicken kapitan and coconut rice


Ikan bilis fried peanuts and silver fish


Pineapple with fish sauce and chilli


Beef rendang


Minh's clever transport carrier for her pasta salad


Minh's risoni and bean salad with fetta cheese


Betty's fig sourdough bread from Bourke St Bakery


Trissa's panfried chorizo and roasted peppers


Trissa's chicken wings


My cupcakes in my nifty new Snapware cupcake carrier
(thanks KitchenwareDirect!)


Linda helps transform Karen's profiteroles into a croquembouche


Ellie's brownies with Reese's peanut butter cups


Linda's rectangular lemon tart (Thomas Keller recipe)
and Lisa's round pastry tart


Leona's mini cupcakes from Ghermez


Trish's pandan jelly


Betty's tarts from Bourke Street Bakery


Jen's baklava bought from Bankstown


My popcorn cupcakes


Trissa's hazelnut mousse tart


Ben & Jerry's ice cream tastetesting (scored for free by Ellie)


Belle's chewy salted caramels


Belle's muffins


Teresa's chocolate-dipped strawberries


Suze's chocolate bowls with brownies, berries and cream
(made using a balloon dipped in chocolate)


Karen's croquembouche,
a joint effort with help from Linda


Dessert smorgasboard

Thanks Ellie for being such a generous host, and everyone for their fabulous company.

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Cupcakes - Bacon chocolate
Cupcakes - Banana
Cupcakes - Black sesame in ice cream cones
Cupcakes - Chocolate
Cupcakes - Coca Cola
Cupcakes - Ginger with chai icing
Cupcakes - Mini
Cupcakes - Red velvet
Cupcakes - Vanilla by Nigella Lawson