Two-toned Cupcakes

The last time I made little cuppies was er.. very long time ago. Could be a decade. Mind you, I started showing off my baking skills at the age of 3! Of course it was on the kitchen floor playing with eggs, milk and flour on the carpet =p

Anyway, this was meant to be a cherry and chocolate cuppies with pistachio swiss meringue buttercream. But mine decided to have a mind of its own and turned out to be a vanilla and chocolate cuppies with pink swiss meringue buttercream instead!

Spumoni Cupcakes
(makes 48 mini cuppies)

Ingredients:
57 g butter
1/4 c + 2 tbsp sugar
3/4 c + 2 tbsp flour (for chocolate version: reduce amount to 1/2c and add 1/4c or about 32g of cocoa powder)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/4 tsp cherry extract (for chocolate version: substitute with 1/2tsp vanilla extract)
1/4 c milk
1/8 c chopped cherries (omit for chocolate version)

How to make:
Beat butter and sugar til light and fluffy.
Add egg. Beat.
Add cherry extract. Mix.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt together.
Mix by hand half flour mixture to butter mix and mix til well combined.
Add milk. Mix well.
Add remaining flour mixture til just well incorporated.

Fill mini cuppies liners with half cherry mixture and half chocolate mixture to make 3/4 full. Bake 10 mins.

Tips: if your cherry cupcakes lack color, I'd suggest adding bit of red coloring. But if you're happy with it, like mine, just leave it looking like vanilla cuppies =p

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/2c sugar
113g butter (divided to 1 tbsp or 14g segments)
1 tsp vanilla extract
rose pink color

How to make:
Whisk egg whites and sugar on a double boiler to reach a safe temperature of 160C, whisking constantly.
Remove and place in mixing bowl and whisk away on high speed til stiff peaks form but not dry.
Switch to paddle attachment.
Add 1 tbsp (14g) butter one at a time, whisking til well combined.
Increase to medium-high speed til you get a fluffy consistency.
Lower speed and add vanilla extract and rose pink color.

Tips: the buttercream is a bit tricky to make. With lots of confidence and patience. I did not however encounter the problem of it turning soupy like many did. But mine curdled a little halfway through butter addition. But keep whisking away (with fingers crossed tightly!) and it will come together in the end.