There are a few flavors that immediately take me back to summers as a kid.
When I think about Creamsicles I think about sweet citrus, cool, icy-cream (that is an intentional spelling) and vanilla.
Inspiration: That got me thinking about ways to reimagine the highlights of those flavors in a baked good. Why not Creamsickle cupcakes? I found some things online, but nothing quite matched what I had in my imagination. So I worked out each of the components and refined them, trying a few different approaches, until I landed here.
Components: There are three separate elements; the vanilla cupcake, an orange curd filling and a cooked meringue icing. The cupcakes and custard can easily be done ahead and stored for a day or two if you don't want tackle everything at one time. The cooked meringue will keep for a day or two, as well, in the fridge but loses its sheen and some of its elasticity. A solid cheat is using a store-bought curd - lemon is readily available. But it won't be the same (I assure you).
Construction: Filling the cupcake isn't a mystery, really. Although I've seen many a handy baker pipe filling into pastries and cakes, I've never been successful getting enough filling-to-cake ratio that way. There just isn't enough pressure to displace enough volume in the cake.
The fluffy and not-too-sweet cooked meringue incing completes the whole taste experience, and isn't that difficult if you haven't tried something like it before. It can be piped or just spooned and spread with a knife.
Check out my video:
They are so worth the time and delicious. I hope you give them a try!
Happy Bendy Baking!
I was never a fan of the creamsicles - but this is a whole different story! These look so decadent! Think I might have to reward myself by baking them. It's a bit more complicated than my typical fare, but I will give it a try.