White Chocolate Rose Cupcakes

I bring you some white chocolate rose cupcakes today my friends. Are you familiar with rose water? It's OK if you are not, I wasn't aware of its existence until a couple of months ago when I stumbled onto these cupcakes and couldn't wait to experiment. I bought the extract a while ago and have been shying away from using it after I took a strong whiff that put me off.

As with most things, except chocolate, less is more with this flavor. Thanks to an inspiring Mother's Day week by Joy the Baker, I was excited to try my rose water. I started with a simple vanilla yellow cake, infused with rose water, and topped with a white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream with a dash of rose water as well!

The rose water gives these cupcakes more of a scent, than a flavor. A wonderful floral smell that just makes you very happy as you bite into the cake (well, it made me happy at least!). Oh did I mention there are white chocolate chunks in the cupcake? Yummm!

I used these floral cupcakes on Sunday to celebrate some of the wonderful mothers in my life. A small treat to show them how much I appreciate and love them!

White Chocolate Rose Cupcakes

Cake recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon rose water

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

¼ cup white chocolate chunks

For the white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream:

5 egg whites, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 ½ cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup white chocolate chips, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

A dash of rose water (optional, and to taste)

Directions

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350^oF. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well to combine and scraping down the bowl as needed. Add in vanilla extract.

Reduce speed to low, add a third of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk and beat until just combined. Add another third of flour mixture and the rest of the buttermilk and beat again until combined. Add the rest of the flour mixture and beat until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

Divide batter into cupcake liners and bake until golden brown or until a tester comes out clean, about 12-15 minutes.

Cool in pan for 2-3 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For White Chocolate Swiss Meringue buttercream: 

Whisk together sugar and egg whites in a heatproof mixing bowl set over (not in] a pan of simmering water. Whisk until warm and sugar is dissolved (mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingers), 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk egg white mixture 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form and meringue has cooled (test by feeling bottom of bowl), about 6 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium. Add butter, one piece at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.  Mix the white chocolate into the buttercream.  

Use immediately or store in an airtight container in fridge for up to a week.

Hope you have a great rest of the week! Go bake some floral spring cupcakes :)