White Chocolate Amaretto Cupcakes

For my Valentine's Day contribution to Paula Deen's website, their editor suggested that I create a cupcake using white chocolate.  These white chocolate amaretto cupcakes did the trick!  The cupcakes contain both melted white chocolate and white chocolate chips for a double punch of white chocolate.  The amaretto adds a sultry almond flavor – enough to enjoy, but not strong enough to leave you with a lingering taste of alcohol.

Although you can make these white chocolate amaretto cupcakes using store-bought white chocolate, it would be extra fun to make them using homemade white chocolate (it only takes five minutes to make!). 

For the white chocolate amaretto cupcake recipe, head to Paula Deen's website!

Almond Amaretto Cupcakes with Amaretto Whipped Cream

Take a gooey butter cake, cross it with a biscotti, top it with boozy whipped cream, and you've got these almond Amaretto cupcakes.  Don't expect these almond Amaretto cupcakes to be innocent cupcakes of yesteryear, airy with light crumbs.  These cupcakes are sticky and down and dirty.  You'll be licking your fingers and begging for more.

Almond Amaretto Cupcake Recipe

 

I got the almond amaretto cupcake recipe by converting a flourless almond cake recipe from Mish Delish to cupcakes.  I slightly adjusted the quantities and converted the recipe from metric to U.S. measurements.

I should also point out that this cupcake is gluten-free!   

Yield: 12 cupcakes

• 1 C unsalted butter 
• 2 C almond meal
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/3 C caster sugar (I used C&H Baker's Sugar, which can be found more easily in U.S. grocery stores.  It's a very fine granulated sugar.)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp Amaretto liqueur

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan (or the microwave) and set aside to cool.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the almond meal, salt, and sugar until well combined. 
3. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, and Amaretto until combined.
4. Add the cooled melted butter to the wet ingredients.
5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
6. Divide mixture evenly between 12 cupcake liners.
7. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until the tops are slightly browned and bounce back when lightly touched.

Amaretto Whipped Cream Recipe

• 1 C heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbsp powered sugar
• 5 tbsp Amaretto liqueur
• sliced almonds (optional)

1. Whip heavy whipping cream until it looks like whipped cream.
2. Mix in powdered sugar and Amaretto until just combined.
3. Pipe or spread on cooled cupcakes.
4. Optionally, top cupcakes with almond slices.

Inspiration Credit

I don't want to make anyone sad, so I had to help Kelly out after she posted the above message on my Facebook wall expressing her disapointment at not finding an Amaretto cupcake recipe on Cupcake Project.  Hope you like them, Kelly!