Eggless paan cupcakes with gulkand buttercream (betel leaf cupcakes with rose petal jam)
Soft and fluffy paan (betel leaf) flavoured cupcakes topped with the most delicious gulkand ( rose petal jam ) buttercream. Perfect Indian fusion bake for Holi and more!
Ingredients
For the paan cupcakes
- 190 grams or 1.5 cups all purpose flour or maida
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 56 grams or 1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 150 grams or 3/4 cup granulated or castor sugar
- 180 ml or 3/4 cup milk at room temperature
- 4 paan or betel leaves
For the gulkand buttercream
- 112 grams or 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 50 grams or 1/4 cup castor sugar
- 2 tablespoons water room temperature
- 2-3 tablespoons gulkand or rose petal jam
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
To make the paan cupcakes
- Tear up or chop the betel leaves (paan ) and blend / grind with quarter cup of milk
- Mix this milk with the remaining milk and let rest for 30 minutes or upto 4 hours . Then , strain and keep aside
- Preheat your oven to 180 C / 350 F. Line a muffin pan with liners (9) or grease the cavity well
- In a bowl , whisk together the flour , baking powder and salt. Keep aside
- In another bowl , using a electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
- Add the flour mixture and paan infused milk alternately and beat well , starting and ending with the flour. Scrape in between as needed.
- So , add 1/3rd of the flour mixture , beat until incorporated - add 1/2 of the milk , beat - add , another 1/3rd of the flour mixture , beat - add the remaining milk , beat - finally , add the last of the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated
- Scoop out this batter equally into the prepared liners
- Bake at 180 c / 350 F for 18 to 22 minutes until the cupcake springs back when pressed on the top gently. A toothpick inserted in the centre should come out dry.
- Cool completely on wire rack
To make the Gulkand buttercream
- Beat together the butter and salt until smooth.
- Add half of the sugar (2 tablespoons )and water (1 tablespoon ) and beat for few minutes until smooth. If you touch it , you shouldnt feel any sugar granules.
- Add the remaining sugar and beat in the same way.
- Once you have the desired consistency (like buttercream) , beat in 1 1/2 tablespoons of the gulkand.
- Taste and add more if needed . Add only 1/2 tablespoon at a time and beat well before adding more as adding too much at a time can alter your buttercream consistency
- Fill in piping bag and frost your cooled cupcakes !
Notes
The cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days . Once frosted , they need to be refrigerated if stored for more than few hours
The buttercream can be stored for 5 days or more and hence, can be made in advance.
This recipe makes 9 cupcakes and just enough buttercream to frost 9 cupcakes in a simple manner (the high swirls are only for the pictures!) . Double the frosting recipe if you want to pipe elaborately .
Add green gel colour to the batter and pink gel colour to the buttercream for effect
The pale green colour in the cupcakes is evident due to lack of eggs in the recipe and resting the infused milk . Colour may vary.
The gulkand is a thck jam with bits and pieces , so you may not be able to pipe through very small ciing tips .
If you only have 6 cavity muffin pan , you can rest the remaining batter as the first batch bakes. If you have 12 cavity muffin pan , keep three empty and fill with some water while baking .
My measuring cup is 240 ml