Eagle River’s Kastle’s Kreations, a celebrated local purveyor of baked goods, recently won big on TV’s Cupcake Wars with their Lemon Rosemary Smoked Salmon cupcake.
Here is the recipe, direct from Kastle’s Kreations – in case you’re adventurous enough to try it yourself!
Lemon Rosemary Smoked Salmon Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cake Batter:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, ground, plus more for garnish
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice
The award-winning salmon cupcake, as made by Kastle’s Kreations.
Filling:
16 ounces mascarpone
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 lemons, zested
1 cup smoked salmon, chopped, plus more for garnish
Frosting:
32 oz. cream cheese
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon concentrated chicken broth
Bunch chives, chopped
1 large lemon, zested
Frosting:
32 oz. cream cheese
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon concentrated chicken broth
Bunch chives, chopped
1 large lemon, zested
Directions
Note: You’ll need a cupcake corer (whatever that is)
For the batter: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine and sift the flour, rosemary, baking powder and salt, and set aside. In another mixing bowl, combine the sugar and eggs. Using an electric hand mixer, beat on medium-high speed until blended. Add the oil and vanilla and beat together for 1 minute. Add the flour mixture a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk and lemon mixture. Start and end with the flour mixture. Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
For the filling: Whip the mascarpone until creamy. Add in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix in the smoked salmon. Place into a piping bag and put in the refrigerator until ready to use.
For the frosting: Whip together the cream cheese, cream and broth until light and fluffy. Add in a handful of the chopped chives. Place into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
Once the cupcakes have cooled, pull out the centers with a cupcake corer. Fill the cupcakes with the smoked salmon filling. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcake and garnish with lemon zest, rosemary pieces and some rolled up smoked salmon.
