Apple Cider Cupcakes filled with Fuyu Persimmon curd and Fuyu Persimmon Buttercream. Yum.

Apple Cider Cupcakes filled with Fuyu Persimmon Curd and frosted with Fuyu Persimmon Swiss Meringue Buttercream www.pineappleandcoconut.com

Apple Cider. Persimmons. An unusual combination of flavors that really work so well together.

I couldn't have picked a more hectic week to do a more involved than normal cupcake. Pretty much everything we had going on with life, kids and work was happening. I was determined to fit in the time to make these cupcakes

A wise person once told me that to get anything done ask the busiest person you know. Because they know how to schedule their time to get everything done. I do find that if I have more things to do, I get them done in a timely manner rather than when I don't have much going on, I tend to really slack off.

I love making cupcakes and can never just make a cupcake and frost it. I love to make them filled as well. Similar to a cake having a filling or frosting between layers, these cupcakes have a persimmon curd filling to go with the persimmon buttercream frosting.

I had seen some gorgeous Fuyu persimmons at one of our local farmers market the week prior to making these and lucked out that they were there the week I made these. Persimmons are a short season so get them when you can!

For apples and apple cider we went to our local orchard, Gilcrease Orchards, for apple picking, other fall vegetables ( that we can pick ourselves) and their famous apple cider. The apple cider is amazing on its own or used in baked goods.

I knew I wanted to make a cupcake with persimmon curd filling, but I wanted more than just a vanilla cake. So I decided on an apple cider cupcake. And persimmon buttercream of course.

I use an apple corer for cutting out the middle of the cupcake instead of a piping bag with a tip and shoving into the cupcake because I have totally used too much pressure and blown out the bottom of cupcakes before. Oops

So good. I love filled cupcakes. It's like a secret middle since one doesn't normally expect a cupcake to have a filling. I am a big fan of making homemade curd, I have made meyer lemon, passionfruit, mango, guava, pineapple etc. I am a curd making fool. This persimmon curd is amazing in these cupcakes as well as swirled into ice cream, spread on toast etc.

These cupcakes have several components to them - the cupcakes, the filling and the buttercream. You can make the curd a day ahead of time to save time.

Use fuyu persimmons, the ones that look more like squat little pumpkins than the heart shaped Hachiya. Those need to be almost squishy overripe before using.

Apple Cider Cupcakes filled with Fuyu Persimmon Curd and frosted with Fuyu Persimmon Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Shanna

Yield: 16 cupcakes Prep time 45 min (and up to one day for chilling the curd) Bake time 15 min Total time plus cooling and assembly: 90 min (and up to one day for curd)

Print Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

chilling time for curd 12

Total Time 13

Ingredients

Ingredients for Curd:

2 Fuyu Persimmons washed, stem and leaves cut off, quartered
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
3 large egg yolks save the whites for the buttercream
1 large egg
125 g granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Cupcakes:

56 g unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes
228 g All purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
113 g unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
150 g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs room temp
62 g applesauce unsweetened

For the Buttercream

4 large egg whites
150 g granulated sugar
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
340 g butter, unsalted cut into 24 pieces
32 g persimmon puree leftover from curd
32 g persimmon curd

Instructions

Make the Curd:

Puree the persimmons with the lemon zest and juice until smooth. Set aside ¼ c for the buttercream.
Pour remaining puree in to a medium saucepan, set aside.
In the top pan of a double boiler or in a bowl set over, but not touching, a pan of simmering water, whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar and salt. Whisk until thickened and smooth, about 5-6 min. Remove from heat and stir into the saucepan with the persimmon puree.
Place pan on stove and heat on medium, stirring until thickened about 4-5min. Slowly add in the cold butter cubes and stir again another 4 min. Remove from heat.
Pour curd into a glass bowl and press plastic wrap down on the top of the curd. Refrigerate until cold and set. Chilling overnight is best

Make the Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin pans with paper liners.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt and spices in a medium bowl, whisk and set aside.
In bowl of a stand mixer combine sugar and melted butter; add in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the apple sauce and vanilla and mix again, scraping down sides if needed.
Alternate adding in the flour and apple cider beginning and ending with the flour. Once all is combined mix another 30 seconds. Don’t over mix.
Divide batter amongst the muffin tins, filling each up about ⅔-3/34 of the way full. Bake for 15 min or until a toothpick comes out clean, or the tops bounce back when pressed down lightly. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, cool completely on a wire rack

Make the buttercream

Set a pan of water on the stove and bring to a simmer
Combine the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in a stand mixer bowl and whisk until combined, then set over the pan of simmering water, being carful that the bottom of the pan doesn't touch the water.
Whisk constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture reaches 160 Deg F (71 C). Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature
Once it reaches 160 (71) place the bowl on the stand mixer, secure it then attach the whisk attachment. Whisk until the meringue is thickened and increased in volume and the bowl is cool to the touch.
Add in the butter one tablespoon at a time mixing well between each addition. Keep mixing until the buttercream is light and fluffy
Switch to the paddle attachment and then add in the persimmon puree and curd. Mix again until light and fluffy.

Assemble the cupcakes

Using an apple corder or soon, cut out some of the cupcake in the middle being careful not to go too far down so you don't end up cutting through the bottom
Spoon some of the curd into each cupcake
Fit a piping bag with a Wilton 1M open star tip ( or any large open piping tip you like) add in the buttercream to the bag ( I usually do half the buttercream at a time depending on the size of the bag) and pipe swirls on the top of the cupcake. Serve immediately.

Notes

These keep well in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before serving.