Churro Cupcakes

For the Churro Cupcakes (makes 2 dozen cupcakes)
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature 
2 cups, plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar 
4 large eggs, plus 1 white at room temperature 
3 cups GF flour (3/4 cup white rice flour, 1 cup sweet rice flour,  3/4 cup potato starch, 1/2 cup sorghum flour) 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 teaspoon kosher salt  
3 tbsp water 
3/4 cup sour cream, room temperature 
1/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
Pre-heat oven to 330 degrees.  Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.


Sift baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flours together.  Set aside.  Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and egg white one at a time.  Mix until fully combined.  Add vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds.


Combine water, buttermilk and sour cream into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add in 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the bowl of the mixer, alternating with wet ingredients.  Mix until fully combined, but do not overmix.  Distribute batter evenly into each cupcake liner.  Bake for 16-20 minutes, until cupcakes spring back to the touch. 


For the Browned Butter sauce and Cinnamon Sugar Topping:


- 1 stick butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
-1/2 cup sugar, 3 tbsp cinnamon 


Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tbsp cinnamon onto a small plate and mix together well.


Heat 1 stick of butter in a small sauce pan until it smells nutty and has a tan color.  Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the butter until dissolved.


While the cupcakes are still warm, use toothpicks to poke small holes into the top of each cupcake.  Dip each cupcake into butter sauce and then into cinnamon sugar mixture.  


Once all cupcake tops are covered, cut hole into each one and fill with dulce de leche or mexican chocolate pudding.  


For the Frosting :

-3 sticks butter, unsalted
-1/2 block cream cheese
-2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
-seeds from one vanilla bean

Combine butter and cream cheese in bowl of stand mixer and beat with paddle attachment until well mixed.  Add vanilla and confectioner's sugar.  Continue to beat for 3-4 minutes until frosting is a good, whipped consistency.

Pipe onto the top of each covered, filled cupcake and decorate as desired. 


PS: I know these cupcakes sound SUPER rich, but you will have leftover buttercream and you really need the butter sauce and cinnamon sugar to emulate the "frying" aspect of a churro.   Plus, they are super tasty.  :)  Treat yourself once in a while.