These delicate muffins are based on a popular cake in Colombia and in El Salvador called Torta Maria Luisa. The batter is flavored with lime zest and orange juice, and the muffins have a raspberry jam filling. Like the cake, the muffins are decorated simply with a dusting of powdered sugar. They make a great mid-morning treat with coffee.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 20-24 muffins
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 eggs, separated
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Zest of one lime
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 3/4 - 1 cup raspberry jam (I Like seedless)
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans (about 24 cupcakes) with paper liners.
- In a standing mixer, beat butter with sugar until fluffy and well mixed.
- Separate egg yolks, and reserve whites. Add egg yolks to butter mixture, beating well after each.
- Whisk flour, salt, lime zest and baking powder together. Add dry ingredients to batter alternately with orange juice and buttermilk until just mixed.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold beaten egg whites gently into cake batter.
- Fill muffin papers 2/3 of the way full with batter. Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of raspberry jam into the middle of each one. Cover centers with more batter, filling muffin tins just to the top.
- Place muffins in the oven (baking them in batches if necessary) and lower the temperature to 350. Bake until muffins spring back lightly when touched, and toothpick placed in center comes back cleanly, about 15-20 minutes. Be careful ot to overbake.
- Sift powdered sugar of the muffins while they are still hot. Cook muffins on rack. Sprinkle with more powdered sugar before serving.
