RECIPE: Green Velvet Cupcakes

For the Cake:

• 1 cup cake flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup vegetable oil 
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• ½ teaspoon green gel food coloring

For the Frosting

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces and at room temperature
• 2 ounces chopped white chocolate
• 3 large egg white at room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• Assorted green sprinkles (for decoration)

Steps

1. Cupcakes
   1. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. 
   2. Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl.
   3. Whisk the sugar, milk, vegetable oil, egg, vinegar and vanilla in a separate bowl.
   4. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the mixture is smooth. Add green food coloring and stir until the mixture is uniform.
   5. Fill the tins three-quarters full, dividing the batter evenly along the prepared cupcake liners. 
   6. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let the cakes cool slightly in the pan, then remove them and transfer to a rack to cool completely.
2. Frosting
   1. Place the white chocolate in a small heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl and water touch). Stir until melted and then remove the bowl from the pan and let cool slightly. Reserve the pan of simmering water.
   2. Whisk the egg whites, sugar, salt and cream of tartar in a large heatproof bowl and set over the pan of simmering water (do not let the bowl and water touch). Whisking the mixture until the sugar dissolves and the mixture registers 130˚ on a candy thermometer, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from heat, and beat with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat until the bowl is no longer warm, 1 to 2 more minutes.
   3. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and continue beating, adding the butter one piece at a time, until thick and combined. (The mixture might separate, but keep beating and it will smooth out.) Add the melted white chocolate and vanilla and continue beating until just combined.
   4. Transfer the frosting into a piping bag, or to a resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe onto the cupcakes and decorate with green and gold sprinkles.