Chocolate Chip Angel Food Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the chocolate chip angel food cupcakes

• 1-1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 c. cake flour
• 12 large egg whites (no yolks!)
• 1-1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 c. mini chocolate chips

For the vanilla cream

• 2 c. heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 c. instant dry vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

To assemble the cupcakes

• cocoa powder
• Harry and David caramel eggs or unwrapped milk chocolate eggs

Instructions

For the chocolate chip angel food cupcakes

1. Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 375 F.
2. Line 3 muffin/cupcake tins with paper liners and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and cake flour; set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. (Make sure your bowl and beaters are clean and dry, as even a bit of grease or egg yolk will prevent egg whites from beating properly).
5. Beat in granulated sugar on high speed, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding vanilla, almond extract and salt with the last addition of sugar.
6. Continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not under beat. Now you have meringue!
7. Sprinkle sugar-flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, over meringue, gently folding it in by hand with a rubber spatula just until sugar-flour mixture disappears. (Overfolding can break down the egg whites and result in a compact cake).
8. Then gently fold in mini chocolate chips.
9. Divide batter between 36 cupcake liners, filling each liner a bit more than 3/4 full. A medium scoop works great for this.
10. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until cupcake tops feel dry and spring back when touched lightly. A toothpick should also come out dry when poked into the center.
11. If you make the full recipe and have 3 pans in the oven at the same time, you may need to rotate pans halfway through for even baking.
12. Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the vanilla cream

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, whip cream, pudding, and powdered sugar until stiff and thick.
2. Add vanilla and mix just to combine.

To assemble the cupcakes

1. With a small offset spatula or spoon, add vanilla cream to cupcake tops.
2. Sprinkle with a dusting of cocoa powder and then press two caramel eggs into the vanilla cream.
3. These cupcakes keep well refrigerated and could easily be made the day prior to serving, just wait to add the caramel eggs until prior to serving or the color may weep overnight.
4. Simply remove from refrigerator about 15 minutes prior to serving.