White Chocolate-Limoncello Cupcakes with a Kiss Surprise

DF has been going through pound cake withdrawal, as you know from reading past posts DF, my husband, LOVES my pound cake flavor combinations. He was used to having a different flavored pound cake every other week (he would have a piece for breakfast each morning), until Sydney left for GW. Sydney and I would bake her brioche cinnamon rolls and DF’s pound cake on the weekends, however when Sydney started GW I could not bring...

374 grams, 3 ½ cups plus 3 Tablespoons cake flour, sifted
24 grams/ 3-Tablespoons cake essence, optional
1 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
226 grams/ 7/8–cup unsalted butter, room temperature
400 grams, 2 cups sugar
115 grams/ ½ cup heavy cream
115 crème fraîche/ 1/2-cup
116 grams, ½–cup mascarpone cheese
6 large eggs, about 3oo grams
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-teaspoon Limoncello
1-Tablespoon chopped candied lemon rind
198 grams/ 7/8-cup white chocolate chunk
24 Hershey’s kisses

Place the Hersey’s kisses in the freezer one hour ahead of preparing the cupcakes and prepare 2-muffin tins with liners.

After preparing your mise en place unwrap the Hershey’s Kisses and dust with a little cake flour.

Sift together, 3 times, cake flour and baking powder. Set aside.

In a standing mixer with fitted paddle attachment, beat butter for 2 minutes, add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until blended, about 4 minutes. Add candied lemon rinds and continue to beat for an additional minute. Add the cream, crème frâiche, and mascarpone, continue to beat on medium speed until amalgamated.

In a measuring jug whisk eggs, limoncello, and vanilla extract. Turn the mixer off and scrape the bowl and paddle attachment.

Reduce the the mixer to low speed and begin with your sifted dry ingredients, alternating with the egg mixture, beginning and ending with the cake flour, mix until incorporated.

Using a ice cream scoop, scoop the batter half way up, and place a Hershey’s kiss in the centre, do not press down. Cover the kiss with the batter.

Bake for about 20 -25 minutes, until the top of the cake is golden brown, springs back when pressed lightly in the center, or a tester, inserted in the center of each comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin tins and cool on the rack.