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Martha Stewart "Broken Glass" cupcakes take 75 minutes and cake flour, cream cheese frosting and clear caramel shards to make a fluffy, spiced vanilla cupcake. This easy dessert fits Halloween parties, fall potlucks and birthday dinners, since the shattered sugar glass looks wildly dramatic.
Pull the caramel off the heat the moment the edges turn pale gold, because that short cook keeps it clear like real glass. Wait for amber and you get brown, cloudy shards that look like toffee instead.
Martha folds whipped egg whites into the batter in three additions, which gives the cupcakes a light, tender crumb you don't get from a basic butter cake. She also strains cherry preserves and drizzles them where the shards meet the frosting, so the glass looks like it really cut through.
What you need for this recipe
KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart stand mixer
It creams the butter and whips the egg whites to stiff peaks without tiring your arm.
Buy on AmazonUSA Pan 12-cup muffin pan (set of 2)
It holds the baking cups so the cupcakes bake evenly in a single batch.
Buy on AmazonWilton 9-inch angled spatula
It spreads the thick cream cheese frosting smoothly over each cupcake.
Buy on AmazonPantry pick Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz
Real vanilla extract, not imitation, for a clean and full vanilla flavor.
Buy on AmazonShipping adds up. Try Prime free for 30 days for fast, free delivery.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Martha Stewart “Broken Glass” Cupcakes
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium42
servings45
minutes30
minutes330
kcalSpiced vanilla cupcakes bake up light and tender under a thick cream cheese frosting. Clear caramel shards and a drizzle of cherry preserves finish each one so it looks like shattered glass.
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
7 large egg whites, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
1 pound cream cheese, room temperature
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
6 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup cherry preserves, strained, for garnish
Directions
- Prep the pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line your cupcake tins with baking cups. Then sift the cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and 3/4 teaspoon salt into a medium bowl.
- Combine the liquids: Stir the 1 1/2 cups whole milk and 1 tablespoon vanilla together in a measuring cup. Set it next to the flour mixture so you can alternate between them easily.
- Cream the butter: Beat 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Then drop the speed to medium and stream in the 2 1/4 cups sugar, beating for about 3 minutes until fluffy again.
- Build the batter: Reduce the mixer to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture. Start and end with the flour so the batter stays smooth.
- Whip the egg whites: Whisk the 7 egg whites in a clean bowl on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Then fold one-third into the batter, followed by the rest in 2 batches.
- Bake the cupcakes: Divide the batter among the baking cups, filling each one halfway. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops spring back, then cool completely in the tins on wire racks.
- Cook the caramel: Bring 1 1/2 cups sugar and 3/4 cup water to a boil in a small high-sided saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook until the edges just turn pale gold, then pour it onto a rimmed baking sheet.
- Spread the glass: Tilt the pan quickly so the caramel spreads to the edges in a very thin layer. Let it cool until hard.
- Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and 2 sticks butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Then gradually add the confectioners' sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and beat until creamy and spreadable.
- Frost and decorate: Frost each cupcake with an offset spatula, then twist the pan to release the caramel and break it into shards. Set a shard or 2 in the center of each cupcake and drizzle the strained cherry preserves where the glass meets the frosting.
Tools for this recipe
- KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart stand mixer, USA Pan 12-cup muffin pan (set of 2), Wilton 9-inch angled spatula, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Want more like this? Try Martha's cookbook Cake Perfection.
FAQs
Why did my caramel turn brown and cloudy instead of clear?
It cooked too long. Pull it off the heat as soon as the edges just turn pale gold, because it keeps cooking in the hot pan. Pouring it onto the baking sheet right away stops the color from deepening.
Can I make the cupcakes ahead of time?
Yes. The unfrosted cupcakes keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, and the frosting keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. Frost them when you're ready to serve so everything tastes fresh.
How far ahead can I make the caramel shards?
Caramel keeps at room temperature for up to 1 day, but wait to break it until just before using. Place the shards on the cupcakes right before serving, since moisture from the frosting will start to melt them.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
Cake flour gives these cupcakes their light, tender crumb, so I'd stick with it. Plain all-purpose makes them denser. Don't use self-rising, because the recipe already has baking powder.
Can I keep the frosted cupcakes in the fridge?
Frosted cupcakes hold in the refrigerator for up to 1 day, which is the limit before they dry out. Add the caramel shards and cherry preserves just before serving so the glass stays crisp.
This week on Amazon
Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals run through December 1. The picks from this recipe we would check first: KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart stand mixer, USA Pan 12-cup muffin pan (set of 2), Wilton 9-inch angled spatula.
See the dealsMartha's 100 favorite recipes, all in one book: Martha: The Cookbook.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
