Baking with Kvikk Lunsj: Cupcakes infused with the taste of påske
Photo: Whitney Love
Kvikk Lunsj cupcakes offer a new use for this traditional Easter food.
Whitney Love
Stavanger, Norway
Given that so many Kvikk Lunsj are eaten during Easter in Norway, it seemed only fitting that I found a way to turn this popular candy bar into cupcakes! I’ve infused this buttercream frosting with Kvikk Lunsj and made the cupcakes themselves with cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips to give them that one-two extra chocolate-y punch. The resulting frosting is light and airy, with a few crunchy bits whipped in, and the cupcake is so deep, dense, and moist with chocolate flavor, you won’t know what hit you.
Kvikk Lunsj Cupcakes
For the cupcakes
360g (3 cups) flour
360g (1 3/4 cups) sugar
60g (1/2 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
150g (about 1 cup if you use the mini variety) dark chocolate chips
250ml (1 cup) brewed coffee, cooled
425ml (1 3/4 cup) neutral oil (sunflower, vegetable, or canola)
250ml (1 cup) buttermilk
3 large eggs
For the frosting
180g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
150g (1 1/2 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
2 tbsps. heavy cream
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
8 bars (2 full-size packages) Kvikk Lunsj candy bars
Kvikk Lunsj candy bars for garnish
Photo: Whitney Love
These cupcakes get their moistness from oil, buttermilk, and coffee. The acidity in the buttermilk and coffee interact with the leavening agents in the recipe to give the cupcakes lots of lift, while the oil keeps them from drying out.
To make the cupcakes:
Pre-heat your oven to 160C/320F. Line your cupcake tin with cupcake liners or grease it with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the sugar to the sifted ingredients, and mix well with a whisk. You want the mixture to be uniform in color, without any white or dark brown streaks. Finally add in your chocolate chips, then set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the cooled coffee, oil, buttermilk, and eggs. Whisk together until well combined.
Add the dry mixture to the wet and slowly whisk it together to combine. Pour the batter equally into the lined cupcake tin and bake for 22-24 minutes. The cupcakes are baked when a toothpick placed in the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to remain in the tin and cool on a baking rack for about 10 minutes before removing them from the tin. Allow to cool completely before piping with frosting.
To make the frosting:
Unwrap the Kvikk Lunsj and put them in a large zip top freezer bag. Roll and smash the candy bars until they resemble sand. Set aside.
Place the butter in the bowl of standing mixer fitted with the K or paddle attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar to the bowl and mix until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary to ensure all the butter and powdered sugar is incorporated.
Add the vanilla pod seeds and salt into the bowl. Mix until combined. Next, add the cream and vanilla extract. Mix again until combined.
Increase the mixer speed and whip the frosting on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed Kvikk Lunsj and mix until just combined.
Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and garnish with pieces of Kvikk Lunsj.
Whitney Love is a cookbook author and blogger. She hails from Tucson, Arizona, and is currently living in Stavanger, Norway. She runs the English language blog Thanks For The Food where she documents her love affair with Norway through the lens of traditional and modern Norwegian gastronomy. Find her online at thanksforthefood.com.
This article originally appeared in the April 7, 2017, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.
