Chef Jerson Fernandes offers an Independence Day delight -- Tricolour Cream Cheese Cupcakes.

They are decorated with a delicious cream cheese topping in orange, white and green.

Chef Jerson, whose colleagues call him 'Jerson MontereyJack', has spent 15 years in the hospitality industry and has a passion for food photography. He often hits the road seeking and scenting out great khana and recipes.

Tricolour Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 100 gm butter, brought to room temperature
• 80 gm castor sugar (a kind of finer sugar manufactured by top baking brands)
• 100 gm maida or all-purpose flour
• 2 gm baking powder
• 50 ml condensed milk
• 50 ml milk
• 2 gm baking soda
• 3 ml vanilla essence
• 4 cupcake/muffin moulds
• Butter, to grease the cupcake/muffin moulds
• Cupcake paper liners for the moulds

For the icing topping

• 150 gm cream cheese
• 3 ml vanilla essence
• 50 gm whipped cream
• 30 gm kiwi puree
• 30 gm carrot puree
• 2 tbsp chopped nuts, like walnuts, roasted
• 20 ml condensed milk
• 70 gm castor sugar

Method

For the cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• In a bowl, whisk the butter and the castor sugar until smooth and without lumps.
  Add the milk and the condensed milk and mix.
  Sieve the flour and add it to the mixture.
  Add the baking powder, baking soda, vanilla essence.
  Mix well.
• Grease the cupcake/muffin moulds with butter and line with the cupcake liners.
  Pour the batter into the liners.
  Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes at 180°C.
  Insert a toothpick into the cupcake to check if done.
  If it comes out clean, the cupcakes are ready, else bake a little longer till the toothpick comes out clean.
  Take the cupcakes out of the oven and keep aside to cool on a rack.

For the icing topping

• In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, whipped cream, vanilla essence, condensed milk, castor sugar, chopped nuts until all ingredients are well blended.
  Divide the mixture between three bowls.
  In one portion add the kiwi puree.
  In the second portion add the carrot puree. 
  Let the third portion remain white.
  Fill into three separate piping bags with wide nozzles.
  Keep the bags in the refrigerator to set.
  Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes
  Start with the green mixture, followed by the white and then orange mixture (please see the pic above).

Chef Jerson's Note: Make sure the oven is always preheated to the desired temperature before baking.

The nuts should always be dry roasted before using to give it a crunch.

Chef Jerson Fernandes is the culinary director at Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach.

• RECIPES