Ginger Binger Cupcakes
Makes 80 mini cupcakes or 24 regular cupcakes

Ingredients
Cupcakes:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tbs. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ginger powder
• 1 cup butter at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup milk at room temperature
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 3 egg whites at room temperature
• 1 tbs. vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped candied ginger plus 2 tbs. for decorating
• 1 tbs. grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup good Bourbon (I used Bulleit)

Bourbon Ginger Jello Filling:

• 3/4 cup good bourbon (I used Bulleit)
• 1 cup ginger beer
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

Whipped Lemon Crème Brulee Frosting:

• 6 egg yolks
• 2 pints heavy whipping cream
• Rind of one lemon
• 1  tbs. lemon extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 packet white chocolate flavored instant pudding mix

 
Directions
Cupcakes:

1. Heat over to 325° F
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and ginger powder. Set aside
3. With the whisk attachment cream butter for two minutes. Add sugar 1/2 cup at a time until light and fluffy.
4. Add whole eggs and mix in one at a time.
5. Add egg whites and mix until incorporated. 
6. Add vanilla extract to milk.
7. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to butter mixture in three turns. Make sure to scrape down the sides of your bowl as mixing.
8. Add whiskey and mix until incorporated.
9. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in 1/2 cup chopped candied ginger and 1 tbs. grated fresh ginger.
10. If making mini-cupcakes use a piping bag to fill paper muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.
11. Bake mini-cupcakes for nine minutes, and standard cupcakes for 17 minutes.
12. Remove and cool before filling and frosting.

Bourbon Jello Filling:

1. Heat 1/2 cup ginger beer in pot until boiling.
2. Completely sissolve jello in heated ginger beer. Make sure there are no big clumps or floating specks in the beer.
3. Add whiskey and remaining ginger beer.
4. Refrigerate at least two hours.

Crème Brulee Frosting:
Part 1: Lemon Custard

1. Heat over to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Set aside.
3. In a heavy saucepan, heat 1 pint heavy whipping cream with lemon zest until almost boiling (you should see small bubbles starting to come up to the surface of the mixture).
4. Pour cream mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove lemon zest.
5. Pour ¼ of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks while stirring (you want to make sure not to cook the eggs).
6. Add vanilla and lemon extract until incorporated.
7. Stir in remaining cream mixture and stir until well incorporated.
8. Fill 4-5 oz ramekins until almost full.
9. Set ramekins into a pan of boiling water, place in the pre-heated over, and bake for 30 minutes (or until center is set but still loose).
10. Remove ramekins from pan and refrigerate for at lest 3 hours or over night.

Part 2: Frosting

1. Combine 1/2 packet of white chocolate instant pudding mix and one pint heavy whipping cream.
2. Using the whisk attachment, mix heavy whipping cream and pudding mix on medium speed until thickened and peaks hold (about 4 minutes).
3. Remove thickened crème brulee from fridge. Working one ramekin at a time, scoop crème brulee into the whipped cream mixture.
4. Mix just until incorporated.
5. Fill piping bag with frosting 

Assembly:

1. Use piping tip #2A (with a relatively large circular tip) to remove a small piece of cake from the center of each cupcake,
2. Use this same tip to cut a jello piece from the hardened bourbon jello.
3. Place a piece of jello into each cupcake.
4. Frost cupcakes and top with a piece of candied ginger.  

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