As promised, here is the recipe for the cupcakes I made for Amy's all-sweets baby shower yesterday. I had such a great time putting it together and I was so glad to see so many of our blogging friends come out to show their love for Amy!
Amy is expecting a sweet baby girl in January, so I knew whatever I made had to be pink. My first thought was raspberry but I couldn't settle on a recipe. I searched cranberry treats, but nothing seemed quite right. Finally, I remembered the bottle of pomegranate juice and carton of buttermilk in my fridge and everything came together. A strange way to settle on a special occasion recipe, I know, but it worked. These cupcakes were light and fluffy and the cream cheese frosting had just enough pomegranate flavor and color. I only wish I could give Amy one in person!
Buttermilk Cupcakes with Pomegranate-Cream Cheese Frosting
cake recipe from epicurious
frosting recipe an "Apple a Day" original
Ingredients:
For the cake:
4 c. cake flour (not self-rising)
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks (1 c.) unsalted butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 large eggs
2 c. well-shaken buttermilk
For the frosting:
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
12 oz. unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c. pomegranate juice
3 - 3 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
3 - 3 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
Directions:
1. To make the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners in approximately 30 wells of a muffin tin.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the
butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1
at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Reduce mixer to low and add flour mixture and buttermilk in 3 batches,
beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until just combined after each addition.
4. Divide batter among muffin cups taking care to fill no more than 2/3 full. (Batter will rise quite a bit and will make quite a mess if it overflows.) Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of muffin
trays halfway through baking, about 22 minutes, or until golden and a
tester comes out clean. Cool cupcakes on racks 5 minutes and remove
cupcakes from cups.
5. Meanwhile, place pomegranate juice in a small saucepan and boil over medium-high heat until reduced to 3 TBSP, approximately 10 minutes.
6. When pomegranate juice is cooled, beat cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add in reduced pomegranate juice and beat until just combined. Add confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time, until frosting reaches desired consistency. Frost cupcakes when cooled. Will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
one year ago: pumpkin-orange waffles with sweet orange butter
two years ago: my favorite way to make pesto
three years ago: pumpkin-pecan ebelskivers