After nearly a week without blogging, I think I’m ready to tell you more about ‘Meatfest’. Naturally, the meats were the star of the show, but still, strangely, I felt the need to make dessert as well.
This is really odd for me as I almost never make real, unhealthy, unadulterated desserts. It may have been a sign of nesting and an indication of what was to come. In fact, as I prepared for this feast, my friend Beth commented, ‘Brit, I think you are nesting.’ I denied it, after all, it was far too early, but in retrospect she may have been right.
Anyway, whatever the reason, I’m glad that I made these cupcakes. They were amazing, so good, in fact, that this typically dessert-free girl is going to attempt a cake version of them later this week.
Pumpkin Cupcakes
From David Leite via The Way the Cookie Crumbles.
Ingredients:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup corn starch (or 2 cups cake flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line cupcake pans with 18 cupcake liners.
- Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a mixer and cream together for about five minutes.
- While the butter and sugars are mixing, whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add the eggs, individually, to the butter and sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl between eggs.
- Slowly alternate mixing in dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between.
- Add pumpkin and blend until smooth.
- Spoon mixture into the 18 cupcake liners, filling each about 3/4 of the way.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes on a rack.
Servings ~ 18
Calories ~ 176, Fat ~ 5.9 g, Carbohydrates ~ 33.6 g, Protein ~ 2.3 g
Cream Cheese Frosting
From Loves to Eat.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Directions:
- Combine butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer, beating for about three minutes until smooth.
- Add vanilla and continue to mix.
- Slowly add powdered sugar to mixing bowl, occasionally scraping down the sides, until fully combined.
Servings ~ 18
Calories ~ 168, Fat ~ 9.5 g, Carbohydrates ~ 20.3 g, Protein ~ 1.0 g