- Share This Post
- Pin It
- 0
- 2
-
Sparkle (0)
It seems like every time I turn around there's a new "it" dessert. Cupcakes, frozen yogurt, cakeballs - I can't keep track. I remember a few years ago when the cupcake craze hit Dallas and we got the cupcake mecca: Sprinkles! Shamefully, I stood in line for what seemed like hours to find out what all the hype was about and believe me, it was worth it (they even had cupcakes for my dog!).
Cupcakes are the perfect bite-sized dessert, though I sometimes struggle to eat just one. With an endless array of flavor choices, I make them for all occasions. I was playing around with flavor combinations the other day when I remembered a spice tea my mother used to make. The two primary flavors were orange and clove. After some experimentation, a ginger icing best complemented the spice in the cakes. I also like including the fresh ginger for an added bite. As a note, I didn't have my icing tube with me to neatly pipe the icing onto the cakes. Instead, I used a sandwich bag with one corner cut off - a cheap and easy substitute.
Orange Clove Cupcakes (Adapted from Sweetsonian)
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp ground clove
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup orange zest
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup orange juice, no pulp
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, clove, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl and set aside.
2. Mix brown sugar, granulated sugar, and orange zest together in a large bowl. Add vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, or until combined.
3. Gradually add the milk and orange juice while beating.
4. Gradually add the flour/spice mixture to the other bowl (about 1/4 cup at a time) and beat until smooth.
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool thoroughly before icing.
Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting
12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 stick butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1. Beat butter and cream cheese together at medium speed.
2. Add confectioner's sugar, ground ginger, and fresh ginger and beat until combined.
Enjoy!
For recipes and more articles like this, visit La Gourmande Jolie.
