Tuesday, January 31, 2012

A bee's life...Honey Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting


Sometimes a little organization is seriously needed when baking; like on weeks where you are busy with work stuff all day and have work dinners three nights in a row.  Sometimes my OCD takes over and it really plans out how and when things need to happen.  Let me just give an example...this is last week when I had to have cupcakes made for a Thursday birthday (Happy Birthday Caroline!) and make pancakes and waffles for about 30 people Thursday morning ala pancake/waffle bar.

Monday PM:  Prep dry ingredients for cupcakes and store in refrigerator
Tuesday AM:  Make berry compote, refrigerate & prep dry ingredients for waffles/pancakes
Tuesday PM:  Make cinnamon apples, refrigerate
Wednesday AM:  Bake 3 dozen honey cupcakes before 7am
Wednesday PM:  Make and frost cupcakes with honey cream cheese frosting
....have hand electric mixer break, literally start smoking...electrical fire style, while preparing the frosting....
Thursday AM:  Head to work to set up pancake/waffle bar and get the griddle going
Thursday PM: Enjoy Honey Cupcakes!

Let me just tell you that these cupcakes were worth it all, the late nights, early mornings, and the need to purchase a new hand-mixer!  If you like honey, you have got to try these!  The cupcakes are a bit denser than normal with just a hint of honey and are super moist from the buttermilk.  The honey cream cheese frosting ties it all together...it is thick and creamy, with a very direct honey flavor.  I used Tupelo honey from the Savannah Bee Company because I wanted the honey flavor to be intense and delicious.  Have them with a nice cup of tea and take a minute to sit back and relax.  Every now and again we all just need to take a minute relax and enjoy in life's simple pleasures...or just eat a cupcake.


Cupcakes fresh out of the oven and cooling before being stored in a container until time for frosting...





Honey Cupcakes:  (recipe from Lauren at Crave, Indulge, Satisfy)
*makes three dozen
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), softened
2 1/4 cups sugar
6 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup honey (1 honey bear full)
3 teaspoons vanilla
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line muffin tin with liners and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. 

3.  Whisk eggs into creamed mixture, one at a time.  Then whisk in honey and vanilla until well combined.

4.  In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

5.  Add the flour and buttermilk to the sugar-butter mixture, alternating between flour and buttermilk, mixing between the addition of each.  Begin and end with flour.

6.  Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, approximately 3 scoops from a 1-inch cookie scoop.  Bake for 17-20 minutes or until golden and testers comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 2-3 minutes, then move to cooling rack to finish cooling.  In the mean time prepare the frosting.

Honey Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter (3/4 cup), softened
8 oz, 1/3-fat cream cheese, softened
4-5 tablespoons honey (I used Tupelo honey)
4-6 cups powdered sugar

1.  In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese.

2.  Mix in the honey until well combined.

3.  Starting on a lower speed, mix in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time until frosting had reached desired consistency.  It will be thick!  Frost cupcakes and Enjoy!

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