Amy’s Buttermilk Cupcakes with Pomegranate-Cream Cheese Frosting

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

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