Wow….so this is my 100th post! Can you believe it? I feel like it probably took me a while, but I finally made it! I wanted something special and though these were not made specifically for my 100th post, I think these cupcakes are still pretty special since I made them for my mom’s birthday. Rabi and I recently went to DC and I was excited to find Georgetown Cupcakes the first night I went to walk around town. I was pretty excited to try them, though I’m always a little hesitant when I try a cupcake bakery as they tend to be expensive and can be so disappointing. Fortunately, I loved every single thing I tried and wished I had gone back a couple more times to try some of their more unique flavors. Hopefully next time!
One of my favorites that I tried was the Hummingbird. I had seen blog posts about Hummingbird cakes around the internet, but wasn’t really sure what they were about. Turns out, they are an upgraded banana nut muffin–the upgrade being pineapple in the cake and a delicious cream cheese frosting slathered on top. Seriously, what’s not to like? The banana makes the cake so moist and the addition of pineapple and various spices really rounds this out. As soon as I got home, I searched around for a recipe and was thrilled to find that Georgetown Cupcake owners themselves had baked these on Martha Stewart’s show. It was like kismet! I knew my mom would love these and my family plowed through them pretty quickly. Even my dad, who only likes chocolate, insisted on keeping some so he could have them with breakfast. Now that is success!
Hummingbird Cupcakes
from Georgetown Cupcakes via Martha Stewart
For the Cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (from about 3 large bananas)
1 tablespoon clover honey
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup hot water
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners then set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add the sugar and cream together until combined–about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure the first is fully incorporated before adding the second. Add the banana and honey and mix until combined. Add half of the pecans, mixing until combined.
Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined. Then add 1/3 of the hot water and mix until combine. Repeat twice, ending with the hot water.
Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 24-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes the cool completely on a wire rack.
For the Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
Start by creaming the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium high for about 5 minutes. Then add the sugar and vanilla extract and continue to mix until everything is well combined. I usually start by adding less sugar and add more as needed until it’s the right sweetness or at the consistency I want. Another note: I halved the cupcake recipe, but ended up making the full amount of frosting, which was the perfect amount. If you’re really liberal with your cupcake frosting, you may want to make double the frosting recipe. x
To assemble, place the frosting in a piping back with a large pastry tip, or in a ziplock bag and snip off a corner. Pipe frosting on each cupcake. Enjoy!
Friday, June 1st, 2012, 12:00 pm | 
Baking, Cupcakes | 
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