And while they’re not the prettiest things ever, they sure taste great! I never make cupcakes because something always goes wrong. They sink in the middle, or they get too puffy and then run over the sides of the pan…I’m never going to be a cupcake queen. Ever.
But I found this recipe the other day, and it worked perfectly! The cakes had good texture, a slight spiciness from cinnamon and other good things, and they weren’t like cupcake-shaped hockey pucks. And even though they have whole wheat pastry flour, they don’t taste like wheat bread. Honest! And the kids loved them. The recipe is originally found here. I added vanilla and also switched out the individual spices for a Cake Spice blend.
The icing…oh, the icing. I was contacted by Diana at POM Wonderful a couple of weeks ago. She offered me some samples of their juice to try. Um, yeah, thanks! Love that stuff! So in thinking about different recipes to try with it, my husband thought of cupcakes.
I had originally thought about chocolate icing, but looked around and found a recipe for Pomegranate Butter Cream. I didn’t have any POM molasses, so I brought some of the regular juice to a boil, then simmered it until it was thick and syrupy—about 30 minutes or so. Then just follow the icing part of that recipe.
Whole Wheat Cupcakes
Makes 12
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp Cake Spice
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a muffin tin or line with paper muffin tin liners.
Whisk the flours, baking powder, and spices in a small bowl.
Cream the butter with the sugar for about 4 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time until blended, and scrape down the sides of the bowl if you need to.
Beat in the flour mixture until just combined, and then add the milk and vanilla.
Spoon the batter into the pan and bake for 15 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
To print this recipe, click here!
Check out the Savory Pomegranate Chicken Michelle at Life, Lightly Salted did with some of her POM Wonderful Juice!
HOLY GOODNESS YUM!!
ReplyDeleteThey're plenty pretty... and being delicious to boot is always a great side effect :) TOTALLY into cupcakes these days. love these.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how close the cupcakes we both posted today are. I even made pomegranate molasses too!
ReplyDeleteMmmm, I love pomegranates SO MUCH. Cupcakes aren't so hard, you just need to find a good base cake recipe or two that you can tweak and flavor however you want. That's what I do, anyway. And sometimes they're still not right but experimenting is half the fun!
ReplyDeleteThe best part here is that since they're whole wheat cupcakes, they're clearly HEALTH FOOD and therefore suitable for breakfast! Yay!
Gorgeous cupcakes Elle, adorable frosting too and so artistic. I love the saying the cupcakes are a vehicle for the frosting, for me that is so true.
ReplyDeletePomegranate molasses is one of my favourite ingredients too, another reason why I just have to test this out.
I love whole wheat pastry flour!!
ReplyDeleteYour cupcakes are gorgeous!!! And the Frosting??? OMGosh.. FABU!!!!
These are practically HEALTH FOOD!!!
Leslie
LeslieVeg@msn.com
http://leslielovesveggies.blogspot.com/
Wow, amazing that these weren't dense despite the whole wheat flour! Yum!
ReplyDeleteThese look terrific!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Really, they do. But you know that. :)
ReplyDeletethese look so fantastic and what an amazing flavor combination!
ReplyDeleteAll things with Pom are wonderful - Thanks for sharing this killer recipe!!
ReplyDeletewhole wheat goodness! oh yeah, I really should try this healthier version of a cupcake. looks too good not to
ReplyDeleteThis looks fantastic! I substitute whole wheat pastry flour for AP all the time with great results I am also glad to find out about making your own syrup too.kristi.d.rogers@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteElle-these look WONDERFUL! I have the same problem as you do with cupcakes and usually avoid making them because they look so horrible in the end.
ReplyDeleteI just may have to bite the bullet, get over the cupcake fear and make these.
That icing sounds incredible. Great job, Elle!
ReplyDeleteThose are beautiful!!!!! I love the whole wheat kick to them too!
ReplyDeleteThat's funny because I checked out Kat's cupcakes and you two are on the same wave length. I like the addition of wheat as I am always trying to incorporate it whereever I can.
ReplyDeleteI think these cupcakes look very pretty, Elle.
ReplyDeleteYou did a wonderful job!
I'm starving this morning...and I have to see your delicious cupcakes. Dang! I like the fact that they are simple little cakes with an exotic pomegranate frosting. I'm going the savory route with my Pom juice...using it in a chicken dish this weekend.
ReplyDeleteThe pomegranate molasses frosting sounds delicious and I'm always looking for a better cupcake recipe with some whole wheat. You are right about a lot of the ones with whole wheat ending up like hockey pucks. I have to give these a try.
ReplyDeleteLooks delish Elle!!
ReplyDeleteLove pom...and invite you to see look at Braised Flanken with Pomegratate, and let me know what you think....
ReplyDeleteI need these RIGHT NOW!! They are absolutely gorgeous - what else could you have possibly done to have made them more lovely? Nuthin. I want them, every last one of em.
ReplyDeleteThat icing sounds uh-mazing! I will have to try my hand at these cupcakes...
ReplyDeleteThose look great! And I love that they are made with WW Pastry Flour.
ReplyDeleteThese are gorgeous! With the pom & ww flour, they're quite a healthy treat.
ReplyDeleteI think you're wrong - they look fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, everyone! You know, I guess we're most critical of ourselves, like painting a picture ad being afraid to show it to people. Been there, done that, too, hehe. I see other's pretty cupcakes and think mine look funky.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are the best, as always!
Tres nice...a cupcake with some healthy qualities...nice piping skills too!
ReplyDeleteOh, what pretty cupcakes!!! I am so envious. All my attempts at piping icing just end up making whatever it is look kind of Charlie Brown Christmas-tree-ish!
ReplyDeleteLove the cupcakes, they are so pretty!
ReplyDeleteThey are sooo beautiful, I wish we had this juice here :-) I can only find the fruit.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work with the cupcakes and I love the sound of pomegranate icing!
ReplyDeletei got some pom wonderful too, and i was just pondering how to begin using it. now i know. these look stellar. :)
ReplyDeleteThose look absolutely delicious to me... Love the whole wheat base and the pom icing, YUM!
ReplyDeleteI like the last one - I wish I had that bite:) POM butter cream sounds so delish!
ReplyDeleteBoy do these look good! I will make them as soon as I can get the ingredients. I love POM juice, and it is loaded with good things. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago New Yorkers became enamored of the cupcake. Los Angeles was afflicted by the same sweet addiction; from bakeries devoted entirely to the petite cake to carts that roamed the city selling just-out-of-the-oven wares, cupcakes were the vice of choice. I never got it.
ReplyDelete