King Cake Cupcakes – Great base recipe

We made these King Cake Cupcakes for Mardi Gras, but they would be great as a regular addition to a cupcake collection.  The icing was great and easy to work with.  The cake part had a great flavor and though on the dense side of cake, was still light and had a fine crumb.

I was able to cut the recipe in half to make just 6 cupcakes for our small family and this worked successfully.

Cupcakes
yield 12 cupcakes

1 cup sugar
1 and 2/3 cup flour
1 and 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
6 T butter, soft
2/3 cup milk, room temp.
1/4 tsp. Fiori di Sicilia, or 1 tsp. vanilla and 1/8 tsp. lemon extract
2 large eggs

Icing
3 Tb. butter, room temp.
4 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. lemon extract
2 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tb. milk
sprinkles or added color

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Line your muffin pan with cupcake liners.
3.  In large bowl, mix dry stuff:  sugar, flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.
4.  On low speed (so it doesn’t fly everywhere), add the butter and mix until it is crumbly and sandy.
5.  Add milk and flavoring.  Mix on low 30 seconds.  Mix on medium 30 seconds.
6.  Scrape the bowl and add an egg.  Beat on medium 30 seconds.  Add the second egg.  Beat 30 seconds.
7.  Scrape the sides and beat until smooth.
8.  Scoop into your cupcake pan.  I used my large scooper.  Bake 20-25 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes and remove from the pan.  Cool on a wire rack.
9.  Icing:  In a large bowl beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla and lemon extract.
10.  Add the sugar little by little.  Mix until combined.
11.  Add the milk a little at a time.  You can always add more milk!  It is hard to add more sugar.  Spread and eat!

Recipe from King Arthur Flour