{The Girl Kyle Bakes} Pomegranate + Lime Cupcakes
Sometimes I get into a baking rut. Either I'm baking the same things over and over for customers or I'm just not interested in baking at all. When I started baking I was really adventurous with the flavor combinations. I was open to trying just about anything that sounded yummy - even Nerd cupcakes with Nerd candies in them! Now, not so much. I stick with the classics - constantly trying to improve the delicious vanilla and chocolate cupcakes.
This was a big jump out of my comfort zone even though I like both pomegranate and lime. It sounds like it would make a delicious cocktail! Unfortunately I wasn't too impressed with how it translated into a baked good. My biggest complaint is that the cake was much too dense; the texture was more like a muffin. The recipe had called for olive oil and I thought in the moment that the use of olive oil instead of canola or vegetable oil was a little odd. Of course when I bit into one of the cupcakes I thought they tasted like olive oil. Gross! My girl friends who I shared these with said they didn't even notice. They liked them! I guess we're all our own worst critics.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (low or full fat)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 limes, zested and juiced
- 2 eggs
Preheat the oven to 350º F. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt, olive oil, sugar, the zest from one lime, and 1/4 cup of lime juice. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
Sift the flour mixture into the yogurt bowl. Stir until the flour is just combined. Scoop the batter into 14 cupcake liners to fill 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes depending on your oven. Remove from oven and cool completely before topping with buttercream and syrup.
Pomegranate Buttercream Frosting
• 1/4 cup pomegranate juice• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 – 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a small saucepan, reduce the pomegranate juice by half over medium heat. Set aside to cool.
Mix together the butter and 2 1/2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar. Beat until creamy. Stir in the vanilla. Slowly add the reduced pomegranate juice. Add more sugar if necessary to achieve the desired consistency.
Pomegranate Honey Syrup
• 1 cup pomegranate juice• 1/4 cup light-flavored raw honey
In a medium saucepan combine the pomegranate juice and the honey. Heat over medium heat until the mixture boils, stirring occasionally. Continue to cook until the liquid has been reduced by half. Allow to cool slightly. Mixture will thicken as it cools.
My biggest takeaway from this recipe was the DELICIOUS pomegranate honey. It was simple to make, tasted great and made my cupcakes look especially tantalizing! I have even made it since with raspberry puree and put in a batch of swiss meringue buttercream. So. Good.
Don't shy away this recipe, just rework it a little with one of your favorite cupcake recipes. :)