October 30, 2020

Spice Cupcakes

Ohio State Fair Winner

These Spice Cupcakes are easy and delicious sweet treats, and they are a blue ribbon winning recipe! Originally made as a layer cake, this recipe won 1st place at the Ohio State Fair in 2011. Peggy Smith of Delaware, Ohio, was the talented blue ribbon baker. She won the Great Cake Contest, which King Arthur Flour sponsored. Peggy’s family loves this cake recipe. She said she used and tweaked it for several years before competing with it. Often we see winners teaching their children to bake but Peggy confessed her daughter deserves the credit, for getting her into baking. Her top tip for cake baking is “sift the flour!” Hats off to Peggy and her award winning cake!

These are a perfect dessert for fall. I baked them for a friend’s birthday and they were a huge hit. Be sure to bake these soon!

Cyndi

Spiced Cupcakes

2 cups all purpose flour, or cake flour

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup shortening

1 cup buttermilk

3 eggs

 

Frosting:

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 pound box confectioners’ sugar; sifted

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup light cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together first eight ingredients (in large bowl). Add shortening and buttermilk. Mix until blended. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Divide batter among 24 cupcake cups. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until done (toothpick comes out clean). Cool completely (10 minutes or more).

For frosting: Cream butter. Separately, sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon. Add half of the sugar mixture to the creamed butter, blending well. Beat in 2 tablespoons of cream and vanilla. Gradually blend in remaining sugar. Mix until smooth. Frost each cupcake with it.

Recipe by Peggy Smith, Ohio State Fair