Pear Cupcakes. Each delicious mini pear cake is loaded with fresh pear for maximum flavor. A few winter spices round out the flavor profile. Cupcakes decorated with orange flavored buttercream.
Why You Should Make These Cupcakes
- they’re cute.
- each cupcake is loaded with fresh pear.
- the orange buttercream pairs very nicely with the pear cupcake.
- they store very well, can be made a day or two in advance.
How To Make These Pear Cupcakes
The oven is preheated to 350 degrees F. 2 muffin tins are lined with paper cupcake liners.
All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, fine sea salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg are added to a small mixing bowl, whisked to combine, and set aside.
Two small pears (I used bosc) are peeled with a vegetable peeler. The stem is removed and the pears are halved lengthwise. The core is removed using a paring knife or a melon baller. The pears are shredded using a box grater. The shredded pear is placed on a bunch of paper towels or a clean dish towel. Wrap the paper towels or dish towel around the pear and squeeze as much moisture out of the pears as possible.
The pressed pear is added to a stand mixer with granulated sugar and brown sugar, and beaten on medium for 30 seconds to a minute to combine really well.
Vegetable oil is added gradually (about 1/4 cup at a time) to the pear mixture and beaten briefly after each addition.
Eggs are added one at a time, and beaten after each addition to incorporate.
The bowl is removed from the stand mixer. The reserved flour mixture is added to the bowl and folded in with a large spatula. Gentle. Slow. No over mixing.
Using a cookie or ice cream scoop, the cupcake batter is dropped into the cupcake liners. Each cupcake liner should be about 3/4 full.
Cupcakes are baked for 22 minutes in preheated oven, or until they are firm to the touch.
Cupcakes cooled in the pan and then removed from the pan to cool completely.
I topped my pear cupcakes with orange buttercream. I used frozen orange concentrate and orange extract to ensure my buttercream tasted orange.
A stick of softened butter is added to a stand mixer and beaten on medium speed for 5 minutes.
Powdered sugar is added to the stand mixer and beaten for an additional 5 minutes.
A splash of heavy cream is added to the frosting and beaten on low to incorporate.
1 teaspoon of frozen orange concentrate and 1 drop of orange extract are added to the stand mixer and beaten on low until incorporated.
I remove some of the frosting, pipe some shapes, return unused frosting to the mixer. I add another teaspoon of frozen orange concentrate and 1 drop of food gel to the mixer. I beat on low to incorporate.
I pipe some shapes and repeat the process, each time the frosting gets a little more orange in color.
Other Cupcake Recipes You Might Enjoy
Some or our most popular cupcake recipes include orange cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, caramel apple cupcakes, and vanilla bean cupcakes.
Pear Cupcakes
Equipment
- 2 (12 cup) muffin pans
Ingredients
Pear Cupcakes:
- 285 grams all-purpose flour (2-1/4 cups), sifted
- 5 grams baking powder (1 teaspoon)
- 5 grams baking soda (1 teaspoon)
- 2 grams kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon)
- 2 grams ground cinnamon (3/4 teaspoon)
- 1 grams ground nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon)
- 180 grams peeled, grated and pressed pear (1-1/2 cups)
- 150 grams granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
- 250 grams light brown sugar (1-1/4 cup)
- 275 grams vegetable oil (1-1/4 cups)
- 200 grams egg (4 large)
Orange Buttercream:
- 113 grams unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
- 250 grams powdered sugar (2 cups)
- 15 grams heavy cream (1 tablespoon)
- 5 to 15 grams frozen orange juice concentrate (1 to 3 teaspoons), room temperature
- 1 to 3 each drops of orange extract
- 1 to 3 each drops of orange food gel
Instructions
Pear Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two (12-cavity) muffin tins with 18 paper liners.
- Add sifted all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, fine sea salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg to mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add grated pear, sugar, and light brown sugar to stand mixer. Beat on medium until well combined, about 30 seconds.
- Gradually add the vegetable oil. Beat on medium speed until all the oil is incorporated.
- Add eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition. Remove bowl from stand mixer.
- Add reserved flour mixture to stand mixer bowl about 1/2 cup at a time. Fold in with large spatula. Do not over mix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin tins. Paper liners should be about 3/4 full.
- Bake the cupcakes in preheated oven for 22 minutes or until top of cakes are firm to the touch, and toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
- Place muffin tins on wire rack. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing cupcakes from tin to cool completely.
Orange Buttercream:
- Add the unsalted butter to a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl down, if necessary.
- Add the powdered sugar to the stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 5 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and beat on low long enough to incorporate.
- Add 1 drop of orange extract to the stand mixer.
- Add 1 teaspoon of orange juice and 1 drop of orange food gel and beat on low long enough to incorporate.
- Remove some of the frosting and pipe shapes onto your cupcakes. Return the unused frosting to the stand mixer.
- For additional darker shades of orange, add 1 teaspoon of orange juice and 1 drop of orange food gel. Repeat the process 2 more times.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring cupcakes up to room temperature to serve.
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