Case Study 127: The Spring Hummingbird Cupcake

 “sweet spring is your
time is my time is our
time for springtime is lovetime
and viva sweet love"

- E.E. Cummings

Forgive me for being so quiet lately, but I was busy letting the month of March be so good to me. Luckily, amidst it all, spring finally arrived. We tired of snow, the sky turned blue and the dormant bulbs started pushing green shoots through the ground. 

I've got spring fever, and I've got it bad. 

Whatever you do, get outside this weekend. Throw on some shades, lose the socks and try to avoid the shady side of the street. Drink up some crisp nearly April air. Let the spring sunlight wash away the winter sins.

 

And if must spend some hours indoors, make them worth it and bake up these very spring-like Hummingbird cupcakes with cream cheese buttercream, flaked coconut and malted eggs on top.

Get awakened. Be new. And viva sweet love.  

Hummingbird Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups flour cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 stick sweet cream butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 3 medium bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tray with baking cups. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 minutes.

3. Add eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla. Beat until pale at medium speed, 3 minutes.

4. In a medium bowl, combine walnuts, banana, coconut and pineapple. Mix into wet ingredients (butter/sugar/egg/vanilla mixture) until just combined. 

5. Fold in flour until combined. Do not overbeat.

6. Spoon into baking cups until 3/4 full.
7. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until an inserted pick comes out clean. Remove from tray and let cool completely before frosting.

 

Vanilla Cream Cheese Buttercream

1 sticks butter, softened 

4 oz. cream cheese

2 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup milk 

4-6 cups confectioner's (icing) sugar

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or by hand, beat the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla.

2. Add 1 cup confectioner’s sugar and mix until combined. Mix in ¼ cup milk.

3. Mix in remaining cups of confectioner’s sugar, and additional tablespoons of milk depending on consistency and preference.

4. Frost cupcakes 

5. Top with toasted flaked coconut and malted Cadbury mini eggs