Cocoa and Lavender: Peacetime Cupcakes {A Cookbook Review + Recipe}

Those of you who notice details, will note the spices are half of what the recipe
called for - that is because I made half a batch when I shot the photos.

But, upon receiving a review copy of Buttercream Dreams: Small Cakes, Big Scoops, and Sweet Treats by Jeff Martin (Andrews McMeel Publishing $14.99), one of the contenders in the television reality show, Cupcake Wars, I was drawn to several unusual and fun recipes.

I had my choice of making cupcakes (small cakes), ice cream (big scoops), or a sweet treat. Those are the three sections of the book. It has some really unique ideas for cupcakes (for example, French Toast and Bacon, Cinnamon Maple, and Bubble Gum), as well as some cool ideas for desserts that aren't cupcakes - a variety of ice cream flavors, as well as creative desserts like Cornflake-Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cookies, Spiced Apple-Pear Pies in a Jar, and Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes in a Jar.

I was planning on making his jelly jar apple and pear pies (these would be perfect for a picnic!), until I was reading the book before bed one night and came across the recipe for Jeff's Infamous Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cardamom Buttercream. They were infamous because, in the "pumpkin challenge" segment of Cupcake Wars, he forgot to add the pumpkin to his recipe. Oops!

I loved the story, as it resonated with those occasional goofs we all make: my teaching a cooking class and forgetting to add the sugar to the tiramisu, or the time I forgot to grease the timpanum bowl. We all have tales we hope will be funny someday. Aside from that connection, I love pumpkin desserts, and the cardamom buttercream really appealed to me. So, I made cupcakes.

I brought them to a dinner party and they were a hit - great flavor and texture, and perfectly spiced. (A couple of us said we might increase the spices - but that's just us!) While we liked the cardamom buttercream, we all (at our advancing age) said we would use less icing. In fact, I had a lot of leftover frosting even though I piped two layers on top of each cake!

On the subject of the buttercream, my apologies to you and Jeff. My pastry bag doesn't have a large, plain tip so I faked it. They came out okay, but not perfectly. (All his look beautiufl!)

My review: I liked this book a lot - it is attractive, has creative ideas, and the recipe I tested worked perfectly. It is reasonably and competitively priced, and I will be giving it as a gift to some friends who are cupcake fiends.

I am not sure (as I don't watch television) if the Cupcake Wars continue. But mine were made at a Time of Peace (in my kitchen), and peace is good. Thinking, this Memorial Day Weekend, about our veterans, all who have been taken by war, and their families...

Infamous Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cardamom Buttercream Frosting

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin purée

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cardamom Buttercream

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1/4 cup whole milk

5 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pumpkins and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each addition is incorporated before adding the next. Add the flour mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.

Fill each cupcake liner three-quarters full with batter. Bake for 20-23 minutes, until a toothpick insertedtead into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

To make the cardamom buttercream, in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together the butter, vanilla, cardamom, and milk. Gradually add the confectioner's sugar and beat until thoroughly combined and smooth.

Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip and pipe a swirl of frosting on top of each cupcake. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Makes 12 cupcakes.