Art by the Creek

Preheat oven to 350*. Line about 36 mini muffin cups with paper liners or grease and flour.

Ingredients

1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 tbs unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 eggs, separated (easy if you can weigh the whites and yolks)
1/2 cup sour cream

Frosting
3 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
3 tbs. unsalted butter, room temp.
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Fresh berries (blackberries are incredible)

Preparation

Whisk together dry ingredients (flour, soda, spices) in a small bowl and set aside. With an electric mixer cream butter until light and fluffy. Add brown sugar and combine well. Add egg yolks. Beat in 1/3 flour mixture, then 1/2 sour cream, then 1/3 flour mix, then rest of sour cream, then rest of flour. With another clean bowl, and clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry peaks form. Carefully fold into batter in two additions, 1/2 at a time.

Spoon into muffin cups and bake until tops are lightly browned and edges start to pull away from rims. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting

Cream butter with cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and combine well. Stir in sour cream and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Frost cupcakes with frosting and top with fresh berries.

Awesome Alternative: double the cake recipe, bake in a buttered and floured 9-inch round X 2 3/4 sided springform pan (about 45 minutes). Once completely cool, split cake into three layers. Make 4X frosting recipe. Combine 1 1/2 pints of blackberries with 1/4 cup sugar. Mash fruit coarsely with a fork and let stand 20 minutes-1 hour. Frost 1 layer with frosting and top with 1/2 berries (leaving 1/2 rim without berries so they don’t squish out). Top with second layer and frost and fill. Top with 3rd layer (cut side down). Frost the entire thing. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Cover loosely. Chill until 1 hour before serving. Prior to serving, top with 1/2 pint perfect blackberries around the top edge. Exquisite!!

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 24 muffin cups or use non-stick pans.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 cup cocoa (Hershey’s Special Dark will yield the most chocolate)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/16 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup frozen raspberries (not thawed)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbs. balsamic vinegar

Preparation

In a small bowl, blend flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate large bowl, beat sugar and oil until well combined. Add milk, frozen raspberries and vanilla. Beat just until raspberries are crushed and blended. Add dry ingredients and blend. Add vinegar.

Spoon batter into prepared tins and bake approx. 10 minutes until just firm. Let cool for 10 minutes then remove from tins to a rack and cool completely. Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting or leave plain.