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Rhubarb Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

This post is also available in / Esta entrada también está disponible en ESPAÑOL (SPANISH)

So, one of the things that I love about being abroad is the produce. Each country has it’s own things and here, I had the opportunity to try something I’ve been after for quite a bit: Rhubarb. Rhubarb, for those who don’t know, is pretty similar to celery, and has fresh raw stalks are crisp with a strong tart taste. Looks pretty much like celery, but pink! Yes, pink.

So, when Helga and I found a few recipes with Rhubarb, we knew that I had to try them while in the US. To my surprise on Monday, I was walking around the vegetables aisle and there it was! I’ve been tracking those for quite a bit, they didn’t made their way to Upstate NY till now… So I grabbed what I needed and started brainstorming.

Yes, I could do a Strawberry and Rhubarb pie, but that’s the common path. I want something different. That’s when I remembered that I had a recipe by Martha Stewart that I wanted to try! I added an extra cup of rhubarb and instead of serving them with whipped cream, I made a Cream Cheese Frosting that turned out to be amazing.

Kitty

PS: Before going all crazy baking, I needed to try it before baking. So, Rhubarb has the crunch of the celery, but the sweet tanginess of a not-quite-ripe strawberry. I loved it!

Rhubarb Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1  1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
3/4 pound rhubarb stalks, trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch dice (makes 3 cups)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven at 350ºF. Line standard muffins tins with paper liners.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  3. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and 1 cup of sugar until pale and fluffy.
  4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla extract. Reduce speed to low.
  5. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until combined after each.
  6. Stir in the diced Rhubarb.
  7. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating thins half-way through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
  8. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.
  9. Wait until completely cool to frost the cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

A Foodies’ Kitchen Original recipe
Yield: Enough to frost about 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese
3 cups confectioner’s sugar (have a bit more around if you need to adjust the sweetness of the frosting)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberries or blueberries for garnish

Directions:

  1. Cream the butter on medium speed, then add the cream cheese until well combined.
  2. Lower the speed on the mixer and Sift in the powdered sugar, one cup at the time.
  3. Add vanilla and mix. Test to see if it’s sweet enough, if you want it sweeter, add 1/4 of confectioner’s sugar at a time.
  4. Spread onto cooled cupcakes or cake.
  5. Place a couple of blueberries or a sliced strawberry on top.

© 2010 – 2020, The Foodies’ Kitchen. All rights reserved | Todos los derechos reservados

This post is also available in / Esta entrada también está disponible en ESPAÑOL (SPANISH)

Comments (17)

  • alexis

    May 20, 2012 at 10:17 am

    You said sour cream. Did you mean cream cheese?

  • Kitty

    May 20, 2012 at 10:27 am

    Yes Alexis, the correct ingredient is cream cheese :) Will fix it in the directions!

  • Cindy

    May 25, 2012 at 12:04 pm

    What do you mean cream cheese? Cream cheese in frosting, but sour cream in cupcake, correct!

  • Kitty

    May 25, 2012 at 12:18 pm

    Hi Cindy!
    Yes, you are correct, Sour Cream in the cupcake batter and Cream Cheese for the Frosting.

    ~ Kitty

  • Ell Bel

    July 18, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    My grandma and I r making it right now it looks great

  • Mariam

    March 23, 2013 at 12:14 am

    Just made these today!!! Absolutely delicious–love how the tanginess of the rhubarb comes through. My cousin thought that the cream cheese frosting could have used more cream cheese and a little less sugar but I loved it as is. Thanks!!!

  • Kitty

    March 23, 2013 at 12:24 am

    So glad you enjoyed them! We just got some rhubarb so probably can whip another recipe soon. Aren’t they just delicious? It’s still one of our favorites!
    ~ Kitty

  • Sarah

    June 13, 2013 at 11:59 pm

    Can you use frozen rhubarb in these? I have been meaning to make the Martha Stewart recipe for over a year–I have checked her cupcake book out of the library several times–and right now have some rhubarb that is going to go bad in a day or two if I do not freeze it now. My kind neighbor gave it to me last week, but I injured my hand and cannot do much in the kitchen. I think I could manage prepping and freezing the rhubarb–my mom has done that since my childhood, when her kind neighbor gave her bags of rhubarb every year, and I see you do that, too. Have you used the frozen rhubarb in this recipe? I was hoping to make the cupcakes this rhubarb season!

    I also like your cream cheese frosting idea. Now I do not know which way to top them!

  • Kitty

    June 14, 2013 at 9:01 am

    Hi Sarah!
    Thank you for your question! With Frozen Rhubarb, you will get more juices out of the rhubarb than if you’d be using fresh. Frozen rhubarb is often better for compotes or jams. But, for baking these cupcakes, these are my recommendations:

    • If you haven’t been able to freeze the rhubarb yet, make sure you freeze it completely dry and take out as much air out of the bag you’re freezing it in.
    • Measure rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw completely. Drain in a colander, but do not press liquid out.
    • Add a tablespoon or two of all-purpose flour when adding them (step 6). And just mix it enough to combine.

    For the topping, the Martha Stewart suggests whipped cream with syrup and cooked rhubarb. That was too crazy for me (and they wouldn’t keep for days!), so I decided to make the cream cheese frosting and it is very good pairing. Since I didn’t have any pipping bags or tips when I first made this recipe, I just frosted them with a spoon. If you have, using a 1M tip should look gorgeous. From the toppings, the best were the strawberries, but I would totally use two fresh Raspberries on top! :)

    Hope this helps Sarah, and hope you get better soon!

    Kitty

  • Beth

    June 18, 2013 at 11:32 am

    Could you freeze these and frost later?

  • Kitty

    June 18, 2013 at 11:34 am

    Definitely!

  • Magda

    May 24, 2014 at 5:50 am

    Hi
    I just found your site searching for rhubarb recipes. I live in Sweden and do grow rhubarbs, they thrive. So now I will go outside and pick some stalks and make this wonderful recipe. Thank you

  • kellie

    June 29, 2014 at 5:05 pm

    can you make mini cupcakes?

  • Kitty

    June 29, 2014 at 6:12 pm

    Hi Kellie! Just check the baking time, I would start checking the mini cupcakes after 9 minutes in the ob=ve, baking 14 minutes tops.

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