PERSIMMON SPICE CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA GINGER BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
With the holidays in full swing, these persimmon spice cupcakes with vanilla ginger buttercream frosting are a festive treat for any party, holiday meal or snowy day. Using your KitchenAid® 13-Cup Food Processor, Professional-Grade Nonstick Muffin Pans and Stand Mixer, this delightful fruit-flavored dessert comes together with ease.
The persimmon is a widely underused fruit, but being one of the few that’s in season in the colder months, it’s worth trying. Once you do, you may wonder why you haven’t eaten more of them – at least that was the case for me. Mildly sweet and aromatic, these fruits not only are beautiful, but also incredibly versatile. You can slice them and eat them plain, or toss them into a winter salad. You can also puree them to make pudding, quick breads or in this case, cupcakes. There are so many possibilities! But today, we are focusing on the latter – a delicious persimmon spice cupcake topped with a creamy vanilla-ginger frosting.
To start, prepare and measure all of your ingredients. You’ll need 2 to 3 fuyu persimmons (which are light orange and squat, as opposed to their more red-colored, acorn-shaped counterparts, hachiya persimmons). You’ll also need a few spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves, as well as a few other basic cupcake ingredients.
First, make the persimmon puree: In your KitchenAid® 13-Cup Food Processor, pulse the stemmed and chopped persimmons until a mostly smooth pulp forms. Measure out 3/4 cup of the pulp, then either discard the rest or save it for another recipe (I also like topping my morning oatmeal with it).
Prepare the batter for the cupcakes, adding in the persimmon pulp as directed. Divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups lined with paper baking liners in the KitchenAid® Professional-Grade Nonstick Muffin Pans. Bake the cupcakes 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean.
While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream frosting: In your KitchenAid® Stand Mixer, beat the butter and powdered sugar together until well combined. Stir in some milk, ginger and vanilla. Add more powdered sugar or milk to achieve your desired frosting consistency.
When the cupcakes are fully cooled, spread or pipe the frosting on top. Sprinkle each cupcake with a dash of cinnamon, if desired.
There you have it: A uniquely tasty and easy-to-make cupcake for any occasion. Just don’t forget to save room for dessert at your holiday gathering!
Be sure to share your take on this Persimmon Spice Cupcake recipe with us on Instagram using #MadeWithKitchenAid for a chance to be featured.
PERSIMMON SPICE CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA GINGER BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
Makes 12 servingsINGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes
2 to 3 fuyu persimmons, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
For the frosting
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
DIRECTIONS
For the cupcakes
Heat oven to 350°F. Line the KitchenAid® Professional-Grade Nonstick Muffin Pans with paper baking liners.
In a KitchenAid® 13-Cup Food Processor, pulse chopped persimmons until mostly smooth. Measure out 3/4 cup pulp; save or discard leftovers.
In large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, allspice and cloves. In separate large bowl or bowl of a KitchenAid® Stand Mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add persimmon pulp, milk and eggs; beat on medium speed until combined. Add flour mixture and stir until well combined.
Divide batter evenly among paper baking cups (about 3/4 full). Bake 30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer cupcakes to cooling rack to cool completely.
For the frosting
Meanwhile, in a large bowl or clean bowl of a Stand Mixer, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Beat in powdered sugar. Stir in milk, ginger and vanilla.
Frost fully cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.
