Dessert & Baked Goods › Oatmeal Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 12-15 Cupcakes

Batter

• 1⅓ cups boiling water
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ⅓ cup vegetable shortening
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ cup buttermilk

Cream Cheese Frosting

• two 8-oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature
• 12 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Special Equipment

• electric mixer
• cupcake tin
• cupcake liners

Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Insert liners into cupcake pans
3. Combine boiling water and oats in a medium bowl; let stand 20 minutes
4. Beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, shortening, and vanilla at medium speed of a mixer with a whisk attachment for 5 minutes
5. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add oatmeal, beating until blended
6. Combine 1½ cups flour, the baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Batter will be soupy but that's what you're looking for
7. Pour batter into lined cupcake tins, filling a third of the way up each liner. Sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean
8. Cool in pans on a wire rack

Frosting

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, until smooth.  Add vanilla and mix for about 4 minutes
2. Slowly sift the confectioners sugar into the butter/cream cheese, about one cup at a time
3. Continue to beat until all lumps are gone.  Add the vanilla and mix until fully combined

Assemble

1. After cupcakes have cooled, using a pastry bag or spatula, apply frosting
2. Dust with cinnamon

Oatmeal Cake recipe adapted from Cooking Light.  Frosting recipe adapted from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella.