Corn Bread Minicakes

So, my First Sergeant (who is AMAZING) is leaving the squadron after this week and I'm super sad about it. However, she is always asking me "When you making some more cupcakes?" So of course, for her going away BBQ I had to make some! A little background on Sgt Anthony: she's from Mississippi, has a deep southern accent, and is always saying things like "Don't make me get 'sippi on you!" So in honor of her Southern roots, and because I've wanted to try something a little savory for a while now, I thought I would try my luck at making some cornbread cupcakes.


Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1/2 c. oil
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. cake flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. cornmeal
3/4 c. buttermilk (I use the dry stuff, but you can also use regular buttermilk)
Honey Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)



In large mixing bowl, combine oil and sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly in between.

In large separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornmeal and salt together. 

Gradually add flour mixture to batter, alternating with buttermilk and mixing well in between. Scrape sides as necessary.





Fill cupcake pan cups 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes for regular cupcakes or 10 - 13 minutes for minicakes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting.

Before Baking

After Baking!

(Pretty much during the entire baking process, I was basically watching these like a hawk. I was really nervous they weren't going to rise. To my excitement, they came out pretty perfect!) 

Honey Buttercream Frosting


Ingredients:
1/2 c. Crisco shortening 
(I used butter flavor to give mine more of a butter taste)
1/8 c. honey
2 tsp. butter flavoring 
(I forgot to put it in the photo, sorry!)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
6-8 c. powdered sugar
(or you can just pour it directly from the bag like I do!)

In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortening, honey, butter flavoring, and vanilla extract until consistency of sour cream is reached. If needed, scrape sides and mix again. (May take several minutes.)



Once correct consistency is reached, gradually add powdered sugar until frosting is thick and creamy.
(I do a taste test and add more honey/butter flavoring as needed)

Frost cupcakes! I'm excited to bring these to work. I hope people like them as much as we did!

All packed up and ready to go to work!

I didn't use the cupcake liners to bake these but I don't recommend skipping that step unless you have silicone bake ware. They stick to the pan like crazy and become a pain the the butt get out.

Hope these turn out well for you! Let me know :)