hummingbird cupcakes

Photo by Ashley Evanson

Going to the cupcake isle at Orson Gygi is dangerous. I ended up buying like ten different prints of cupcake wrappers, and now I have to make cupcakes to fill them all.

These hummingbird cupcakes taste more like a really sweet breakfast muffin, but they are SOOO pretty. Just make sure to give yourself plenty of time to dry the pineapples.

Hummingbird Cupcakes

from Martha Stewart

Makes 24 cupcakes 

Ingredients

    3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
    2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    2 cups sugar
    3 large eggs
    2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large)
    1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
    1 cup chopped walnuts, or pecans
    1 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
    Cream Cheese Frosting
    Dried Pineapple Flowers

Directions
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.with rack in center. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

    In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, vanilla, and sugar until combined, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Beat at medium speed until mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

    In a medium bowl, stir together banana, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut. Add to egg mixture, mixing until combined. Stir in flour mixture.

    Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes.

    Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with dried pineapple flowers, if desired. Serve at room temperature.