Orange and Honey Cupcakes With Sweet Ricotta Frosting
David Rash’s Orange & Honey Cupcakes with Sweet Ricotta Frosting entry in the Sue Bee® honey Sweet Eats Recipe Contest!
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1/4 cup Sue Bee® Clover Honey
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 1/4 cups, plus 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the icing
- 1/4 cup Sue Bee Clover Honey
- 2 cups ricotta, preferably whole milk
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted and cooled, for garnish
Directions
- Begin with the icing. In a standup mixer, whisk together the ricotta, powdered sugar and vanilla until combined. Turn mixer off.
- Pour in the cream then turn mixer on low to incorporate it into the ricotta before turning it on full speed and whipping it for about 3 minutes and it is puffy.
- Line a fine-mesh sieve with cheesecloth (or damp paper towel) and place in a bowl in which the bottom of the sieve won’t touch the bottom of the bowl.
- Pour the ricotta mixture into the prepared sieve, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 24 hours.
- Once all the water and whey have drained out of the frosting, discard it and turn out the ricotta mixture into a bowl.
- Beat in the softened butter and the Sue Bee® honey and refrigerate until the cupcakes are ready.
- Preheat oven to 375 F. In a standup mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and puffy.
- Add in the Sue Bee® honey and orange zest and beat until well-combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, allowing the first to completely incorporate before adding the second.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and the milk and vanilla in a liquid measuring dish.
- Add the dry and wet ingredients, alternately in thirds, starting with the dry and ending with the wet. Mix until just combined.
- Portion the batter into 24 paper-lined cupcake tin in 1/4 cup amounts and bake 15-18 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin before removing them to completely cool on a wire cooling wrack. Once completely cooled, frost with the icing and top with the pine nuts.
