Brown Sugar Cupcakes combine brown sugar and browned butter for an amazing taste!
Today’s cupcake post is the last one for a while.
I promised Cali I wouldn’t make any more cupcakes the rest of the summer.
Well, we’ll see.
I have several more recipes in my files that some of you have given me as well as a few other friends and I am anxious to try them.
Today’s recipe is for Brown Sugar Cupcakes. This recipe came from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes.
While it certainly wasn’t the prettiest cupcake at the wedding reception I do think it was my personal favorite.
I love brown sugar. I also love browned butter and this recipe combines both flavors. The cupcake itself is made with lots of yummy brown sugar and the icing is made with browned butter. I adore the taste and smell of browned butter!
While browning butter don’t leave it unattended. It can go from browned to burnt very quickly. You want it to turn a nice golden brown, nutty color. Yum!!
You will end up with some “sludge” in the bottom of the pan after browning the butter. As you pour the browned butter into the sugar try and not get too much of the “sludge” into the mix. A little won’t hurt.
Because this cupcake was rather plan in it’s yumminess I decided to add some crushed Heath Bar to the top for some more caramel/toffee goodness and prettiness!
So Question of the Day! From the wedding cupcake menu I’d love to know which cupcake you think you would like the best – Lemon, Lovely Lime, Banana with Cream Cheese Frosting, Brown Sugar or Chocolate Cherry??
I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below and let me know your favorite. Yes – we bloggers do love comments. We love to know you are out there and reading. Thanks to so many of you who take the time to say hello and leave a comment – I’d love to hear from more of you! Thanks!
Brown Sugar Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 3 cups sifted all- purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
Brown-Butter Icing
- Makes 1 cup
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk plus more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Line standard muffin tins with paper liners
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt
- With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale fluffy
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed
- Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each
- Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full
- Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes
- Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely
- Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers
- To finish, place cupcakes on a wire rack set over a baking sheet; spoon icing over cupcakes and let set
- Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are glazed; keep at room temperature until ready to serve
- Brown-Butter Icing
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling pan occasionally, until nut-brown in color, about 10 minutes
- Remove from heat, and pour butter into a bowl, leaving any burned sediment behind
- Add confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk to brown butter; stir until smooth
- If necessary, add more milk (up to 2 tablespoons) a little at a time, just until icing is spreadable Use immediately
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MarySue
July 31, 2009 at 9:40 amI’m sure my favorite is brown sugar and I will be trying it soon. We have a just engaged daughter and in the first week we are in full swing of planning and executing. I was thrilled with the prospect of you sharing your lemon water recipe. I hope to see, make and taste it soon. Much thanks.
LuAnne
July 31, 2009 at 11:54 amI personally would like Lovely Lime.
I am going to try all these recipes for friends that love cupcakes, but require gluten free. I think I will try
the lime ones first.
Thanks for sharing!
Dawn
July 31, 2009 at 12:04 pmLeigh Anne,
I made the lime cupcakes for the “senior party” at CJ’s yesterday. I made them mini. They were sooo yummy, but I had one problem. The paper cups separated from the cupcakes. I made them late the night before and put them in tupperware. Maybe too much moisture? Or is that why you use foil liners?
Sarah (potterknitter)
July 31, 2009 at 12:14 pmThey all sound great, but I’ve already printed off the chocolate cherry, and copied this one into my file. I just wish I had more excuses to bake!
Courtney
July 31, 2009 at 12:46 pmThe lovely lemon cupcakes look the best to me- I can’t wait to try them!
Courtney
July 31, 2009 at 12:47 pmOops… make that lovely LIME cupcakes!
Tammy
July 31, 2009 at 1:44 pmHmm…banana or brown sugar – both sound yummy.
Lisle
July 31, 2009 at 2:48 pmLime or Brown Sugar. I love those. Of course, I’m always up for lemon…
Elizabeth S
July 31, 2009 at 3:44 pmI think I would love the lime and then the banana but I must say they all looked delicious!
Laurie
July 31, 2009 at 8:27 pmThey all look delicious in your photos but if I had to pick one, I’d say Lovely Lime (followed closely by the Brown Sugar!)
Thanks for sharing all these great recipes.
Suzanne
July 31, 2009 at 9:01 pmI think I’m going to make the banana cream cheese cupcakes… I think it’s the cream cheese in the frosting that gets me!!
Valerie H.
August 1, 2009 at 7:02 amHi Leigh Ann!
I want to try all of these tried and true cupcake recipes. At the moment the Cherry Chocolate recipe is calling my name since I’m a chocoholic.
Thanks for posting the recipes for us.
Cristina
August 1, 2009 at 7:11 amI really can’t decide, they all look so tasty! Although, I made a my own version of the chocolate cherry and it got rave reviews. (you inspired it, but I didn’t use a recipe, I rarely do.) I just put some cherry cordial Hershey’s kisses in my kitchen Aid bowl, with the flat beater, and chopped them with it, then threw in a devil food cake mix. Then, for icing, I made a cherry compote and tossed it in the food processor for a minute and made a cream cheese frosting with the compote mixed in! YUM!!!!
I have to say I’m a sucker for all the flavors you chose! Yes, all of them! They’re all things I love!
Michelle
August 1, 2009 at 8:12 amWell, this week we made the banana cupcakes and did them mini. They were delicious. I just wish they didn’t disappear so fast! The frosting is delicious and I think we will be making these again. We will have to try the brown sugar ones for sure! Thanks for sharing. All the pictures of the wedding were amazing!
Marti
August 1, 2009 at 9:50 amIt’s been so fun to share your cupcake quest this summer. Now if only there was a way to test taste!
I am a chocolate lover, also citrus is a favorite,and the banana-cream cheese combo sounds yummy. But the one I would REALLY like to taste is the brown sugar cupcake.
I so enjoy butterscotch/caramel candies and this one intrigues me.
I was also interested to note that this was a Martha Stewart recipe as I often browse her cookbooks but rarely try her recipes. I noticed recently on a blog that cooks were saying her recipes often don’t turn out.
I often say that I am the OTHER Martha, but without the prefectionism!
Melanie
August 1, 2009 at 12:22 pmI’ve loved all your cupcake posts lately. The presentation of the cupcakes was adorable.
Of all of them, I’m sure I would love the brown sugar cupcakes the best. I love the addition of the crushed heath bars to give it a little extra “something.”
Shelly
August 1, 2009 at 7:30 pmI would definantly pick the Brown Sugar. I think I will have to make these!! Thanks for the recipe…
I love the brown butter and mizithra cheese at the Spaghetti Factory. Spaghetti for dinner and cupcakes for dessert, sounds good to me!!!!
Renee
August 1, 2009 at 10:28 pmThey all look very tempting, and presentation is everything, but I think if I had a choice, it would be the Brown Sugar because I love nutty, brown-buttery flavor in general. I will definitely have to try making these for the cafe at my church. Thank you for continuing to provide inspiration to all of us.
Mary Kathryn
August 2, 2009 at 8:25 amChocolate Cherry- I have all the ingredients ready to make it for my 7 year anniversary next week! 🙂 Can’t wait!!!!
Tamara
August 2, 2009 at 4:03 pmIt is most difficult to pick a favorite one. . . .I think the lemon and the cherry chocolate. . . .THANKS FOR SHARING!
tina
January 9, 2011 at 12:26 amI am so glad I found your site. I have been wanting to make this recie.
They turned out great. I did make slight changes. I added about a 1/4 cup more buttermilk to the thick batter.
I added a tiny bit more powered sugar to the make the glaze a little stiffer. Overall these turned out very good. A more sophisticated cupcake. nice,
Alexis AKA MOM
September 6, 2011 at 10:25 pmThank you so much I made these tonight. I’m linking it back to you, thanks!
Juliette
December 14, 2011 at 5:58 pmI am 12 years old and hope to be a baker when i grow up and i will definitely have these in my shop