Pineapple Rum Cupcakes

I never thought that I would get this behind with my blog posts, and with my deepest regrets, I am sorry.  Taking summer courses and having a puppy just adds up, and my blog got pushed to the side for a bit.  But now my summer is starting to settle, and I'm back in the blogosphere! 

Anyways, here is a recipe I recently tried.  With hints of pineapple and rum, this cupcake embodies the essence of summer! And never had I made or even heard of pineapple flowers, but they are truly easy to make.  Plus, they are a simple decoration that add elegance to any baked good.  I couldn't pass this treat up!

Pineapple Rum Cupcakes
makes a dozen cupcakes

Ingredients

cake batter
1 & 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
6 tablespoons of softened, unsalted butter
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
 2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 tablespoon of dark rum
1/2 cup of pineapple juice
1/2 of a pineapple (peeled, cored, and chopped)

pineapple buttercream frosting
3 cups of powdered sugar
12 tablespoons of softened, unsalted butter
1/2 cup of pineapple juice
juice of half a lemon

pineapple flowers
thin pineapple slices

Directions

cake
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line your cupcake pan.

2.  Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together, and set aside.

3.  Beat the butter and sugar until it becomes fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, and beat the mixture well after each egg.  Then once the eggs are incorporated, beat the vanilla and rum into the mixture.

4.  Mix half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture, and beat it until it is well blended.  Beat in the rest of the flour mixture and pineapple juice.  Then fold in the chopped pineapple into the batter.

5.  Pour the batter into cupcake pan.  Bake them for about 20 minutes, or bake them until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

frosting
1.  Beat the powdered sugar, butter, pineapple juice, and lemon juice on high speed, until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.  Add more sugar if the consistency is not stiff enough.

pineapple flowers
1.  Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

2.  Place each thin pineapple slice into the cupcake pan. This will make the pineapple flowers bowl shaped.  Bake until the pineapple begins to turn golden brown/ burnt on the edges.  It takes about an hour, or a bit more, until the pineapple is done, so just keep an eye on them.

Finally, top your cupcakes with frosting and the flowers, and enjoy!