St. Patrick’s Cupcake

Delicious, cute, AND nutritious?  Well how about two out of three? All jokes aside, these oatmeal and banana cupcakes with buttercream vanilla bourbon frosting have just the right sweetness to pair with any St. Patrick’s Day libation.

Twas only a few years ago, I was in Dublin’s Temple Bar District on St. Patrick’s Day.  Quite the party.  Our go-to breakfast the next day was a bowl of their fabulous oatmeal and I was hooked. My power breakfast found. In honor of those memories, my Irish cupcake was born.

Whenever possible I use local ingredients, I have highlighted them in the recipe for those curious.

Oatmeal Banana Cupcake with Vanilla Bourbon Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Clover Stornetta unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup evaporated cane juice sugar
• 2 eggs (Petaluma’s Golden Circle Farms DHA Omega-3 Eggs)
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1-1/2 cups Arrowhead Mills Organic Pastry Flour
• 1 cup McCann’s quick-cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Directions:

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, bananas and honey; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; stir into creamed mixture just until moistened.

• Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.

• Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until cupcakes test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

• Once the cupcakes have cooled, its time for the frosting, oooooh that’s right vanilla bourbon buttercream …

• Time to frost…Reminds me of Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance.

• And now, to pack and gift.

Vanilla Bourbon Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Makes 3 – 3.5 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted Clover Stornetta butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened (but not melted!)
• 3 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, SIFTED
• 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bourbon extract
• 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Directions:

Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed.  Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the sugar doesn’t blow everywhere) until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter.  Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt,  and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes.

Decoration Tip!

If you live in Sonoma County, I found the Meri-Meri Irish Cupcake Set at Olivers Market in Rincon Valley, Santa Rosa.