Cupcake Project #40: White House Holiday Honey Cupcakes

Photo courtesy of Obama Foodorama

First, I have to congratulate President Barack Obama on his second term! Keeping up with the FLOTUS's initiative on healthier eating, the White House Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses created a healthier holiday honey cupcake to help satisfy the sweet-tooth(s) at the White House (although the POTUS has made it clear that he's a pie man himself with the exception of Sweet Mandy B's cupcakes in Chicago). This recipe reduces processed sugar and replaces it with honey from the White House's own beehive. Sweet!

White House Holiday Honey Cupcakes by Chef Bill Yosses

Photo courtesy of Obama Foodorama

Ingredients
1/4 cup softened butter

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup honey

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

For the Icing
2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup honey

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake papers.

2. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, on high speed. Mix in honey, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla until blended, on medium speed.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then mix into the batter until just blended. Scoop the batter into the cupcake cups evenly.

4. Bake for about 20 minutes; cupcakes are done when tops spring back lightly to the touch.

To prepare icing
In a small sauce pan, whisk ingredients over medium heat until sugars dissolve together; keep whisking to avoid clumps. Using a spoon, drizzle over the tops of cupcakes, or carefully pour over cupcakes.
Makes one dozen cupcakes.

Original recipe found here