Mushroom Cupcakes - A Candy Cap Mushroom Dessert Recipe

I was surprised to find that while my avocado cupcakes were a hard sell, everyone wanted to try the candy cap mushroom cupcakes.

No one seemed bothered by the mushroom on top of the cupcake or the surprise one inside (after all - the candy cap mushrooms taste like maple syrup!).

Tasters even loved the mushroom frosting (they couldn't tell what it was, but really enjoyed the sweet, earthy flavor).  In fact, a few of my tasters said that the mushroom cupcake was one of their favorite cupcakes that I have ever made!  The mushroom cupcakes are incredibly light and moist with a mapley, nutty flavor.  Get your hands on some candy cap mushrooms (I got mine from Oregon Mushrooms) and start baking!

Mushroom Syrup Recipe

You'll need the mushroom syrup for both the cupcakes and the frosting.  I learned how to make it from reading an article in the Denver Post. This recipe will produce a bit more syrup than you will need, but I wouldn't scale it down since you'll end up needing most of the syrup soaked mushrooms.

• 8 tbsp dried candy cap mushrooms 
• 2 C cool water
• 1 C sugar

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, soak candy caps in water for fifteen minutes. 
2. Stir in sugar.
3. Bring the syrup to a low boil over medium-low heat. 
4. Simmer for about twenty minutes.  Taste it and make sure that it is nice and sweet.

Mushroom Cupcake Recipe

  

Yield: About 18 cupcakes

• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 C unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 C sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 C Greek yogurt
• 2/3 C mushroom syrup from above (just the syrup - not the mushrooms floating in the syrup) 
• 18 dried candy cap mushrooms

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and baking soda.
2. In another medium-sized bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs and sour cream until blended.
4. Alternately fold in flour mixture and mushroom syrup.
5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
6. Stick a dried candy cap mushroom into the center of each unbaked cupcake (as shown in the photo of the cupcake tin above).
7. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out of cupcake clean.

Mushroom Frosting Recipe

No one will ever guess that this frosting is even a distant cousin of mushrooms.  "Mmmm... what's in the frosting?"  Note: This is not a thick frosting.  It cannot be piped.

• 1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 C powdered sugar
• 1/4 C mushroom syrup (just the syrup - not the mushrooms floating in the syrup)
• 18 mushrooms from the mushroom syrup

1. Mix butter and powdered sugar until well combined.
2. Mix in mushroom syrup.
3. Spread on cupcakes.
4. Top cupcakes with mushrooms from the mushroom syrup.

Final Note

Two of my tasters said that these cupcakes tasted just like lucuma.  I'd never even heard of lucuma, but you can bet that it is now on my list of flavors to try!