Ginger Pear Cupcakes with Miso Salted Caramel

The crystallized ginger on top of these cupcakes was a last minute addition.  However, it rounded out the flavor of these ginger pear cupcakes with miso caramel glaze so well that I'm listing it as a required ingredient - not an optional topping.  My food stylist/photographer husband put the candied ginger in a little nest for aesthetics, but I'd recommend spreading it out so that you get a little piece of it in each bite for the optimal eating experience.  That way, each mouthful will fill you with buttery yellow cake, fragrant and juicy pear, oozey sweet and salty caramel, and sharp, spicy ginger - cupcake nirvana.


Ginger Pear Cupcake Recipe

To make the ginger pear cupcakes, add ground ginger and chopped pears to your favorite yellow cake recipe.  I started with a pound cake cupcake recipe which produces really dense cupcakes.  If you like lighter/fluffier yellow cake, try my sour cream cupcake recipe instead.

Yield: 12 cupcakes

• 3/4 C unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 C cake flour
• 1/2 C whole milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger (If you like a stronger ginger flavor, you can double this.)
• 1 ripe but not overripe pear, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes
  

1. Cream butter and sugar together.
2. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
3. Beat in flour, one cup at a time, alternating with milk.
4. Add vanilla and ginger.
5. Beat on medium-high to high speed for two minutes, scraping down sides of bowl.
6. Fold in pears.
7. Divide evenly between 12 cupcake liners (liners will be filled almost all the way to the top).
8. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched.

Miso Salted Caramel

See my post on salted caramel with miso for the salted caramel recipe.  Spread the caramel on the cupcakes just before serving.  If the caramel is put on too soon, it will dissolve into the cupcake.  The cupcakes won't look as nice and they will become too dense.

Top the cupcakes with chopped crystallized ginger.