One Bowl Pine Nut Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

I go crazy with elaborate projects sometimes (see my Homemade Lucky Charms for a prime example).  But, it's always nice to have a few one bowl recipes on hand to quickly whip together.  Despite the gourmet sound of a pine nut cupcake, these pine nut cupcakes fall into the dump and mix category of cupcakes.  Remember, easy doesn't mean any less tasty!

These pine nut cupcakes taste nutty and familiar, yet unexpected (pine nut is hardly a staple cupcake flavor). They have an occasional crunch from the whole pine nuts mixed into the batter and the tart, sweet finish of raspberry cream cheese frosting.  

If you don't want to splurge on pine nuts, you can make this recipe using any nuts and nut butter.

Pine Nut Cupcake Recipe

Yield: 16 cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup pine nut butter (see my instructions on how to make pine nut butter)
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup pine nuts

Frosting Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons raspberry jam
• Pine nuts, to taste

Cupcake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and butter until fully combined.
3. Mix in pine nut butter. 
4. Mix in eggs, one at a time.
5. Mix in milk.
6. Fold in pine nuts.
7. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Frosting Directions:

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, butter, and salt until light and fluffy (about three minutes on high speed).
2. Mix in powdered sugar a little bit at a time.
3. Mix in raspberry jam.
4. Spread or pipe on cooled cupcakes.
5. Top with a few pine nuts.