21 Nov Honey Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese Icing

When I see a cupcake this cute, I actually don’t really care how it tastes. I simply have to make it! I got the inspiration to make these honey cupcakes with cream cheese icing after seeing a similar idea online. As a marvellous stroke of luck I had a beautiful, big jar of eucalyptus honey just waiting to be used in a recipe.

Luckily these pretty cupcakes taste as amazing as they look. The honey used in the sponge adds not only flavour, but a soft and moist texture too. A generous beehive swirl of creamy icing sweetens the cupcake perfectly. The use of cream cheese adds richness and cuts the sweetness of the icing just enough, but still allows a strong honey flavour to come through.

Ingredients:

(Makes 12)

Honey Cupcakes
115g butter, softened (½ cup)
150g sugar (¾ cup)
80g Mac’s Eucalyptus Honey (¼ cup – Available at Faithful to Nature)
5ml vanilla extract (1 tsp)
2 large eggs
180g flour (1½ cups)
5ml baking powder (1 tsp)
Pinch of salt
125ml milk (½ cup)
15ml lemon juice (1 tbsp)

Honey Cream Cheese Icing
125g butter, softened (½ cup plus 2 tsp)
100g full fat cream cheese eg Philadelphia, softened ((½ cup)
60g Mac’s Eucalyptus Honey (⅓cup – Available at Faithful to Nature)
350g icing sugar (3 cups)
A few drops of yellow food colouring
Sugar bee decorations, to decorate (I got mine at my local baking store, or you could make them)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a cupcake tray with cupcake liners.
• Cream together the butter, sugar, honey and vanilla extract for 4-5 minutes, until  the mixture is very smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at time and beat well.
• Mix the lemon juice and milk together and set aside.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the creamed mixture, working in thirds and beating well after each addition.
• Spoon the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners, so that each is ¾ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• To make the icing, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the honey and beat well.
• Sift the icing sugar and add gradually to the butter mixture until smooth and totally combined.
• If desired, add a few drops of yellow food colouring to the mixture and mix.
• Spoon the icing into a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle. If the icing is very soft, refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Pipe the icing onto the cooled cupcakes in a spiral motion to create a beehive shape, then decorate with sugar bee decorations.
• These cupcakes are best eaten on the day you make them, but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.