Cinnamon spiced cake, swirls of soft rhubarb frosting, with a tart rhubarb surprise inside.

Its like a coffee cake all dressed up to go to a fancy party!

Fall is here, and for me that means two things start happening in my kitchen, rhubarb and cinnamon happen all over everything. This marries my two favourite fall flavours in a very pretty, very pink, little cupcake. This recipe is not fussy and including cooling time I made these in about an hour this afternoon. Now I can sit down and have a cup of tea and eat them all before anyone else comes home, wahaha. No one has to know....

Cinnamon Cupcakes with Rhubarb Frosting
Yield: 1 Dozen
Time: 30 minutes

Hardware:

- 2 large bowls
- 1 medium bowl
- Spatula
- Electric mixer
- Small pot
- Wooden spoon
- 1 regular sized muffin tray (12)
- Cupcake liners
- Fine mesh strainer
- Piping Bag + Tip or an Ice Cream Scoop

Software:

Cinnamon Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, soft
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
vanilla
3/4 cup milk

Filling: Strained rhubarb compote

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line standard muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as you go. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low.

With the a spatula, fold in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, until evenly combined and you have a smooth batter.

** If you use your electric mixer to add in the flour you will more than likely overwork the batter, making it sticky and elastic.

Fill just the bottom of each cupcake liner with about a tablespoon of batter. Spoon a teaspoon sized blob of rhubarb compote in the middle and then cover with more batter to reach 3/4 of the way to the top of the liner.

Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

Rhubarb Compote

1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
Zest and juice of 1 orange

Combine and cook over medium heat 10-12 minutes, until mixture resembles apple sauce.
Strain off liquid and set aside for using later. Cool both to room temperature.

Rhubarb Frosting

1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup reserved liquid from rhubarb compote
5-6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Sift powdered sugar and set aside.
Beat together butter, rhubarb puree, and vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it reaches your desired consistency.
To finish, combine remaining pipe frosting on each cupcake.

Step 1: Make the Rhubarb Compote

Rhubarb Compote

1 1/2 cups rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
Zest and juice of 1 orange

Chop rhubarb into 1/2 cm slices.

Combine and cook over medium heat 10-12 minutes, until mixture resembles apple sauce. Stir it continuously, by doing this you will help to break down the rhubarb more quickly and helps to keep that ruby red colour. Overcooking rhubarb leads to a dull, brown compote.

Strain off liquid and set aside for using later. Cool both to room temperature.

Step 2: Bake That Cake

Cinnamon Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, soft
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
vanilla
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line standard muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as you go. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low.

With the a spatula, fold in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, until evenly combined and you have a smooth batter.

** If you use your electric mixer to add in the flour you will more than likely overwork the batter, making it sticky and elastic.

Fill just the bottom of each cupcake liner with about a tablespoon of batter. Spoon a teaspoon sized blob of rhubarb compote in the middle and then cover with more batter to reach 3/4 of the way to the top of the liner.

Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes and frosting.

Step 3: Frost Those Bad Boys

Rhubarb Frosting

1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup liquid from rhubarb compote
4-5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Sift your powdered sugar and set aside.

Beat together butter, rhubarb puree, cinnamon and vanilla.

Gradually add the powdered sugar until it reaches your desired consistency.

To finish, combine remaining pipe frosting on each cupcake. If you don't have a piping bag and tip, you can use an ice cream scoop or a knife to deliver the goods.

Step 4: Ta-da!

Eat'em up!

Cupcakes are good for 2 days.

If you keep them in the fridge, bring them back up to room temperature before eating.

Unfrosted they keep in the fridge for a week, or 2 months in the freezer.