Tis the season for spices in EVERYTHING, and we’re not mad about it. There’s something so cozy and comforting about the ethereal mix of nutmeg+cinnamon+ginger+allspice+cloves, and any combination of any two of them really, in baked goods, warm fall drinks, and in roasts or stuffing. In this case, we’ve dumped heaping teaspoons of them into these gluten free spiced pear cupcakes with a mapley/spiced buttercream. Pear is one of those delicate, nearly-not-there flavors that are usually best highlighted in slender slices on their own, especially when they’re perfectly just ripe and cut like butter. But we really wanted to figure out a way of putting them in cake form, or cupcake form (in addition to the hazelnut pear upside down cake we made last year – absolutely lovely).
So we give you a pairing that is perfectly balanced: warm, cozy, slightly heavy spiced pear cupcakes, and a delicate, vanilla-based pear tea that you can sip on as you slowly savor every bite. And huge thanks to Basil and Beauty – one of our recent friends in the digital world who, like us, is a foodie through and through and who creates gorgeous food photos and recipes to boot. This is our second collab with Erin at Basil and Beauty, pairing our baked good with her perfectly-spun up fall drink. We’ll be doing more, so stay tuned! And check out the recipe for the Vanilla Pear Tea here on Erin’s site!
Here’s to more fall collaborations that give you the coziest comfort food and drinks for the cooler days to come (hopefully, it’s hovering around 80 still in San Francisco!). We’re looking forward to leaves underfoot and sweaters and scarves and the smell of winter in the air.
Recipe for the Vanilla Pear Tea HERE on Basil and Beauty!
Gluten Free Spiced Pear Cupcakes
Equipment
- Cupcake pans
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 Cup canola oil
- 3/4 Cup sour cream
- 3/4 Cup pear puree instructions below
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp bourbon
- 1 Cup white sugar
- 1 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum included (if your mix doesn't contain xanthan gum, add 1/2 tsp now)
- 1 Cup blanched almond flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 Cups peeled, cored, chopped pears instructions below
For the buttercream:
- 2 Cups salted butter room temperature
- 5-6 Cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 Cup maple syrup
- 1/4 Cup pear puree
- 1 Tbsp bourbon
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 350° F and line two 12-cupcake pans with paper cupcake cups. Then peel your pears. Once peeled and cored, puree about 3-4 pears, to get 3/4 cup of puree and set aside. Then, in a large bowl, whisk together the pear puree with the eggs, oil, sour cream, vanilla, bourbon and sugar. Then add in the flour, almond flour, baking soda, and baking powder, salt, and spices and stir to combine. Then peel and core remaining pears and chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Add these chopped pears to the batter and stir until combined. Then, spoon batter into your cupcake cups – each one should be about 3/4 full. Bake for 22-27 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean (do not underbake or the peaches will be gummy). Let cool completely before frosting.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and 1 cup of the powdered sugar until smooth. Add in three more cups of powdered sugar and beat until completely combined. Add in the vanilla, spices, and maple syrup and beat. If the buttercream is still too loose, add more powdered sugar until it is stiff enough to pipe onto the cupcakes. Scoop the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes, then serve!
Tag @sisterssansgluten and @basilandbeauty on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cupcakes and tea!
Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber
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