Rum Cupcakes!

Is there any better way to christen my first home and kitchen than by baking rum cupcakes?

I am sorry to have been gone for so long, but it's hard to cook when I don't have my own kitchen. I made some pretty dang good scrambled eggs, but nothing spectacular. Now that I am in my own place for the first time, I am ready to cook and bake with new-found enthusiasm!

Don't get me wrong, I love living on peanut butter smeared Oreos just as much as any other God-fearing American, but I am very excited to have a beautiful gas range and oven, as well as my own fridge and pantry and knives and *ta da!* a stand mixer! I finally bought a stand mixer this past weekend so that I could give my new kitchen a real welcome.

Back to the cupcakes: This recipes comes from a friend I knew in high school. They are absolutely fantastic. I love their dense but oh-so soft texture. The flavors of the rum and lime are such that you might not recognize them if you weren't told what they were, but once you know, they are definitely there (in a delicious way, of course!).

Personally, I like my cupcakes plain, no frosting, but for you frosting lovers, I am recommending either a simple vanilla or a coconut frosting. I went with vanilla today.

Rum Cupcakes

1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)

1/2 lb sugar

1/2 lb flour

5 eggs

1/3 cup of milk

1/2 tspn salt

3 tbsp lime juice

1 1/2 tspn of baking powder

1/2 tspn nutmeg (or more to taste)

1 tbsp of rum

1/2 tsp vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 325 and line desired size muffin tin with paper liners.

Melt the butter, then stir in the salt. stir in the sugar slowly, making sure it's getting mixed in well. Fold in the flour, alternating with the milk. Add the baking powder nutmeg, lime juice, rum, and vanilla, mix well to make sure it's not bumpy.

For mini cupcakes, bake 12-15 minutes. For cupcakes, approximately 25 minutes.

For a 9x13, double the batter and bake for 40-45 mins at 325 or until you stick a knife in the middle and it comes out. clean.

Vanilla Frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup shortening

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons milk

Cream butter and shortening and vanilla

Mix in powdered sugar a cup at a time

Mix in milk

Beat until light fluffy (it might take a good 3 or 4 minutes)

Witness the glory of my oven AND cupcakes, together!