Honeycake cupcakes with mixed-berry buttercream filling, vanilla wafer crust, and honey cream cheese frosting

 Ha! Look at the cool golden tint on this image. This is a cupcake that takes itself very seriously...or is it...?

Hi! I'm friendly! Still golden, though.

And then, once you get to really know the cupcake...

"I love everybody! Whoo hoo!"

It makes sense that there would be a golden hue to this cupcake, due to all the honey running through it. And for all its sweetness, this was a cupcake that I very nearly punted out the front door (though with my kicking ability it probably would just have plopped onto my doormat. Jerk.). The finished product is quite good, it is true, but the process was a real test of my (not worth mentioning) patience. 'Twas only stubbornness that carried me through. ANYHOW - there are no process pictures (you'll just have to imagine the purple-faced, harried cook), but there are recipes and if you make these they will be good. Just know they are nothing (NOTHING) like I'd imagined in the first place. I'll try those elusive cupcakes again one day, I promise. And I bet that will go swimmingly (I'll check that the heavy cream is fresh, to start, and that I have enough powdered sugar, for seconds...oh, wait - I am giving too much away...and if a batter LOOKS like a scone batter, it's probably going to bake up like a scone batter no matter how you try to rationalize it in your rock-hard noggin - ok, I really am stopping). Here we go - Honeycake cupcakes with a mixed-berry buttercream filling, vanilla wafer crust, and honey cream cheese frosting:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake papers.

~ Vanilla Wafer Crust ~

• 2 2/3 cups vanilla wafer cookies
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten (optional)

In a food processor, chop vanilla wafer cookies until reduced to crumbs. Add in sugar, vanilla extract and melted butter and pulse to combine. Mixture should resemble wet sand.
Divide evenly among 12 lined muffin cups. Press crumbs in firmly to create a tight crust. Use a pastry brush to gently brush the beaten egg white over the surface of the crust (you don't need to use the whole egg white).
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until crust just begins to turn golden brown around the edges.
Cool completely before using.

~ Honeycake Cupcakes ~

• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in honey, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix into the batter until just blended. Scoop the batter into the cups evenly.

Cupcakes are ready when the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 15 - 20 minutes.

~ Mixed Berry Buttercream Filling~

~ For berry sauce ~

• 2 - 3 cups mixed berries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• dash salt

Combine the berries (honestly, I used what I had in the fridge: blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries), sugar, ginger, and salt into a small saucepan. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes or until the fruit has broken down and has started to thicken. Pour through a strainer to remove the seeds, but do press down with a spoon to get the pulp through as much as you can. Set aside to let cool.

~ For buttercream filling ~ 

• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup mixed berry sauce
• 4 cups powdered sugar

In a large stand mixer, beat together the butter and berry sauce until it is well-combined. Add in the powdered sugar, a cup at a time, until all is incorporated. You don't need this to be really firm at all; it's the filling, not a frosting. 

~ To fill the cupcakes ~

Once the cupcakes have cooled, cut out a cone-shaped portion out of the top of each cake. Slice off the excess cake from the cone (leaving the flat cap) and reserve the top. Fill the resulting hole with about a teaspoon of the mixed berry buttercream. Then spoon on a little of the remaining berry puree you have (what else are you going to do with it?) Top that with a little more filling, then replace the cap. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes, and then put in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to chill and set the filling.

~ Honey-Cream Cheese Frosting ~

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
• 6 - 8 cups powdered sugar

In a large stand mixer, blend together cream cheese, honey, and butter until smooth. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, a cup at a time, until it is stiff enough to pipe on (or just spread on if you'd rather). Don't be alarmed if this takes the entire amount of powdered sugar; the cream cheese makes for a very soft frosting. If desired, garnish with a final swirl of honey (or the remaining berry puree if you've any left - I hadn't!). 

Makes twelve (blasted) cupcakes. 

Ooh, look at this guy getting artsy!

Fancier still! I'd better end this blog in a hurry. Thanks for reading!