Our love for the Sonoran desert continues in dessert form! These Pineapple Cupcakes with Prickly Pear Fruit Frosting are very easy to make and very delicious. The pineapple taste is not strong, but it makes for a moist crumb and goes perfectly with the slightly citrusy prickly pear fruit frosting. You can easily convert to gluten and/or dairy free using our suggested substitutions, and you can swap out chicken eggs for duck eggs at a 1:1 ratio. You can easily double the recipe to make an 8″ layer cake or 2 dozen cupcakes.
We talk you through making these Pineapple Cupcakes with Prickly Pear Fruit Frosting in Episode 274 of our podcast. If you like them you may also enjoy our recipes for Golden Yolk Cake, Mango Nectar Cake, and Peach Jam Cake.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour or gluten free 1-1 flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
¾ cup crushed pineapple, with juice (don’t drain)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large chicken or duck egg, room temperature
Prickly Pear Frosting
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or dairy free plant butter, softened
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 cups powdered sugar – plus extra if needed
2 teaspoons of powdered prickly pear fruit (available on Amazon)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
1-3 teaspoons milk or unsweetened dairy-free milk or creamer
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F and grease or line a 12 cup muffin pan and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add pineapple, vanilla, vegetable oil, and eggs and whisk or mix with a spoon or spatula mix until everything is just combined.
Ladle the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. The cake should have risen nicely and baked to a golden brown. Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
Add the softened butter to a medium/large mixing bowl and mix for 1 to 2 minutes until soft and creamy.
Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until mostly combined.
Add the vanilla and milk and mix on low speed, them increase speed and mix until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar if necessary to reach the desired consistency. Mix for a couple more minutes on medium/high if you want it fluffier, and then frost the cupcakes generously with the prickly pear frosting. Enjoy!