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Brown Mountain Honey Cupcakes

Everyone loves cupcakes, but there's something special about bee-themed cupcakes at a summer party. With an old-fashioned recipe for brown mountain cake, creamy honey vanilla buttercream frosting, and easy-to-make edible bee toppers, these sweet treats will make your celebration the bee's knees (pun intended!)
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup plant butter softened (or regular butter)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup canned coconut milk full fat (or buttermilk)
  • 1 tsp Nature’s Flavors organic vanilla extract flavor concentrate or 2 tsp regular vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup room temp or warmed slightly honey beer (or a light wheat ale will do) Note: the vintage recipe called for warm water, which you can also use, but the ale gives a little extra lift and lightness to the cake.
  • 1 cup 2 sticks plant butter, softened (or regular butter)
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 4 1/2 cups powdered
  • 1 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk or regular milk
  • 1 tsp Nature’s Flavors organic vanilla extract flavor concentrate or 2 tsp regular vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • Optional: 3-4 drops yellow food coloring

Disclaimer:

Nutritional Information is provided as a courtesy only and should be viewed as an estimate. Ingredients can vary with brands and size and Inspiration Apron makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350℉ / 176℃ and line a regular sized cupcake pans with 20 liners or if using sturdy paper baking cups like I did, it will take only 15. (You can fit a little more batter in them.)
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cocoa and salt until well blended. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes.) Next, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • Starting and ending with the dry flour mixture that was set aside, alternate adding to creamed butter mixture along with the coconut milk. (I generally add about one cup of the dry mixture at a time.)
  • Lastly, add vanilla and beer to the batter and mix until evenly incorporated, about 1 minute, (do not overmix.)
  • Fill cupcake liners or paper baking cups 3/4 full. Note: I used 1/2 cup of batter in the paper baking cups and they had the perfect lift size to them.
  • Place in center of preheated oven and bake for 23-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  • Transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack to let cool completely before frosting. Tip: If using regular cupcake liners, let cool in pan or tin for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. I like to use a long fork to help carefully slide in-between pan and cupcake and gently lift out to minimize contact with hot cupcakes.
  • In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and honey until smooth.
  • Sift powdered sugar into creamed honey butter, about 1 cup at a time, beating at medium speed until well blended.
  • After all sugar is incorporated, use a rubber or silicone spatula to scrap down sides and add vanilla and milk then beat for an additional minute or until well incorporated. Add more milk, 1 tsp at a time, if needed for the desired consistency.
  • If desired for a hint of pastel yellow color, add 2-4 drops yellow food coloring and stir or mix well until evenly distributed.
  • Frost cooled cupcakes by using a Wilton 10 or 11 tip attached to a piping bag to achieve a beehive effect by piping circles from bottom to top in a continuous taper till reaching top center. If desired, place edible bees or garnish to the top of each cupcake. Enjoy!
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