Page 109 - Cupcakes

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly
mist 24 cupcake cups with vegetable oil spray and dust them with flour. Shake
out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.

the CupcakeDoctor says...

As always, I try to reduce the fat a bit by using reduced-fat sour cream—
especially since the cupcake pans are lined with all that delicious butter and
brown sugar! I know that someone out there in Readerland is going to want
to bake this as a large cake, not cupcakes. To do so, place the topping in the
bottom of a 13-by 9-inch pan or large cast-iron skillet (at least 12 inches

across). Pour over the batter and bake the cake until the top appears golden
and springs back, about 40 minutes.

2. Prepare the topping: Measure exactly 1 teaspoon of melted butter into each
cupcake cup. Sprinkle 1 packed teaspoon brown sugar on top of the butter.
Spread approximately 1 tablespoon drained pineapple on top of the brown sugar.
Place 1 cherry half in the center of the pineapple, if desired. Push the cherry
down into the pineapple so that it will appear on top of the cupcake when it is
turned out. Set the pans aside.

3. Prepare the cupcake batter: Place the cake mix, sour cream, pineapple juice,
oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low
speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl
with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2
minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should be
thick and smooth. Spoon or scoop ⅓ cup of the batter into each cupcake cup on
top of the pineapple and brown sugar mixture. The cups will be filled nearly to
the top. Place the pans in the oven.

4. Bake the cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed
with your finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and
immediately run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcakes and place a
platter over the cupcake pan. Quickly turn the pan upside down. The cupcakes