Ingredients
- For the frosting:
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup dark rum or bourbon (optional)
- 1 cup eggnog
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar
- 20 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 2½ tbsp. eggnog
- 1 tbsp. dark rum (0ptional)
- For garnish:
- Ground cinnamon or grated nutmeg
- Cinnamon sticks
Preparation
Step 1
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; whisk to combine. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the rum, eggnog, vegetable oil, vinegar, and sugar. Beat on medium-low speed until well blended. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated.
Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling the cups 2/3 full. Bake 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, 20-30 seconds. Add in the powdered sugar, salt and nutmeg, and mix on medium-high speed until incorporated and smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the eggnog and whip on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 minutes. With the mixer on medium-low speed, blend in the rum.
Fill a pastry bag with the frosting and decorate the cooled cupcakes as desired. (I used a large, unlabeled star tip for these cupcakes). Sprinkle with ground cinnamon or grated nutmeg, and garnish with cinnamon sticks if desired.