Rhubarb Crumble Cupcakes

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• Cupcakes:
• 1 bag (16 ounces) frozen rhubarb or fresh chopped rhubarb, increase water to 1 cup
• 1 package (18.25 ounces plain white cake mix
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Crumble Topping:
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter
• Heaping 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Preparation

Step 1

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mist 24 cupcake cups with vegetable oil spray and dust with flour. Shake out excess flour and set pans aside.

Prepare cupcake batter; While oven is heating, coarsely chop rhubarb while still frozen and place in colander or strainer to drain. Set aside to thaw for 20 minutes.

Place cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, eggs, vanilla, and nutmeg in large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop machine and scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down sides again, if needed. Set batter aside.

Prepare crumble: Place sugar, flour, and cinnamon in medium-size mixing bowl. Cut in butter with two knives or pastry blender until coarse crumbs form. Fold in oats and chopped pecans. Set topping aside.

With spatula or large spoon, press juice out of rhubarb while in colander. Transfer rhubarb to paper towels and press to remove as much moisture as possible. Place rhubarb in small bowl with flour and toss to coat. Add rhubarb and flour mixture to cake batter and fold in to incorporate well. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each prepare cupcake cup, filling it 3hree quarters full. Spoon topping over each cupcake, pressing gently into batter so it adheres. Place pans in oven.

Bake cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18 to 20 minutes.
remove pans from oven and place them on wire racks to cook for 5 minutes Run dinner knife around edges of cupcakes, lift cupcakes up from bottom of cups using end of knife, and pick them out of cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on wore rack to cook for 15 minutes, then serve.

_Store these cupcakes, in cake save at room temperature, for up to 3 days. Or frees wrapped in foil or in cake saver, for up to 6 months. Thaw cupcakes overnight in refrigerator before serving._