Camp Cupcake: Mrs. Kostrya's Spice Cupcakes

When I started college, I occasionally got homesick. I discovered that, for whatever reason, watching Martha Stewart Living was one way to beat homesickness. I don't know why. Martha Stewart is not at all like my mother, and the setting of her New England home in no way resembled the house I grew up in Las Vegas, but, for some reason, it was always comforting to watch Martha make doughnuts and search for heirloom produce amid the fall foliage that was always present, no matter what time of year it was.

Even back in those days, Martha had guests on her show. And it didn't matter if the guest was Bill Cosby or Elmo, Martha was still clearly in charge. The only exception was when her mother came to visit. It was comforting to see Martha with her mother and realize that even Martha Stewart, with her vast domestic empire, is a daughter with a mother.

Martha's mother died a few years ago, but this was one of her recipes. I made it for the people I work with. This recipe is good for a winter day, and because it is not very rich, you can eat quite a few without noticing how many you've eaten.

The recipe calls for mace, which I did not own and had never used before. It is a spice, similar to nutmeg. I bought what I thought was mace at the grocery store, but, upon returning home, discovered I had instead bought marjoram. It turns out, they are not interchangeable. I went to another grocery store that did not have mace. To make my trip worthwhile, I finally broke down and bought this:

Don't be fooled by the bad photography: this is a beautiful utensil. I have made several recipes thus far that have called for citrus zest, but up until now, have been using a tiny grater that came with a 24-piece kitchen set I bought at BigLots when I first moved to Lubbock. The Microplane zester is a vast improvement. It made great zest.

Mrs. Kostrya's Spice Cupcakes

(Makes 24)

1 stick unsalted butter

4 c. cake flour

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 tsp. nutmeg (freshly ground if you are so inclined)

1/2 tsp. ground mace

pinch ground cloves

1 1/2 c. packed dark-brown sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 c. milk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350. Brush standard muffin tins with butter, dust with flour, or just spray them down with Baker's Joy.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.

Fill each prepared cup 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through (I never do this, but that's partly because I'm lazy, and partly because my oven bakes pretty evenly) about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Run a knife or an offset spatula around the rim of the cakes to loosen them. Allow them to cool before removing from pan.

To finish, place cupcakes over wire rack and spoon citrus glaze over tops.

If you don't want your counter to look like mine, put a baking sheet underneath them.