Camp Cupcake: Rhubarb Cupcakes

Confession: Rhubarb kind of freaks me out.

I have always enjoyed it in strawberry-rhubarb pie, but there is something creepy about the way you buy it in the store, with its pink stalk and its disturbing, finlike leaves.

However, these cupcakes called for it, and I am nothing if not a conformist.

In the process of slicing the rhubarb, I again cut myself with my Miracle Blades. Fortunately, I assessed the wound and determined it was not deep or long enough to require stitches, as it stopped bleeding fairly quickly and only required one Band-Aid. Plus, it was almost midnight, and I knew I would have to make a trip to the ER if it was bad enough to need stitches, so that also factored into how severe I assessed the cut to be.

The recipe is fairly easy, and yields what could be classified as a muffin. However, you then top it with whipped cream and a rhubarb syrup, which makes it more dessert-like.

Unfortunately, on my way to work that morning, the syrup spilled out of its container and into the plastic bag surrounding it (that was lucky), so no one had the cupcakes with their syrup. But they were still good with the whipped cream.

More unfortunately, I apparently got no pictures of these cupcakes, so you'll just have to trust me that they looked and tasted very good. The whipped cream made a good topping, even without the syrup, and the rhubarb, once baked, was not too sour, just a little tart.

Martha used to have a link to this recipe on her site. I don't know where it went, but it is gone now.

So here it is:

Rhubarb Cupcakes with Whipped Cream

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. coarse salt

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 c. sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. sour cream, room temperature

3/4 pound rhubarb, stalks trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice (3 cups)

1 vanilla bean, halved length-wise

1 c. water

Whipped cream (unsweetened)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line standard muffin tins with liners. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Cream butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Scrape sides as needed. Beat in vanilla extract. Add in flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream, and beating until combined after each. Stir in 2 c. diced rhubarb.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake about 25 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cool completely.

To make rhubarb topping, use tip of paring knife to scrape vanilla-bean seeds into a saucepan. Add water and remaining sugar (1 c.) and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. and stir in remaining 1 c. rhubarb. Let cool completely. Remove rhubarb with a slotted spoon, and reserve. Return liquid to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half, 5 to 8 minutes. Let cool slightly, then return rhubarb to syrup.

To finish, dollop a generous amount of whipped cream onto each cupcake, and top with rhubarb and some cooled syrup. Serve immediately.