Test Kitchen: Smoky Clementine Cupcakes

Do you smell smoke? A flavored oil can seem like a cheat but more often presents a challenge: to find a use at once unexpected and ideal. We let the smoke sing here, in citrus cupcakes with a sweet, crunchy send-off. 

Ingredients

Yield: 12 large cupcakes

For the cake:

• 1 + 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup Red Stick Spice Smoked Olive Oil
• juice and zest from two clementines
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups “00” flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

For the topping:

• 8 clementines, sliced 1/2-inch thick and carefully peeled
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. Smoked Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 cup crushed pistachios

Method

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, juice, zest, eggs, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Stir in flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Then add buttermilk and yogurt.
2. Pour batter into greased muffin tins, taking care to fill each mold only halfway. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool pans for five minutes on a wire rack.

For the topping: While cupcakes cool, preheat the broiler. Place clementine slices in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Brush with honey, then smoked olive oil. Sprinkle with paprika and sea salt. Broil for 5 minutes, until slices are browned. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. 

To plate: Dust the cupcakes with crushed pistachios, then top each with 1 or 2 clementine slices.