pomegranate cupcakes.

I have a love/hate relationship with pomegranate juice. It’s pretty good when it’s flavored with other juices, such as blueberry, but I just can’t drink it on it’s own. It’s much too strong for me. But I wish I could!


When I first found this recipe I was a little apprehensive, it didn’t have any butter or eggs (OH NO!) and it just straight up pomegranate juice. I printed it out and it sat in my recipe book for a couple of months.



Then, when I was in the grocery store the other day, trying to figure out what I wanted to bake for the week, I saw all those bottles of POM wonderful, calling out to me. It was destiny.

These are pretty good, but not knock-your-socks-off good, if you know what I mean. They are good for being totally vegan, and the frosting is VERY good. But it’s not vegan. I used the Pioneer Woman’s frosting recipe from her chocolate sheet cake and used pomegranate juice instead of milk. The frosting is actually more pom-y than the cupcakes. Overall, a pretty good cupcake, I’d definitely make them again.



Pomegranate Cupcakes
adapted from here.
Cupcakes:
1 cup POM Juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water, heated to boiling
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar (not wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon vanilla


Preheat oven to 350F with rack in the center.

Place a paper baking cup in each of 24 regular sized muffin cups.

Whisk together the dry ingredients to combine well.

In a large measuring cup, combine pomegranate juice and boiling water.

Add oil, vinegar and vanilla to the pomegranate juice mixture.

Add to the flour mixture all at once and whisk to combine (batter will be lumpy).

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups (about half full).

Bake 25 minutes (mine only took about 19 mins.) or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.


For the icing:

Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add:
6 tablespoons Pom Juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Stir together.
Pour over cupcakes


NOTE: I halved this recipe and it gave me a lot more than 12 cupcakes!