Three Ginger Cupcakes

I found this recipe in Baking in America by Greg Patent. They are actually quite light and very gingery...which is what i had hoped for, as I love ginger. I have written the instructions a bit shorter than they appeared in the book, as I tend to try to simplify things. Also, I upped the amount of crystallized ginger because you can never have too much ginger!

Triple Ginger cupcakes

1 ¾ cups sifted cake flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon allspice
4 ounces butter, r.t.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
3 Tablespoons grated ginger root
Zest of one orange, minced
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup chopped crystallized ginger

Frosting
3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
3.5 ounces white chocolate chopped
2 Tablespoons sour cream
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-heat oven to 350, prepare muffin tins for 14
-sift flour, baking soda, salt and spices together
-Beat the butter with an electric mixer on med until smooth, add vanilla, fresh ginger, orange zest, and ¼ cup brown sugar. Beat for 1 minute, beat in remaining brown sugar, ¼ cup at a time, beating for about 20 seconds after each. Scrape and beat on med/high for about 4 minutes. Add the egg and beat one minute.
- on low, add the flour in three alternating with the buttermilk. Beginning and ending with the flour and only beating till it’s just incorporated. Stir in crystallized ginger, fill muffin tins 2/3 full.
-bake for 25 minutes or so.
-,make the frosting….heat cream, add chocolate, whisk till smooth. Whisk in sour cream….frost cool cupcakes. Mmmmmmmm.