Not really a new chapter. I've had requests for the recipe to Clint's Cupcakes, so I decided to post it here in case anyone else wanted it.

Clint's cinnamon spice cupcakes

I had a request for the recipe, so here it is!

I'm kind of an experimental cook, playing about with recipes until I'm happy with the result for my personal taste and this recipe definitely shows this.

Equipment

Bowl (x2 unless you want to wash your first bowl before doing the icing)
Mixer (optional)
Metal tablespoon
Fork
Measuring spoons
Jug
Scales
Sieve
Cupcake/muffin tin
Cupcake liners
Piping bag (Optional)
Bow and Arrows so you can feel like Clint (Optional.)

Ingredients

150g plain flour
225g granulated (or caster, which I prefer; it makes fluffier cakes) sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
120g unsalted butter, at room temperature
120mls/8 tablespoons sour cream
1 large egg,
2 egg yolks,
2 or 3 teaspoons vanilla extract (I like my cupcakes very vanilla, you may have to play with this to taste)
1 teaspoon ground cardamom (again, adjust to taste if it's too much/little for you)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (I know if doesn't sound like much, but you'll get a lot from the butter cream. You can add more if you want)

For the butter cream

140g butter
280g icing sugar
1 or 2 tablespoons of milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
(again, play with the quantities of spice until you're happy. Ginger also works well as part of this)

Method

This makes about 12 cupcakes.

Clint's approach to baking when stressed is 'stick it in a bowl and whisk it into submission' this works okay when you've got a mixer, but if you're doing this by hand you need to go in order.

Preheat the oven to 170 C or 350 F (ten degrees less for a fan oven). Get out your cupcake tray and line it with cases (Clint suggests purple ones, but whatever).

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl and add the egg and yolks. Next add the sour cream. Sieve the flour and baking powder together and add a little at a time, folding in. Add the vanilla, salt and spices and stir in.

Portion the batter into the cupcake tin you prepared earlier.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden like Thor's hair.

Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

Method for buttercream

Leave the butter to soften while the cupcakes cool. Sieve the icing sugar and add a little at a time, creaming it into the butter using a fork. Depending on the consistency, here is where you'll add your milk. You only need a little bit to thin it and smooth it out. Add the vanilla and spices a little at a time and taste as you go. Add more or less spice to taste.

Apply to the top of your cooled cupcakes in a fancy swirl using a piping bag or an artful dollop using a spoon.

Lick the bowl out and eat all the cupcakes, ruining your diet. Alternatively, hand the cupcakes out to friends and family so they all know how awesome you are.

Trick a friend, partner or younger sibling into doing the washing up (Clint usually bribes Natasha or just leaves the stuff in the sink so long that Phil's neat freak tendancies kick in and he scrubs the whole kitchen clean).

(You can use the saved whites from the egg yolks to make some meringue (Preheat oven to 150C/300F whisk the egg whites till light and fluffy, 110g caster sugar, add a sugar one spoon at a time and whisk, DO NOT OVERWHISK, pinch of salt, put on lined baking tray and into oven and immediately turn down to 140C/275F. Bake for 30-40 mins approx.) Crumbling the meringue onto the tops of the cupcakes makes for a delicious addition. Alternatively, make yourself an egg white only omelette for dinner to make up for cheating on your diet.)

I would reccommend decorating the top of each cupcake with a fondant arrow, or if your own personal Coulson is going to be eating them, a Captain America Shield.