The oh so scary Basil Pesto Cupcakes

For the cupcakes                                               For the frosting


3/4 cup yellow cornmeal                                                      1/2 cup basil pesto
1 cup all purpose flour                                                          1 1/2 cups cream cheese
2 tsp. baking powder                                                             12 cherry tomatoes 
3 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) sweet butter, melted 


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, Place 12 paper baking cups into a muffin pan. In a medium bowl stir the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs, milk, and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, and stir until just combined. Spoon the batter into the cups. Bake for 20 minutes. remove pan and cool for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.


For the frosting, beat the pesto and the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Smear the frosting onto cooled cupcakes and top with the cherry tomatoes.


Store UN-frosted in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.


Makes 1 dozen


Upon starting this blog I had not intended to make such daring cupcakes so soon. However there were a few people who were intrigued by this specific cupcake and since you are my audience I figure it's best to entertain you. My first impression of "Basil Pesto Cupcakes" was EW. Cupcakes and pesto do not mix! W.T.H. thought of that. After reading the ingredients I thought to myself okay so the "cupcake" must be more of a dinner bread than a dessert bread, this could be okay.


I made these on Monday because it was a snow day and work was cancelled. Of course we did not have all of the ingredients for the cupcakes so I walked to the grocery store about 2 small town Iowa blocks from my house. (Charlotte blocks are massive and odd shaped, small town Iowa blocks are small and square... like blocks are supposed to be :-) Anyway... I picked up corn meal, pesto, cream cheese, cherry tomatoes, and whole milk. (I found a personal sized jug of whole milk because the likely hood of anyone in this house drinking it is slim to none. They also have small versions of pre-made pesto sauce. in the spaghetti isle) Once I paid for all of my ingredients I stopped at the Red Box and picked up the movie Easy A (Pretty funny. Totally worth my dollar!) and headed home.


As I made the cupcakes I noticed it was taking a lot less time than my previous batch of Key Lime cupcakes. I envisioned a more health conscious person than myself making these ahead of time as a mid day work snack. I also saw them as a big hit at someones Thanksgiving dinner as a substitute for rolls. Once I had them in the oven I began the frosting which could not be more simple. basil pesto + cream cheese = done. However I ended up adding more cream cheese to the mix. (I have an insatiable sweet tooth and couldn't resist.) 


After removing the cupcakes from the oven I put two in the freezer to cool faster because I have no patience when I am excited about something and I needed to try the cupcakes right then and there! After they were cool I frosted them and topped them each with a cherry. I then took pictures and ran up stairs to Kurt where he was working and handed him a cupcake to try. He just stared at it and said "I don't want to." So to prove it wouldn't be terrible I took the first bite. The cupcake was actually pretty good. The bread portion tasted kind of like corn bread and the frosting was a great combo. I then took a bite that included the tomato and cringed. I am big on texture with food so when the tomato sprayed juice and seeds into my mouth I found it disgusting! (<--- that's what she said.) I looked at Kurt and he just sat there, put the cupcake up to his mouth, and said "I don't want to" about 3 more times before trying it and saying "It's not as bad as I thought it would be." He ultimately decided even though they were not as bad as he had originally thought he would still prefer that I never make them again. As for me? I think I will make them on Thanksgiving this year. :-)


Be sure to let me know what flavor you would like next:

Pop rocks cupcakes

baked cheesecakes 

Mint chocolate cupcakes

Thanks for listening to my cupcake ramblings, here is a cupcake for you!