PAMA Pomegranate Cupcakes OR PAMA Cupcake Sundaes

This recipe gives you two delicious ways to enjoy PAMA pomegranate cupcakes — one, a ‘grown-up’ take on cupcakes which will delight both the young and the young-at-heart, suitable for a sit-down dinner or holiday party; the other, a traditional cupcake — portable, suited to holiday parties, potlucks, or brown bag lunches as a special treat!

For the cupcakes:
1 Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Cake Mix
1 1/3 c. PAMA-Pomegranate reduction (recipe below)
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
3 Large Egg Whites
Red food coloring (I use Wilton gel food colors)

For the PAMA-Pomegranate reduction:
2 c. pomegranate juice (I used fresh, but store-bought will work just fine!)
1 c. PAMA pomegranate liqueur

For the PAMA Buttercream Frosting:
1 box powdered sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. PAMA-Pomegranate reduction

For the PAMA-Pomegranate reduction:
Combine the pomegranate juice and the PAMA liqueur in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until reduced by one cup – so you are left with two cups of liquid. Reserve 2/3 cup of the liquid – add the rest to the cupcake batter.

For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cups of a cupcake pan with paper liners. Blend the cake mix, pomegranate reduction, oil, and egg whites in large bowl at low speed until moistened (about 30 seconds). Beat for 2 minutes on Medium. Add red food coloring to the batter, if desired. Pour batter into cupcake pan*, filling cups 3/4 full and bake 20-24 minutes (when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.)

*An easy, mess-free way to fill cupcake cups: fill a large zip-top plastic bag with the batter, cut off one of the bottom corners, and ‘pipe’ the batter into the cups. Toss the bag when you’re done!

For the PAMA Buttercream Frosting
In a large bowl, melt the butter, then add the PAMA-Pomegranate reduction and vanilla, and mix well. Beat in the powdered sugar, a little at a time, until all combined.

Assembly

For sundaes:
Pour a bit of the reserved reduction onto a dessert plate or small dish.
Set one cupcake in the sauce,

then either pipe vanilla ice cream onto the cupcake using an icing bag, or place a scoop of ice cream on top of or next to the cake.


Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds as a garnish.

*Hint: Either use the cupcakes shortly after they come out of the oven, or warm them for a few seconds in the microwave before placing them in the sauce — they will soak up more sauce this way.

For cupcakes:
Frost cooled cupcakes with the buttercream frosting, and garnish with one or more pomegranate seeds, if desired.

*Please consider voting for one of my three entries into the Cooking with PAMA Contest -- I could win a trip to the Aspen Food & Wine Festival (and I really, really, reeeeally want to go!) You can vote once a day, and I'd really appreciate your support! Thank you!!!! Here are the entries: PAMA Pumpkin Soup, PAMA Cupcake Sundaes/PAMA Cupcakes, and PAMA Carnitas with Pineapple-Pomegranate Salsa!