Shoofly Cupcakes

Shoofly Cupcakes. A sweet, moist molasses PA Dutch & Lancaster County favorite made into fun little cakes.  Oh, and this delicious treat is vegan if using shortening (which is traditional) instead of butter.

I have a confession to make.  It’s been over two years that I’ve been working on this blog and I have yet to share a Shoofly Pie recipe.  Shame.  Shame on me.  Hailing from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania – everyone should be a wee bit disappointed with me.

Turns out today is still not the day for a Shoofly Pie. Sorry.  Soon – I promise.  Instead, I’m switching it up with these fun little Shoofly Cupcakes.

So lets talk Shoofly for a minute.  It’s a Pennsylvania Dutch pie that has gained some popularity the past few years.  With it’s gooey molasses bottom, it’s moist center and it’s light crumb topping – it’s a unique dessert you’ll either love or hate.  As a local – if you love it, you’ll never grow tired trying the endless variations of it.

Just to clear up much internet confusion – all Shoofly Pie is (and should be) “wet bottom”.  If it’s not a wet bottom pie, then it’s pretty much a Shoofly Cake in a pie crust.  That’s no good….

Most folks make a Shoofly Cake as a simple moist cake.  But….if you’re in the know….you know that most Lancaster County residents love this cake made with a wet bottom, served warm straight from the baking dish.

These cupcakes have none of this magical wet bottom I speak of.  I’ve tried making them before, but they pretty much just stick to the cupcake liner.  Instead they have all the warm & wonderful Shoofly flavors in a cute little cake.

These cupcakes, much like the pie, are quick and simple to make.  You’ll find this with much Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine.  The food comes from a culture that was built upon hard work & minimalism.  Everything was cooked from scratch and nothing was wasted.  Thing is, the PA Dutch women of yesteryears didn’t have time to stand around and fuss in the kitchen all day.  Many were farmers or hard at work in the family business plus managed a household – kids, cooking & cleaning.  They perfected the simplest methods whenever possible.

All that being said, these cupcakes take only a few minutes to mix up and about 20 minutes to bake.  These moist little Shoofly cupcakes are a fun, delicious & unique treat.

I hope you enjoy this Pennsylvania Dutch treat.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Happy Baking!

-Amanda-

Shoofly Cupcakes

Amanda

Shoofly Cupcakes. A sweet, moist molasses PA Dutch & Lancaster County favorite made into fun little cakes. Oh, and this delicious treat can easily be made vegan by using shortening (which is traditional) instead of butter.

3.67 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course baked goods

Cuisine Pennsylvania Dutch

Servings 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

  

• Crumb / Dry Mixture:
• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
• 1/2 cup shortening or butter room temp
• Liquid Mixture:
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup unsulphured molasses

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
• In a mixing bowl, combine flour and brown sugar.
• Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening/butter until pea sized crumbles.
• Reserve 1 cup crumb mixture. Set all aside.
• Boil water. Stir baking soda into water. Stir in molasses, remove from heat.
• Add liquid mixture into bowl of dry mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.
• Fill paper lined muffin tins half full with batter.
• Sprinkle reserved 1 cup of crumb mixture evenly over tops of cupcakes.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven, put tins on wire rack. Let rest for about 5 minutes and then remove cupcakes from tins and allow to cool completely on wire rack. Store covered.
• Enjoy 🙂