Pomegranate cupcakes with vanilla cream cheese frosting and pomegranate glaze

Recipe adapted from An Edible Symphony
Oven temp = 350

Pomegranate cupcakes:
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup milk
1 cup pomegranate juice (storebought or make your own if you're really ambitious)

Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time. Add in the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly mix in the milk, pomegranate juice, and vanilla bean paste until well combined. Fill 24 cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 deg.

Cream cheese vanilla bean frosting:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
8oz cream cheese
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
2-3 Tbs milk (or water)

Cream together powdered sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla. Slowly add milk, mixing continuously until frosting consistency is reached. Continue to beat the frosting until all lumps are smoothed out and the frosting is light and fluffy.

Pomegranate glaze/syrup: (from Bon Appetit)
1 cup pomegranate juice (I actually used pomegranate-blueberry juice)
4 tsp brown sugar, packed
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer/low boil and reduce until the total volume is approximately 1/4 cup. This is a very thin glaze; perhaps adding a thickening agent would be better next time.

Top the frosted cupcakes with the pomegranate glaze and pomegranate seeds. For my favorite method of how to de-seed a pomegranate, check out this site.