Tag: icing sugar

Gingerbread cupcakes

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Fill the house with the sweet, spiced scent of gingerbread cupcakes as they come out of the oven. Decorated with vanilla buttercream and a cute gingerbread man, these cakes make lovely food gifts.

Child friendly
Make in advance

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Learn how to pipe the perfect iced-rose with our easy-to-follow video.

Ingredients

For the gingerbread cupcakes:

75g unsalted butter, softened
100g caster sugar
125ml black treacle
1 large egg (we used a Large Baking Egg)
1 large egg yolk (we used a Large Baking Egg yolk)
175g all-purpose flour, or plain flour
1tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/4tsp ground ginger
1tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp ground allspice
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
1/4tsp salt
1tsp baking soda
125ml cup hot milk

For the buttercream:

120g butter, softened
200g icing sugar, sifted
1tsp vanilla extract
2tbsp milk

You’ll also need:

12-hole muffin tin
12 cupcake cases

Method

For the gingerbread cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 175˚C/350˚F/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
In a clean, large bowl cream the butter with the sugar. Add the treacle and the egg and egg yolk. 
In a separate clean, large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt.
Dissolve the baking soda in the hot milk.
Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the hot milk mixture.
Spoon the batter evenly into the cases.  Bake for 20 mins or until slightly springy to the touch.
Allow to cool for a few mins in the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
For the buttercream: Cream the butter in a clean, large bowl until smooth, gradually add the icing sugar and continue to cream until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the milk and cream until combined.
Use a piping bag to pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes in an iced-rose design and decorate with a mini, edible gingerbread man.

By Ella Valentine Baking Eggs

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Nutritional information

Guideline Daily Amount for 2,000 calories per day are: 70g fat, 20g saturated fat, 90g sugar, 6g salt.

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Cherry and vanilla Victoria sponge

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This vanilla cream and cherry version of traditional Victoria sponge is a brilliant take on the family favourite and perfect for afternoon tea.

Serves: 10
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 20-25 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Skill level: Easy peasy
Costs: Cheap as chips

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Top tip: How can you tell when your cake’s cooked? Touch it with your fingertips and the sponge should spring back lightly.

Ingredients

225g (8oz) butter, softened
225g (8oz) golden caster sugar
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
10ml (2tsp) baking powder
4 large eggs
1tsp vanilla essence

For the filling:

100g (4oz) butter, softened
1tsp vanilla essence
225g (8oz) icing sugar
90ml (6tbsp) cherry compote
Icing sugar, to dust

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4). Grease and line 2 x 20cm (8in) round sponge cake tins with baking parchment.
Place the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs and vanilla essence in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until thoroughly blended, pale and creamy. Divide between the two cake tins and gently level the surface.
Bake for 20-25 mins until golden brown and the sponges spring back when lightly pressed with your fingertips. Leave in the tin for 2-3 mins, then turn out on to a cooling rack. Cool completely.
To make the filling, beat together the butter, vanilla essence and icing sugar until smooth. Sandwich the sponge cakes together with the buttercream and cherry compote and dust the top thickly with sifted icing sugar.

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Nutritional information per portion

This nutritional information is only a guide and is based on 2,000 calories per day. For more information on eating a healthy diet, please visit the Food Standards Agency website.

Guideline Daily Amount for 2,000 calories per day are: 70g fat, 20g saturated fat, 90g sugar, 6g salt.

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Fiona Cairns’ liquorice toffee cupcakes

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These sticky toffee cupcakes have a delicious liquorice-flavoured sponge and toffee buttercream. Topped with liquorice allsorts, this special cupcake recipe by Fiona Cairns is perfect as an afternoon tea treat

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Stack the cupcakes on a tower to make a impressive centre piece for a party

Ingredients

For the cakes:

12 cupcakes cases
85g unsalted butter, softened plus more for the tins
100ml whole milk
30g liquorice (Fiona used 22 x 6.5cm lengths of soft, sweet Australian liquorice), roughly chopped
200g dates, pitted and chopped
175g self-raising flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
140g golden caster sugar
Seed of 1 vanilla pod or 1tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten

For the buttercream:

170g unsalted butter, softened
200g icing sugar, sifted

For the liquorice caramel:

100g demerara sugar
60ml double cream
1 tbsp black treacle
30g liquorice

To decorate:

Piping bag and star nozzle
Liquorice allsorts

Method

For the cakes:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Place the paper cases in a cupcake tray.
In a small saucepan, bring the milk and liquorice to a boil. Remove from the heat, stir and press on the liquorice to extract the flavour. Cover and leave to infuse for at least 30 mins. Taste the milk. It should be a liquorice milk flavour, then strain.
Meanwhile in a heatproof bowl pour 175ml boiling water over the dates and leave to soak for 20 mins then mash with a fork.
Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.
Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla seeds or extract for about 5 mins with an electric mixer. Add the eggs gradually with 1tsp flour to stop the mixture curdling. Fold in the remaining flour, date mixture and milk.
Divide the batter between the cases and bake for 15–20 mins, or until the tops spring back to the touch. Remove from the oven, leave in the tins a couple of minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

For the buttercream:

Make the buttercream by creaming the butter and icing sugar for at least five minutes in an electric mixer (or with a hand-held mixer).

For the liquorice caramel:

To make the caramel, in a small heavy-based pan, dissolve the sugar with 3 tbsp water over a gentle heat, then increase to a boil. Leave the pan undisturbed for a few mins, until it turns a lovely rich, caramel colour and has thickened. Give it your full attention at this stage!
Remove from the heat and add the cream and treacle, protecting your hands with a tea towel. Stir well, then return to the heat with the liquorice, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low, stirring all the time, and continue to cook until the mixture thickens. Remove and leave for all the flavours to mingle and allow the mixture to cool.
Taste; it should have a toffee liquorice flavour. Remove the liquorice and, when the caramel is only barely warm, whisk well into the buttercream. (If the caramel is too cold, it will need to be warmed very slightly so it will combine easily into the buttercream. Too hot, and it will melt the buttercream.)
Divide the buttercream between the cakes, piping it on if you wish and decorate with liquorice allsorts.

By Taken from The Birthday Cake Book by Fiona Cairns (Quadrille, £18.99)

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Nutritional information

Guideline Daily Amount for 2,000 calories per day are: 70g fat, 20g saturated fat, 90g sugar, 6g salt.

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