Bakewell Tart Cupcakes

I love anything almond flavoured, my gran used to make the most beautiful almond buttercream when I was younger.  It is this that inspired my Victoria Sponge with a Bakewell Tart twist, something that is a regular amongst my cake repertoire.

So I decided to adapt the recipe into cupcake form for National Cupcake Week and as my entry into the Betta Living #bettabakeoff.

Ingredients (Makes 9-12 depending on cupcake case size. I used baking cups which are a bit bigger so only got 9 you can always double up the cake recipe):

For the cakes:
100g Self Raising Flour
100g Golden Caster Sugar
100g Margarine
2 Eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract.

For the icing:
500g Icing Sugar sieved
160g Unsalted Butter softened
1-1 ½ teaspoons of Almond Extract, add more/less depending on your taste
1-5 tablespoons milk

To decorate:
100g Raspberry Jam
25g Flaked almonds

Cake method:

1. Heat the oven to 180c/160c fan

2. Line a muffin tray with 12 cases or baking cups.

3. Place all of the ingredients (SR Flour, Sugar, Margaine, Eggs & Almond Extract) in an electric mixer and mix until smooth, alternatively if you don't have one then cream the sugar and margarine together until smooth, add in the egg a bit at a time and mix well, add in the almond extract and then add the flour and mix until is smooth and everything is combined.

2. Fill each of the baking cups or cases to about half way with the mixture, be careful not to overfill.

3. Place the tray on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until cooked. To check if the cakes are cooked place a skewer in the middle of one of the cakes and it should come out clean.

4. Once cooked remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.

For the Icing:

1. Mix the icing sugar and butter until combined, add in the almond extract and then a tablespoon of milk at a time until smooth and is the consistency of meringue (you should be able to make peaks).

2. Once mixed, place the mixture in a piping bag with your nozzle of choice, I am using a round nozzle but you could use a star if you prefer.

To build the cakes:

1. Once the cakes are cooled using a knife carefully cut a circle from your cake, should be about the size of a 10p piece and about 1-1.5cm deep. (NB leave a good edge between the edge of the circle and the edge of the cupcake, you can either eat the left overs or use in cake pops)

2. Place a teaspoon of jam into the whole and then pipe a swirl of butter cream on top.

3. If using sprinkle some flaked almonds on top of the swirl, if you have children who aren't keen on them then just leave the flaked almonds off.

Pour yourself a cuppa and enjoy, these are so light and would make the perfect accompaniment to an afternoon tea or picnic.

This is my entry into the Betta Living #bettabakeoff, more details can be found here.

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

This week is national cupcake week so it seemed only right I made some.

Whilst stood in the kitchen thinking about what I could make I suddenly had a thought, Chocolate and Orange. A match made in heaven as far as both myself and Terry's are concerned!.

So I whipped up some of my basic sponge mix ( I don't like too much chocolate so just use a plain sponge) and then to the top added some chocolate orange buttercream.

To make the buttercream (for about 12 cupcakes):

200g Icing Sugar
80g Softened Unsalted Butter
1 tsp Orange Oil (You could use orange juice but I find this is more concentrated and the flavour is more subtle)
2-3 Tablespoons of Whole Milk (you probably won't need milk if using all orange juice but I do find milk makes it a little fluffier.(

Mix the icing sugar and butter together, add in the oil and then a a tablespoon at a time of the milk until it is a smooth and pipeable consistency.

To pipe I either do a full cake or part cupcake, it depends how much you like the icing and who is having it.

Here you can see a full iced cake with flowers

Or a part iced cake so some of the cake itself is exposed, less icing for those who don't like it or the kids.

Have you been baking this week, please do leave a comment if you have. I love finding new recipes or ideas.