Christmas Pudding Cupcakes with Brandy Butter Frosting

I haven't tasted these (only invented them) cos I don't like xmas pudding, but everyone who tried them said they were delicious :) good for leftovers!

Cupcakes

• 120g plain flour
• 140g caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 40g unsalted butter or margarine
• 120ml whole milk (but I do use semi-skimmed)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Average sized supermarket christmas pudding (value!), around 454g

Frosting

• 250g icing sugar
• 80g brandy butter
• 25ml milk

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C.

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a bowl or a mixer and mix until everything is a sandy consistency.

Pour in half the milk and mix until just combined.

Mix the egg with the vanilla extract and the rest of the milk and then pour into the mixture and mix again

Crumble about 2/3 of the christmas pudding into the mixture and mix again for a short time.

Spoon the mixture into paper cases so they are around 2/3 full and put into the oven for 20-25 mins.

Whilst they are cooking, put the icing sugar and brandy butter in a bowl, if you have a mixer you are best using it here.  Mix until it looks sandy again, then add the milk and put the mixer on full speed.  Leave it mixing for around 5 mins to make the frosting light and fluffy.

Once cupcakes are done, remove from oven and leave to cool, then pipe or spoon the frosting onto the top and decorate with sprinkles.

Sherry Trifle Cupcakes

• 1 or 2 tubs of raspberry jelly ready made
• 120g plain flour
• 140g caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 40g unsalted butter or margarine
• 120ml milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 punnet raspberries
• 50ml Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 125g marscapone cheese
• 250g icing sugar
• 50g custard powder
• Hundreds and thousands

Preheat oven to 170 degrees.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and butter in a bowl (can use an electric mixer for this) and beat until you get a sandy consistency.  Pour in half the milk and beat until just incorporated.

Beat egg with vanilla and rest of milk in a separate jug and slowly add into the mixture whilst beating, once all nicely mixed add the raspberries and just stir enough to combine them.

Spoon the mixture into 12 paper cases in a muffin tin until about 2/3 full and then put them in the oven for 20-25 minutes until they are light golden and the sponge bounces back.

Whilst cupcakes are baking, boil in a pan the sherry and 4 tbsp of caster sugar until dissolved and a syrup forms.  Leave to cool.

Once cupcakes are baked, take out of oven and cool on a rack.

When cool, using a teaspoon, scoop a circle of cake out of the middle of each cupcake to leave a small bowl shape.  Pour a spoonful of the sherry syrup over each cake, making sure to soak the inside of the bowl and the top of the cake.  Put a teaspoon of jelly into the bowl of each cake, do not overfill, the jelly should not be piled high above the cake.

To make the frosting mix together the icing sugar, custard powder and marscapone cheese in a bowl.  Beat the frosting for 5 mins at least to make it light and fluffy.  Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes so the jelly is hidden beneath it.  Finally sprinkle hundreds and thousands on the cakes to decorate.

Orange and Cranberry Cupcakes

• 120g plain flour
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 oranges (zested and juiced into 2 portions)
• 40g unsalted butter
• 120ml made up of milk and one of the orange juice portions
• 1 egg
• 1/2 390g cranberry sauce
• 50g sweetened dried cranberries chopped

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius.

Put in a bowl the flour, sugar, baking powder, orange zest and the butter and mix until it forms a slightly dry breadcrumb like mixture.

Add the milk and orange juice combination and beat again until just combined.  Next add the cranberry sauce and the dried cranberries.

Add the egg and beat again for a few minutes until the mixture is smooth.  Divide the mixture out between 12 cupcake cases and cook for 20 minutes or until golden brown and the cupcake springs back when touched.  Leave to cool.

• 250g icing sugar
• 80g unsalted butter (soft)
• 25ml milk and the other orange juice portion combined

Put the icing sugar, butter and milk mixture in a bowl and mix together.  The trick with frosting is the longer you beat it, the lighter and fluffier it gets, so try and beat for at least 5 minutes and then spread on top of cupcakes or pipe on to cakes.

To decorate I used candy cane sprinkles and some more chopped cranberries

Pebernoedder (Pepper Nuts) cupcakes

• 120g plain flour
• 140g caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 3/4 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 good pinch white pepper
• 1/4 grated nutmeg
• 40g unsalted butter (soft)
• 120ml milk
• 1 egg

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.

Put in a bowl the flour, sugar, baking powder, all the spices and the butter and mix until it forms a slightly dry breadcrumb like mixture.

Add the milk and beat again until just combined.

Add the egg and beat again for a few minutes until the mixture is smooth.  Divide the mixture out between 12 cupcake cases and cook for 20 minutes or until golden brown and the cupcake springs back when touched.  Leave to cool.

• 250g icing sugar
• 80g unsalted butter (soft)
• 25ml milk
• couple of drops of vanilla extract
• 6 pebernoedder (pepper nuts) optional to decorate

Put the icing sugar, butter, milk and vanilla in a bowl and mix together.  The trick with frosting is the longer you beat it, the lighter and fluffier it gets, so try and beat for at least 5 minutes and then spread on top of cupcakes or pipe on to cakes.

To decorate I used crushed pebernoedder biscuits I'd made and edible gold stars but any sprinkles will do or a light dusting of cinnamon.

Parkin cupcakes with treacle toffee frosting

• 120g plain flour
• 70g demarara sugar (darker the better)
• 70g caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 -1 1/2 tsp ginger powder (I like mine spicy)
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp treacle
• 40g unsalted butter
• 120ml whole milk
• 1 egg

Preheat oven 170 degrees C

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger, salt and butter in a bowl or mixer and beat until all combined.

Pour in half the milk and beat until mixed in.

Mix the rest of the milk with the treacle and the egg and beat until combined then pour into the mix and continue beating until just mixed and mix is smooth.

Fill the cupcake cases about 2/3 full and bake for 20 mins until golden.  Leave to cool

• 300g icing sugar
• 80g unsalted butter
• 2 tsp treacle
• splash of milk

Beat the icing sugar and butter together on a medium slow speed until it is well mixed.  Add the milk and treacle slowly and then once all incorporated turn the mixer up to high speed and whip for up to 5 mins until light and fluffy.

Decorate the top of the cupcakes by either piping or speading the frosting onto the top.

Banoffee cupcakes

Banana cupcake mix

• 190g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 115g unsalted butter
• 200g brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 4-5 mashed bananas
• 200ml buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 200 degrees (gas mark 6)

Sift the flour, soda, salt, baking powder into a bowl and mix well.

Blend the banana with the buttermilk and vanilla unti smooth.

Beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, then add the egg and the buttermilk mix and beat until smooth.

Then mix in the dry ingredients.

Spoon one large dessertspoon of mixture into muffin or cupcake cases, makes about 24 cakes.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes until they spring back when pressed. Leave to cool.

Caramac frosting

• 250g icing sugar
• 80g unsalted butter
• 25ml whole milk
• 4 Caramac bars

Melt the caramac bars gently in a microwave or over a pan of hot water on the hob.

Mix together the icing and butter until combined and then add the milk and the melted chocolate. Mix on slow until combined and then on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and then grate dark chocolate over the top.