Category: Cupcakes

Cupcakes, Summer

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

by Jessie2 Comments on Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Celebrate summer with these delicious strawberry cheesecake cupcakes!

Topped with cream cheese frosting and filled with strawberry jam, these cupcakes are perfect for picnics, BBQ’s or just to enjoy on a warm summers day.

strawberry cheesecake cupcakes

How to make strawberry cheesecake cupcakes

There are four parts to this recipe, each step is really easy to make but together they create a show-stopping bake:

  1. The cupcake base – made using a classic sponge cake recipe, the base has added vanilla essence for a light and sweet flavour.
  2. The filling – the middle of the cupcake is scooped out and filled with strawberry jam. I used Bonne Maman Strawberry Conserve, which is a lovely high-quality jam you can buy in most supermarkets.
  3. The frosting – the cupcakes are topped with a swirl of sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting. Now they’re starting to taste like cheesecake!
  4. The decoration – crushed digestive biscuits are sprinkled over the cupcakes and a fresh strawberry is place on top.

Strawberry cheesecake cupcake recipe (makes 12)

Ingredients

For the sponge:
150g Stork tub (margarine) or unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
150g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk

For the cream cheese frosting:
300g icing sugar
150g unsalted butter, soft at room temperature
150g full-fat cream cheese, cold from the fridge

For the filling/decoration:
1 jar of strawberry jam
12 fresh whole strawberries
4-5 Digestive biscuits (crumbled)

Method

Start by making the cupcakes.
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a cupcake baking tray with 12 cupcake cases.
  2. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy.
  3. Add the vanilla extract and beat in the eggs one at a time, along with a tablespoon of the 150g flour each time to stop the mixture from curdling.
  4. Add the remaining flour and milk, and fold the mixture together until combined.
  5. Divide evenly between the cupcake cases and bake for 16-18 minutes until the cupcakes are a golden brown, risen and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer cakes to a cooling rack and leave to completely cool.
Core and fill the cupcakes.
  1. Once the cupcakes are cool, scoop out the middles using a cupcake corer, apple corer or teaspoon.
  2. Fill each cupcake with a heaped teaspoon of strawberry jam. Press the cake middles back into the holes to cap off the top (you may have to trim them down).
Make the cream cheese frosting.
  1. Beat the butter with an electric mixer until really soft and pale in colour.
  2. Sift in half the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
  3. Sift in the remaining icing sugar and beat again until you have a smooth and creamy frosting.
  4. Now take the cream cheese out of the fridge and add to the bowl. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to gently fold the cream cheese into the frosting until smooth. Be careful not to over do it, as it can quickly become runny.
Time to decorate!
  1. Spread or pipe the frosting on top. I used an 11mm open star piping nozzle to get that lovely swirl effect.
  2. Use a rolling pin to crush a few digestive biscuits and sprinkle them over the cupcakes.
  3. Finish by slicing a fresh strawberry in half and placing on top.

Store your strawberry cheesecake cupcakes in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 3 days.

Cupcakes, Spring, Summer

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

by Jessie2 Comments on Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

These lemon meringue cupcakes are filled with tangy lemon curd and topped with lightly toasted meringue – a delicious cupcake twist on a classic dessert!

I have a new found love for developing dessert-inspired cupcake recipes. It’s so much fun experimenting and finding the best way to incorporate the flavours, the textures and appearance of the dessert into the cupcake. So far we’ve had Banoffee Cupcakes and Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes, and now these gorgeous lemon meringue cupcakes.

Lemon meringue cupcakes

How to make lemon meringue cupcakes

There are 3 parts to these lemon meringue cupcakes:

  1. Lemon infused cupcakes – the zest of 2 lemons is added to a simple vanilla sponge mixture. Light in texture and buttery in flavour, the sponge melts in your mouth and has a lovely citrus kick.
  2. Lemon curd filling – the middle of the cupcakes is scooped out and filled with sweet and tangy homemade lemon curd. Lemon curd is surprisingly quick and easy to make, and homemade always tastes SO much better! But if you fancy taking a shortcut or want to speed the recipe up, then you can use a jar of shop-bought lemon curd instead.
  3. Toasted meringue topping – a simple two-ingredient meringue is whisked up, swirled on top of the cupcakes and lightly toasted under the grill. You can also return the cupcakes to the oven or use a blow torch to toast the meringue. Just watch them very closely (I literally sat next to the oven!) as they can quickly burn.
Lemon curd

Ingredients (makes 12 cupcakes)

For the cupcakes:
200g Stork tub
200g caster sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons milk
2 lemons, zest only

For the lemon curd:
4 lemons, juice only (you can use the two lemons from the cake ingredients above)
2 lemons, zest only
120g caster sugar
2 large egg yolks
20g unsalted butter

For the meringue topping:
4 large egg whites
200g caster sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a cupcake baking tray with 12 cupcake cases.

Start by making the cupcakes. 

In a large bowl beat together the butter, caster sugar and vanilla extract until light and creamy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, adding 2 tablespoons of the 200g flour with each egg to stop the mixture from curdling.

Add the remaining flour, baking powder, lemon zest and milk and fold together until smooth and combined. Be careful not to over-mix. The mixture should drop off the spoon but still hold its shape.

Divide the mixture equally between the cupcake cases. Bake for 16-18 minutes until the cupcakes are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool.

Now make the lemon curd.

In a small saucepan combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and egg yolk. Heat gently for about 10-15 minutes, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter to make thick, glossy lemon curd. Pour into a jar and leave to cool and thicken up.

Fill the cupcakes.

Make a hole in the middle of each cupcake (you can do this using a cupcake corer, apple corer, piping nozzle or teaspoon). Fill each hole with a teaspoon of lemon curd and press the cut-out piece of sponge back into the hole, trimming to fit if needed.

Now make the meringue topping.

Whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk on a medium-high setting until they are thick, bright white and can hold their shape. Now add the caster sugar a tablespoon at a time, whilst continuing to whisk, until you have a stiff and glossy meringue.

Spread the meringue on the top of each cupcake and put them under the grill to lightly toast the meringue. Watch them like a hawk as they can burn very easily, mine took roughly 30 seconds to brown. Leave to cool completely before serving.

Store the cupcakes in the fridge for up to 2 days.


Cupcakes, Dessert

Banoffee cupcakes

by Jessie1 Comment on Banoffee cupcakes

A delicious twist on a classic dessert, banoffee cupcakes might just be my new favourite cupcake flavour! The recipe combines the two signature flavours of a banoffee dessert, banana and caramel.

You’ll start by making beautifully light and moist cupcakes flavoured with mashed bananas. Make sure the bananas are really ripe, the riper the better as this will only improve the flavour and texture.

The middle of the cupcakes is then scooped out (you can eat the middles!) and filled with a smooth and silky caramel sauce. I love cupcakes with a surprise centre, it just takes the bake to a whole other level. When you bite into them and discover the middle… mind-blown!

The cupcakes are decorated with a swirl of caramel buttercream. To keep things simple, as there’s quite a bit going on with this bake already, I opted for shop-bought caramel. I have made my own in the past, but this time I fancied taking a little shortcut. No judgement, please! If you feel up to making your own, I applaud you and this recipe will show you how, just remember to omit the salt.

A sprinkle of grated dark chocolate and a crunchy banana chip are the final touches to complete the banoffee cupcakes.

Banoffee cupcakes
Caramel filled cupcakes
Caramel buttercream

Ingredients (makes 12 large cupcakes)

For the cupcakes:
150g unsalted butter or Stork
150g caster sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
150g self-raising flour
2 ripe medium-sized bananas
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon milk

For the caramel filling and buttercream:
1 can (397g) of Carnation Caramel
200g unsalted butter
400g icing sugar

To decorate:
A couple of squares of dark chocolate to grate on top
Dried banana chips

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C and line a muffin tray with 12 cases.

Start by making the cupcakes. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Crack in the eggs, add half of the flour and mix until combined. Add the remaining flour and baking powder and fold everything together until you have a smooth mixture.

In a separate bowl mash the bananas until no lumps remain. Add to the cake mixture, along with the milk and fold together.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool.

Once the cakes are cool, make the caramel buttercream. Beat the butter until really soft and pale in colour. Sift in half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Sift in the remaining icing sugar and four tablespoons of caramel and mix together until smooth and fluffy.

Time to decorate. Make a hole in the middle of each cupcake (you can do this using a cupcake corer, apple corer, piping nozzle or teaspoon). Fill each hole with a teaspoon of caramel sauce. Spread or pipe the caramel buttercream on top. I used an 11mm open star piping nozzle to get that lovely swirl effect. Grate the dark chocolate on top of each cupcake and push a banana chip into the buttercream.