Food_Heaven_-_October_2019

By Tala (www.talacooking.com)

CUPCAKE HEAVEN

WWW.FOODHEAVENMAG.COM OCTOBER baking heaven 23

Strawberry and

Champagne picnic

cupcakes

MAKES 12

For the cupcakes
3 free-range eggs
150g (5½oz) caster sugar
150g (5½oz) baking margarine or
softened butter
200g (7oz) self-raising flour
3 tbsp milk
½ tsp baking powder
70ml (2½fl oz) Champagne
sugar (filled to the 70ml (2½fl oz)
mark in the Tala measuring cup)
For the decoration
250g (9oz) butter, softened
350g (12oz) icing sugar
1 tsp leftover syrup (optional)
15 smallish strawberries, hulled,
washed and dried

1 Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas
Mark 3. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with
cupcake cases.
2 Cream the sugar and margarine
together. Mix in the eggs, followed by
the flour, baking power and milk,
beating until the mixture is smooth.
3 Divide the mixture equally between
the cupcake cases and bake for about
25 minutes until the cupcakes are well
risen, golden brown and springy to the
touch. Allow the cupcakes to cool to
room temperature on a cooling rack.
4 Measure the Champagne and sugar
into a small saucepan and heat gently
until the sugar crystals have dissolved.
Turn off the heat and allow to cool a little
(or fully if you have time).
5 Prepare the buttercream by creaming
the softened butter with the icing sugar
until soft and pale, then add two
dessertspoons of Champagne syrup and
beat until smooth. Set aside for later.
6 When the cupcakes are cool, use a
serrated breadknife to level off the top
of each cupcake. Cut so that the
rounded top is kept in one piece and
keep all these sponge ‘hats’ for later.
7 Use a small sharp knife to cut a cone-
shaped space in the top of each levelled
cupcake. The space should be about

the size of one of your strawberries, and

it should point downwards, like an ice

cream cone.

8 Drizzle about a dessertspoon-and-a-

half of Champagne syrup into the cone-

shaped holes and around the sides of

the cupcakes surrounding the holes.

9 Push a whole strawberry into each

hole; it doesn’t matter if the top sticks

out slightly as you will pipe buttercream

over shortly and it won’t be seen.

10 Transfer the buttercream to a piping

bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe a

flat spiral or swirl shape over the top of

each cupcake, covering the strawberr y

entirely. Then reach for the cut-off

sponge ‘hat’, place it on top and pipe a

small, this time ‘peaked’, swirl on top

decorated with a quartered strawberry.

TIP! If you’re transporting these,

snuggle them fairly tightly into a tin so

they don’t fall over.

Enjo

y^ wit

h^ fri

ends^

in^ th

e

grea

t^ out

doors

!