T his r ecipe is t aken
from LEON Happy
Baking b y C lair e P t a k
and Henry Dimbleby,
published by Conran
Octopus (£16.99).
Photography by
Steven Joyce.38 baking heaven SEPTEMBER WWW.FOODHEAVENMAG.COM
Ruby’s peppermint
cream cupcakesMAKES 12225g (8oz) gluten-free flour
65g (2oz) cocoa powder1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
115ml (4fl oz) sunflower oil
190g (6¾oz) golden caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp peppermint oil
140g (5oz) apple purée200ml (7fl oz) hot water
For the icing
65g (2oz) vegan dairy-free spread
325g (11½oz) icing sugar, sifted
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint oil
a splash of non-dairy milk of choice
(e.g. soya, oat, coconut, almond)
To de c orate
chocolate, melted, for drizzling
12 fresh mint leaves1 Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas
Mark 2 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with
cupcake cases.
2 In a large bowl, sift together the flour,
cocoa, baking powder and salt.
3 In a separate bowl, mix together the
oil, sugar, vanilla, peppermint oil and
apple purée, until well combined. Add
the hot water, then gradually add the dry
ingredients to the wet, mixing between
each addition until well combined.
4 Divide the mixture evenly between
the 12 cases, then bake in the oven for
23 minutes, until they have formed a
shiny crust and a skewer inserted in the
centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in
the tin before decorating.
5 To make the icing, beat the vegan
spread in a free-standing mixer or with
an electric hand-held whisk, until
smooth. Gradually add the icing sugar to
the butter in small increments, beating
as you go. Add the vanilla extract and
peppermint oil, then gradually add small
drops of milk, beating between each
addition, until the icing is soft and
smooth. Chill until the icing has firmed
up a little.
6 Decorate the cupcakes with the
icing, as desired. Top with a drizzle of
melted chocolate and a sugared mint
leaf, or a fresh mint leaf if eating on the
same day.