Christmas Cupcakes

Christmas is coming and it is time again for something sweet :)

I fell in love with the cupcakes lately and I'll tell you why.

First, they are small, or okay, relatively small, compared to a piece of large cake. Though some of them can be really really tiny.

Second, they can have different dough and different decoration, which means that I can achieve larger diversity and less people to be harmed in the process. By eating loads of cakes I mean. Which means, that I can make them more often :)

All this makes them a perfect choice.

I was previously designing large cakes, but now I prefer to try more and more and more cupcakes.

So, these are several varieties, including orange blossom water, dark cherries and dark chocolate almonds, ganache, pecans, buttercream, marzipan hearts and stars, lots of spices (okay, they were mainly cinnamon and nutmeg) and .. more.

Now the recipes:

I divided the main recipe from the previous post into two doughs, one with muscovado sugar and the other one with caster sugar.

75 gr softened butter

2/3 cups of caster sugar

1 egg

50 ml milk

1 tbsp orange blossom water

1/2 cup ground almonds

2/3 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

orange marmalade to spoon in the cupcakes

flaked almonds to sprinkle

Makes about 6 cupcakes

Cream the butter with the sugar, add the egg and milk, add nuts and flour and at the end the orange water and the backing powder. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases and spoon the mixture. On top put a coffee spoon of the orange marmalade, and sprinkle with the flaked almonds.

And the second dough is quite similar

75 gr softened butter
2/3 cups of muscovado sugar
1 egg
50 ml milk
1/2 cup ground walnuts
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
20 gr melted chocolate

black cherry to top

I used a different technique here, dissolving the muscovado sugar first in the milk, because it is so moisty that forms small and hard lumps. Then I added to the creamed butter. Then I added the egg, and the other ingredients as listed. I lined the remaining 6 paper cases and spooned the mixture into them, adding a cherry on top. In the process of baking the cherry will sink in the interior of the cupcake.

Then just baked for 23 (20-25) minutes on 170 degrees, or until a toothpick plunged into the center comes out clean.

Leave to cool.

For the toppings I used chocolate ganache:

I don't quite remember the proportions, but just heated about 120 ml of double cream in a sauce pan and added to it some 50 gr melted dark chocolate, a hint of vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. I whisk until smooth and a until it started thickening, but without bringing to the boil then left aside.

and double cream with 3-4 tbsp of sugar - worked with a mixer, but carefully to remain suitable for spooning.

When I spooned the required quantity I continued beating the rest for a bit more to thicken enough until it was suitable for piping.

I mixed chocolate ganache with the more liquid white cream on top of the cupcakes to form figures, then topped with pecans, or I used just white topping with cranberries, or I piped borders with the white cream and pour into the centre ganache, finishing with a glace cherry on top, or just add the ganache topping and sprinkle more flaked almonds...

Lots of variations :)

Cheers :)