Jammie Dodger Cupcakes

Whilst trawling through the internet one night I came across a cupcake site where someone had the idea to make jammie dodger cupcakes. Sorry but I can’t remember who it belonged to but I loved the idea. I don’t recall there being a recipe as such but the concept of creating the cupcake.

I used my tried and trusted sponge mix for the basis of this cupcake then put jam in the middle of the cake topped off with a strawberry buttercream and decorated with shortcake heart. These hearts were the cut outs from the home made jammie dodgers as I didn’t want to waste them. There was also a small amount of biscuit dough left over which I baked and used from crumbling over the top of the cakes.

Jammie Dodger Cupcakes

(Makes 12 good sized cupcakes)

Ingredients:

250g Butter, softened

250g Caster Sugar

250g Self Raising Flour, sifted

4 eggs

2 tsp Vanilla Essence

Raspberry or Strawberry Jam

12 Shortcake Biscuit Hearts

Broken Shortcake Biscuits

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C / gas mark 4. Grease 2 round cake tins or if making cupcakes, place cupcake cases in a 12 hole muffin tin.
2. Put the butter and the sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed. Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.
3. Add the flour, baking powder and vanilla essence and continue to mix on a medium speed until
4. Divide the batter evenly between the tins (or cupcake cases). Bake in the oven for 25 minutes for sponge, 15 minutes for cupcakes. A skewer should come out clean.
5. Leave to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack.
6. When completely cool core the middle out of the cakes and insert some jam (I find the squirty bottles of smooth jam best for this)

Strawberry Butter cream

Ingredients:

110g Butter, softened

500g Icing Sugar, sifted

Strawberry Flavouring

Pink Food colouring

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, a few drops of strawberry flavouring, a few drops of food colouring and half the icing sugar until smooth – this can take several minutes with a hand mixer. Gradually add the remainder of the icing sugar and beat again until the buttercream is smooth and creamy.
2. Ice the cakes with the buttercream.
3. Blitz the shortcake biscuit in a food processor until it is fine crumbs. Sprinkle generously over the cakes then decorate with a shortcake biscuit heart.

Vanilla Sponge

Whilst I may be adventurous making birthday cakes for mini me (1^st birthday – candle; 2^nd – a number 2; 3^rd – Postman Pat van; 4^th – rainbow; 5^th – flip-flop), I decided it was best to play it safe and make a round vanilla sponge with white icing and red hearts (40 to be precise).

I use Jane Asher's basic sponge mix and it has never failed. I even use it for making cupcakes.

To make life easier I cheated and bought ready rolled white icing.

Basic Vanilla Sponge

(makes 2 x 8inch round cakes or 12 good sized cupcakes)

Ingredients:

250g Butter, softened

250g Caster Sugar

250g Self Raising Flour, sifted

4 eggs

2 tsp Baking Powder (omit for cupcakes)

2 tsp Vanilla Essence

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C / gas mark 4. Grease 2 round cake tins or if making cupcakes, place cupcake cases in a 12 hole muffin tin.
2. Put the butter and the sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed. Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.
3. Add the flour, baking powder and vanilla essence and continue to mix on a medium speed untilall is incorporated.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the tins (or cupcake cases). Bake in the oven for 25 minutes for sponge, 15 minutes for cupcakes. A skewer should come out clean.
5. Leave to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack.

Variations:

Chocolate cake – replace 50g flour with 50g cocoa powder

Coffee cake – replace vanilla essence with 4tbsp of instant coffee dissolved in 4 tbsp of boiling water

Orange / Lemon cake – replace vanilla essence with 2tsp or desired fruit juice and grated rind

Butter cream

Ingredients:

200g Butter, softened

½ tbsp hot water

300g Icing Sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Put the butter into a bowl with the hot water and mix together well.
2. Beat in the sifted icing sugar a little at a time, until the mixture is light and creamy.

Variations:

Vanilla butter cream – add 1 tsp vanilla essence

Lemon butter cream – substitute 1 tbsp lemon juice for the hot water

Chocolate butter cream – add 150g melted dark chocolate

Coffee butter cream – dissolve 2 tablespoons instant coffee in the hot water

Cosmopolitan Cupcakes

This is the first of hopefully many cake recipes on my blog. 

I recently attended a Creative Cupcake course run at Queen Anne High School in Dunfermline, Fife where this was one of the recipes.

This Cosmopolitan Cupcake is alcohol free so it suitable for children but please feel free to add spirits for adult only versions. You can use this recipe for any shop bought cocktail mix should you fancy a margarita, mojito or pina colada.

Cosmopolitan Cupcakes

(Makes 12 Cupcakes)

Cupcakes

Ingredients:

210g Plain Flour

½ tbsp Baking Powder

¼ tsp Salt

100g, Unsalted Butter, room temperature

190g Granulated Sugar

2 Large Eggs, room temperature

1 ½ Limes, zested and juiced

¼ tsp Vanilla Extract

120ml Buttermilk

20ml Cosmopolitan Mix

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C / Gas Mark 3 and line a 12-hole muffin tray with baking cases.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir with a fork to blend.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy. This will take about 3-5 minutes. Blend in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Beat in the lime zest, lime juice and vanilla.
5. With the mixer on a low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending the dry ingredients. Beat each addition until just incorporated.
6. Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake cases, filling each about ¾ full. Bake 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Once cupcakes are cool, lightly poke holes in the top with a fork. Brush the tops lightly with the Cosmopolitan mix.

 Cosmopolitan Buttercream

Ingredients:

110g Unsalted Butter, room temperature

40ml Cosmopolitan Mix

1 Lime, zested and juiced

500g Icing Sugar, sifted

Red Food colouring

12 cocktail umbrellas

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, cosmopolitan mix, 1 tsp of lime juice, lime zest, a few drops of food colouring and half the icing sugar until smooth – this can take several minutes with a hand mixer. Gradually add the remainder of the icing sugar and beat again until the buttercream is smooth and creamy.
2. Top each cupcake with a cocktail umbrella.