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.