flavoured icing – Feasting Is Fun

Princess Sparkle Peach Melba Iced Cake

Today we celebrate National Pink Day. It can seem as though there is a national day for just about anything. Whoever thinks these things up? Yet, as our girls have grown, passing through the ‘pink’ stage, I have grown to love the colour pink. Rather than the sickly pink birthday cakes of their toddler years this Princess Sparkle Peach Melba Iced Cake provides an elegant update. Tastefully decorated and delicious to eat.

While raspberry subtly flavours the cake itself, peach bellini icing creates the overall peach melba flavour. And, having a light, fruity flavour, this cake really suits warm summer celebrations. Yet, you get to decide. If a fruity, glittering cake is needed, this cake fits the bill perfectly. A splash of colour and a sprinkle of sparkle may be what is needed at anytime of the year!

Since this cake is both pretty and tasty it deserves to be shared. Fun and perfectly pretty, anyone who loves the colour pink will be thrilled with this cake. Also, this is the perfect cake for those who prefer fruity flavours, rather than chocolate ones. Or, for those of us who enjoy both, the combination of raspberry and peach is a refreshing change.

Recipe: Princess Sparkle Peach Melba Iced Cake serves 10-12

250g/9oz Unsalted Butter

250g/9oz Caster Sugar

1/4tsp Salt – I use Maldon

1tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

5 Large Free Range Eggs

2.5ml/ approx 1/2tsp or 50 drops of Natural Raspberry Flavour – I use Foodie Flavours natural flavouring drops

275g/10oz Plain White Flour

2tsp Baking Powder

400g Peach Bellini Flavoured icing sugar from Sugar and Crumbs

Food Colouring Gel – I used Wilton pink.

Assorted different sprinkles and dragee balls.

Preheat oven to 160C/140C fan, gas mark 3, 325F.

Note: This cake is baked in a 10 cup ring mould cake tin. If using a Bundt pan, a 10 cup size will also be needed.

Prepare the tin by spraying cake release spray thoroughly to the inside of the tin, using a pastry brush to ensure the cake release fully covers the inside of the tin. I recommend Wilton.

Making And Baking The Moulded Cake

Place the softened butter, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Whisk until pale, creamy and no grittiness can be detected, by rubbing a little of the mixture between your forefinger and thumb.
Next add the vanilla, raspberry flavour and all five eggs.
Finally sieve the flour and baking powder into the bowl.
Whisk slowly, until all of the ingredients have come together to form a cake batter.
Stir the cake batter with a spatula to fully combine.
Spoon the cake batter into the prepared tin. Ensure the top of the cake is level.
Place the cake tin into the centre of a preheated oven and bake for 55-65 minutes.
The cake is baked when it is a golden colour, starts to shrink away from the sides and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

As soon as the cake is baked remove from the oven and leave to cool for ten minutes in the tin before turning it out.

FF Princess Sparkle Peach Melba Iced Cake — The detail of a ring mould or Bundt pan instantly gives this cake the wow factor.

Allow the turned out cake to fully cool before decorating.

Decorating The Princess Sparkle Cake

While the cake cools, assemble everything needed to decorate the cake.
Likewise the icing can be made.
Sieve the flavoured icing sugar into a bowl.
Add a few drops of water to the bowl and then, using a cocktail stick add a little of the coloured gel.
Stir, adding drops of water to reach the desired thick, yet just dripping, consistency.
Add extra colour now if required.
Mix thoroughly to ensure even colouring.
As soon as the cake is cooled place the cooling rack across a clean, large, baking tray.
Starting at the top of the cake, use a spoon to drizzle the icing.
Work with the shape of the cake. Using the icing is to enhance, and emphasise. Also it aids the addition of sprinkles.
As soon as the icing is finished decorate with sprinkles. Press the larger balls and flowers into the icing as it sets.
Finally, place the fully decorated cake on to a plate, board or cake stand and leave to fully set.

Take a moment to look at your outstanding creation. Made by you. However the cake that you’ve designed turns out, it will be unique. Because, no other cake can impart the love and flair given while making this.

Serve this cake as party centre piece, for your princess or at a beautiful afternoon tea.

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Princess Sparkle Peach Melba Iced Cake you may also like these:

Strawberry Chocolate Vanilla Drip Cake

Lemon Lime Gin Heart Bundt Cake

Chocolate Heart Topped Rose Bundt Cake

Finally, I highly recommend investing in a ring cake tin or a Bundt pan. Since they create a unique, baked cake canvas on which to decorate. While there are many ways to decorate a cake, the shape of moulded tins and Bundts create an instant beautiful shape. Most importantly, if you are not a confident cake decorator, they are a wise investment.

So, whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchen, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie xx

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes

Happy holidays to all of my lovely readers of Feasting Is Fun. Today’s recipe for Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes topped with mini gingerbread men, I hope will excite you and add some festive cheer to your day.

Is anyone else else excited about Christmas? For me a large part of the fun of Christmas is in the build up. Getting the children to write Christmas lists, putting up decorations and ordering our turkey and ham from Graig Farm. Finally making the Christmas cake, yet knowing it can’t be eaten until Christmas Day is always hard on certain members of the family. So, I baked these Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes. Perfect festive sweet treats to enjoy, during the build up to the big day!

Warning, the frosting on these cupcakes is truly addictive! Because it really, REALLY, tastes of gingerbread and once you’ve tasted it I can guarantee that you will want more. And so, in order to provide balance, the cupcake itself is only lightly spiced with ginger. The final combination of both cake and frosting is absolutely perfect. Warming, sweet and not heavy, these really are the perfect festive, sweet treat.

A single small, spiced, festive individual cake with two candles alight behind it. — Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes

Because these cupcakes are so yummy, they disappear very quickly. Always a good sign when everyone in the family absolutely loves them. And I have a feeling that making these may well become a Christmas tradition like so many other things have, in our home.

Christmas Traditions

Traditions include, decorations going up on December 1st, making mince pies then giving them to our neighbours whilst carol singing and cooking the ham on Christmas Eve. Also, tracking Santa Claus’ schedule, whilst munching on cheese straws and playing cards, have all become Christmas traditions. Each as important as putting out a drink, mince pie and carrot, before bed, on the night before Christmas.

Three festive spiced individual sponges topped with spiced whipped buttercream and a little man. — Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes

Each of the traditions has crept upon us, unplanned. If something has been done two years in a row, the children automatically dictate that it is now a tradition. So, this year, I think I will make some Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes to hand out whilst carol singing, alongside the warm mince pies. We are blessed to call our neighbours friends, so sharing homemade goodies with them, whilst they listen to our singing is always fun!

Do you have family traditions at Christmas? I’d love to hear about them.

Recipe: Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes makes 12

For the cupcakes:

175g/6oz Unsalted Butter softened

175g/6oz Caster Sugar

3 Large Eggs – I use free range

1/8tsp Salt – I use Maldon

1tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

2tsp Baking Powder

175g/6oz Plain White Flour

1tsp Ground Ginger

For the frosting:

500g/1lb 2oz Gingerbread Natural Flavoured Icing Sugar from Sugar and Crumbs

alternatively use the same quantity regular icing sugar (confectioners sugar) and add 2tsp of ground ginger

250g/9oz Unsalted Butter softened

2tbsp Very Hot Water

Mini Gingerbread Men (made by Culpitt) and White Edible Glitter to decorate both available online from Amazon.

Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan, gas mark 3, 325F.

Making and baking the cupcakes:

First of all, line a cupcake tin with 12 deep cupcake/muffin cases
Next, in a large bowl add the butter, sugar and salt. Whisk, gradually increasing the speed, until pale and creamy.
Now add the vanilla extract and whisk until fully incorporated.
Into the bowl add the eggs and sift in the flour, baking powder and ground ginger. Then mix together until just combined. Over mixing can result in a tough, not light and airy, cupcake.
Spoon the cake batter into the cupcake cases, taking care to ensure that they are evenly filled.
Place the tin into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. Once baked each cupcake will spring back from a light touch. The cupcakes will be soft and fairly pale, this is because they have been cooked at a low heat to ensure a flat top.
As soon as the cupcakes are baked from the oven. Carefully take each cupcake out of the tin and place on a cooling rack. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before icing.

Making the frosting and decorating the cupcakes:

So, to make the icing; place the softened butter into a large bowl and sift the icing sugar on top of it. Next add 2 tablespoons of very hot water from a recently boiled kettle. Whisk, starting on a very slow speed and gradually increasing to a high speed. Continue until the icing is very light and creamy.
Fit an icing bag with a Wilton round piping tip #12, or use a large disposable piping bag. Fill the bag with the whipped, gingerbread frosting. If using a disposable bag without a tip, snip off the end to leave a 7mm diameter hole – approximately.
Check the cupcakes to ensure they are completely cooled, then begin piping the frosting. Keeping an even pressure on the bag pipe a double swirl. One on top of the other, pressing down in the centre before pulling away at the end.
Continue piping until all of the cupcakes are frosted.
Place a gingerbread man or woman in the centre of the frosting.
Finally, finish by sprinkling each cupcake with a dusting of edible glitter.

Store the cupcakes in an airtight container. They will keep for up to 4 days, however, you’ll be lucky if they last that long, unless you hide them 😉.

Individual spiced sponge cut through to show inner crumb. — Light and fluffy cupcake sponge.

Serve each cupcake with a smile.

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes here are some other festive recipe you may like:

Chocolate Christmas Pudding Cookies

FF Gingerbread Frosted Ginger Christmas Cupcakes — Chocolate Christmas Pudding Cookies

Sparkling Snowflake Cake

Cream Cheese Pastry Mince Pies

While it is nice enjoying the build up to Christmas Day, the excitement of children, unexpected guests, the hope of snow, it is also important to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

A baby boy, born of a virgin mother, Emmanuel – God with us. Jesus may not have been born on December 25th, yet that is the day we choose to remember His birth. So, amongst all of the hustle and bustle surrounding Christmas, it is important to remember why we celebrate it. Please see Important Stuff for more information.

So, whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchen, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie xx

Note – this is not a sponsored post. I genuinely love Sugar and Crumbs products. No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

Yay it’s the weekend and I have the most fabulous treat for you. These absolutely delicious, 100% gluten free, Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes.

I’m so excited I could almost burst! Delicious Alchemy sent me some of their Vanilla Sponge Cake Mix to try. All of their products are 100% gluten free and so, with friends that cannot tolerate gluten, I was excited and intrigued to see how well this packet mix performed.

My first project was to remake my delicious Marshmallow Frosted Mango Cupcakes. The cake mix was made as per the packet instructions and I added 100g of mango before filling the cupcake cakes. Once baked and cooled I topped the cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting. The cupcakes on tasting were deliciously light, tender and moist, with mango distributed evenly throughout each cake. A firm 9 out of 10 marks was given by all of the taste testers who had also tried my original recipe!

Delicious Alchemy are currently running a Crowdfund project, raising funds to create a book for people living on a restricted diet. Why not take a look at their website to find out more and see how you too can a be part of this fantastic project.

Offering my baking skills to help raise awareness for Delicious Alchemy’s Crowdfund Project, led to me creating these delightful Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes, ooh and a bit of playing with fondant and alphabet cutters 😉.

Sugar and Crumbs sell a range of naturally flavoured icing sugars, cocoa, baking ingredients and baking equipment. All of their flavoured icings and cocoas are gluten free! To make these Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes I used their Chocolate Cherry Cocoa added to a Delicious Alchemy Vanilla Sponge Mix. Then topped each cupcake with a buttercream frosting using Black Forest Icing Sugar.

The result, a firm 10 out of 10!

Well they are Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes and chocolate makes everything better right 😉.

Feasting is fun is an inclusive blog. The theme of sharing being it’s very backbone. Creating recipes that more people can enjoy appeals to the nature of who I am as a person. Supporting Delicious Alchemy in their Crowdfund by making these Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes was the very least I could do.

NOTE: All of Delicious Alchemy’s products are gluten and dairy free. The recipe below uses milk, butter and eggs.

Recipe: Makes 18 Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

1 packet of gluten free Vanilla Sponge Mix from Delicious Alchemy

50g Cocoa Powder – I used Sugar and Crumbs cherry cocoa

180g Unsalted Butter – softened to room temperature

3 Free Range Eggs

60ml/4tbsp Whole Milk

250g Black Forest Icing Sugar

50g Cocoa

100g Plain Icing Sugar

200g Unsalted Butter – softened to room temperature

Approximately 3tbsp Hot Water

Optional – 200g White Chocolate for the chocolate heart decorations – alternatively ensure any decoration is gluten free

Method: Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan, gas mark 3

Line 2 cupcake tins with 18 cupcake cases.
Add the softened butter, eggs, vanilla sponge mix, flavoured cocoa and milk to a bowl.
Whisk until you have a smooth cake batter – approximately 2 minutes.
Divide the cake batter evenly between the cake cases.
Place the cupcake tins in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. The cupcakes are cooked when they are firm and spring back from a light touch.
Once baked remove the cupcakes from the oven.
Allow the cupcakes to cool, either in their tin or transferred to a cooling rack, before icing.

To make the buttercream frosting:

Place the softened butter into a large bowl.
Sift in the flavoured icing sugar, cocoa and plain icing sugar.
Add 2 tablespoons of hot water from a recently boiled kettle.
Whisk, starting on a very slow speed and gradually increasing, until the buttercream is light and creamy – add in the extra tablespoon of hot water if the buttercream is too stiff.
Fit a large piping bag with a large star nozzle – I use Wilton’s #1M.
Fill the piping bag with the buttercream.
To pipe rose swirls, start with the nozzle just above the centre of the cupcake, pipe an e shape and then continue round.

To make the white chocolate hearts:

Chop up the chocolate into small pieces.
Place two thirds of the chocolate into a heatproof, microwaveable bowl.
Zap for 20 seconds at a time stirring in between.
When the chocolate is melted, remove from the microwave and immediately add the last third of chopped chocolate.
Stir continuously until all of the chocolate is melted. This method is a cheat’s way of tempering chocolate and helps prevent any white marks (bloom) appearing on the cooled chocolate.
Spoon the melted chocolate into the heart mould, tapping the mould after every three hearts are filled, to bring air bubbles to the surface.
Leave the chocolate to set somewhere cool. You can chill the mould in the fridge.

Once the white chocolate hearts are firm, press out from the mould, ensuring you have cold hands for handling them, so as not to mark them.
Place a chocolate heart on the top of each cupcake.

These gluten free Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes are so pretty and very delicious. Whilst eating one of these tasty treats I could honestly not tell any difference to ‘regular’ wheat flour cupcakes. Yet the great thing is that more people can enjoy these!

I thoroughly enjoyed making (and eating 😀) these cupcakes and supporting Delicious Alchemy in their Crowdfund campaign. Raising awareness for others who cannot eat freely and creating an ultimate guide to living with dietary restrictions is very close to my heart. Whilst I am able to eat wheat flour, having been a life long sufferer of migraines, there are certain foods that I too have to avoid.

Do you have dietary restrictions?

Are there recipes that you would like converted into gluten free versions?

Let me know and if I can help I absolutely will xx.

If you have enjoyed these gluten free Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes here are some other gluten free recipes you may like:

Lemony Strawberry Pavlova

Autumn Apple Almond Cake

Almond Blackberry Pear Crumble

All of the above recipes are 100% gluten free and I have happily served them to guests who were not aware that wheat flour had not been used!!

Feasting on delicious homemade food should be fun. With these recipes more people can bake at home with confidence. Whilst supermarkets may provide a limited selection of gluten free products, they will never be as tasty as homemade. Having a gluten free cake mix in the cupboard means you can whip up a gluten free treat, for visitors with a restricted diet, without having to re-stock your baking cupboard!

Please let me know if I can help with the questions above?

Sammie xx

Delicious Alchemy provided me with the vanilla sponge mix for this post. All opinions, views, content and photographs are my own. I did not receive any payment for writing this post. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Strawberry Sweetheart Cake

So, this Strawberry Sweetheart Cake is what I bake for my wonderful Hubby, on Valentine’s Day. Vanilla flavoured sponge, split in two with a slathering of strawberry jam in the middle, sealed with buttercream roses. Because is a there a better way to say those three precious words ‘I Love You’ than with cake?

Since I’ve baked and created a few chocolate recipes for Valentine’s Day like Chocolate Heart Cookies, and Chocolate Fudge Brownie Bites which are utterly delicious, for the day itself I wanted to bake a cake with simple flavours. Sugar and Crumbs sell are range of naturally flavoured icing sugars. And so to make the buttercream frosting for this cake using the Strawberry Milkshake flavour is delicious. The taste is truly like strawberry milkshake and makes this cake absolutely sing on your tastebuds. Alternatively you can use plain icing sugar and flavour it. Also, Foodie Flavours sell a great range of natural food flavourings.

Rather than cover the cake with a smooth layer of buttercream I chose to pipe roses over it. Although I am not a trained cake decorator, I promise that the piped roses are not difficult. Because if I, with my wobbly hands can pipe them, you can too. And the effect of the roses gives this Strawberry Sweetheart Cake a very professional finish. While only you and I will know how easy it really is.

Piping buttercream roses:

First of all fit a large star tip (I used a Wilton 1M piping tip) to your piping bag and fill with the buttercream. Practice on a clean plate first. Imagine writing the letter e, when you get to the end of the e you contine round in a complete circle. It is that easy!! A few practices, keeping the pressure on your piping bag steady and you will have piped roses! This cake is only the second time I have piped these roses! The first time was these Raspberry Ripple Almond Cupcakes.

I will admit that piping the roses around the sides was a bit harder. So I piped either side of the heart first and once I’d got the hang of it piped the final rose on the point of the heart. Continuing with the same tip, I piped little stars in between the roses to fill in any gaps and then defined the heart by piping stars all the way around the top edge.

Strawberry Milkshake Sweetheart Cake — Strawberry Sweetheart Cake a view of the side – using piped stars to fill in any gaps.

A sprinkle of sparkle:

Finally, glitter, shiny hearts and more heart sprinkles finished this cake off beautifully. At least that’s what my hubby thought and this cake was made especially for him!

Baking for my family, as I’ve mentioned before, is one way I like to show them my love. This past year has been very hard on us all, due to my seizures (see here). Especially my hubby, who has looked after not only me, but our three gorgeous children, as well as holding down a demanding, full time job. Wanting to show my love for him on this particular day was very important to me and as a family, we all get to eat the cake, my way of saying thank you and I Love You all.

Recipe: Makes One Strawberry Sweetheart Cake serves 20

250g/9oz Caster Sugar

250g/9oz Unsalted Butter – at room temp.

1/4tsp Salt – I use Maldon

1tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract

250g/9oz Plain White Flour

2tsp Baking Powder

6 Large Eggs – I always use free range

200g/7oz Strawberry Jam

Assortment of sprinkles and edible glitter

For the buttercream

500g/1lb 2oz Strawberry Milkshake Icing Sugar – or alternatively use plain icing sugar and add your own flavouring to taste.

250/9oz Unsalted Butter very soft

2tbsp Boiling Water

Method: Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan, gas mark 3, 325F – this cake is cooked low and slow.

Making the cake:

First of all butter and line the base of a heart shaped tin with baking parchment. If the tins are shallow split the mixture, so that it comes half way up your cake tin.
Into a large bowl add the butter and sugar.
Whisk until pale and fluffy – 5 minutes.
Add the vanilla and whisk to combine.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into another bowl (dry ingredients).
Add one third of the dry ingredients and 3 eggs.
Whisk slowly until combined.
Repeat using one third of the dry mixture and 3 eggs.
Whilst whisking slowly add the final third of the dry mixture.
Remove the whisk and give the bowl a thorough mix using a soft spatula, ensuring all the ingredients are well combined.

Baking the cake:

Place the cake tin in the centre of the oven and bake for 1 hour 15 – 30 minutes.
The cake is baked when it is golden brown, springs back from a light finger press and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Place the cake tin on a large trivet or cooling rack.
Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin.

Filling and decorating the cake:

Once the cake is completely cold, tip out of the cake tin and place on a cake stand or board, so that the flat bottom is uppermost.

Slice the cake in half.
Lay the uppermost half on a spare board.

Spread the strawberry jam over the bottom half so that it doesn’t quite reach the edge.

Sing a spoon spread jam on to the bottom half of the cake.

Making the buttercream:

Place the very soft butter into a large bowl.
Sift in the flavoured, or plain, icing sugar into the bowl and add 2 tablespoons of boiling water (add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, or th required amount of flavouring, if not using flavoured icing).
Starting slowly, whisk the ingredients together, increasing the speed as the icing sugar becomes fully incorporated.
Continue whisking for 5 minutes, this will ensure the icing is smooth and light.
Fit a large icing bag with a large star tip.
Finally, fill the icing bag with whpiped buttercream.

Icing the Strawberry Sweetheart Cake:

Start with the surface of the cake and pipe a rose swirl at the top, where the dip in the heart is.
Continue piping rose swirls symmetrically, either side, of the heart.
Finish with a rose swirl at the bottom point of the heart.
For the sides, start at the top of the heart bump, on one side and pipe rose swirls around one side and then the other, leaving the bottom point.
Go back to the top of the heart and pipe one rose in the heart dip and and additional rose to fill in between the two roses.
Repeat on the other side.
Now pipe a rose swirl on the bottom point of the heart.
Pipes stars wherever there are gaps and visible pieces of cake on the top and sides, trying to keep the pattern symmetrical – especially on the top of the cake.
Also pipe stars on the top of the cake around the heart outline.

Finishing touches:

Now you can sprinkle away. I firstly gave this beautiful cake a good dusting of white edible glitter and then sprinkled two different styles of hearts over it.

Place the cake somewhere cool to set for a couple of hours. This cake spent the night in our porch, since it was particularly chilly February evening.

Because of the addition of boiling water into the buttercream mixture, this buttercream will not develop a hard crust. As this not only improves the texture whilst eating the cake, but also means that the buttercream is a dream to slice through!

This Strawberry Sweetheart Cake will keep in an airtight container, for up to 5 days, if left somewhere cool – I would advise keeping it in the fridge during the summer. Although, having just eaten a slice, I can’t imagine this cake hanging around for long, especially in our house!

Because making this cake is so beautifully easy, it would be perfect for birthdays, engagements, anniversaries and maybe even small weddings. Also, you can easily tint the buttercream with food colouring. I used Sugarflair and Wilton edible food colouring gels. You really only need a tiny (tip of a cocktail stick) amount to produce a beautiful pastel shade.

Whatever you are doing, whether alone or with others, I hope that you know you are loved, see Important Stuff.

If you have enjoyed this Strawberry Sweetheart Cake, then you may also like these:

Chocolate Heart Cake

Heart Engagement Bundt Cake

FF Strawberry Sweetheart Cake — Heart Engagement Bundt Cake

Raspberry Lemon Celebration Layer Cake

While I love baking, I also recognise that I am not the world’s best cake decorator. Yet with a little practice I have perfected, the very “on trend” piped rose technique. There is truth in the saying “A little practise goes a long way.” Especially when seeing the finished results and the delight on the recipient’s face when presented with a stunning cake. Most importantly for me is the love that goes into making, baking and decorating a cake.

Sammie xxx

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Raspberry Ripple Almond Cupcakes

Today I am sharing my recipe for these Raspberry Ripple Almond Cupcakes with you. Moist, almond cupcakes, with a swirl of, pink streaked, raspberry ripple buttercream on top. And today these are definitely my favourite cupcakes ever. While I also may be a little bit obsessed with the buttercream frosting!

So, could you resist one ~~or two~~ of these delicious cupcakes?

I couldn’t! As soon as these photographs had been taken I ate two of these. I wanted the flavour sensation to continue after eating the first cupcake.

Naturally Flavoured Frosted Cupcakes — Raspberry Ripple Almond Cupcakes

A Gift Of Roses That Can Be Eaten!

Rather than giving roses for Valentine’s Day, or for other special occasions, why not bake up a batch of these delicious cupcakes? Also there are certain advantages to gifting these; they are easy to share and they are less of a dramatic statement than red roses, therefore more inclusive to groups of people that you love. Although, I can pretty much guarantee these Raspberry Ripple Almond Cupcakes won’t last as long as flowers.

Valentine’s Day is about love, whether that be your significant other, your family, your girl or guy friends. Show some love this Valentine’s Day, especially to those who may feel unloved.

You may have seen there are a few raspberry and almond recipes on this site. As well as this Raspberry Almond Cream Cake. Because the flavours go so well together. While I enjoy creating new recipes and flavour combinations, there are a few classics that I could never mess with.

And these Raspberry Ripple Almond Cupcakes bring two classic flavours harmoniously together. So that your taste buds will sing as you take your first bite.

Recipe: Makes 18 Raspberry Ripple Almond Cupcakes

175g/6oz Plain White Flour

1.5tsp BakingPowder

175g/6oz Unsalted Butter – soft

175g/6oz Caster Sugar

30ml/2tbsp Milk

1/4tsp Salt

1tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2tsp Almond Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

For the buttercream

250g Raspberry Ripple flavour icing sugar – available from Sugar and Crumbs

125g/5oz Unsalted Butter – very soft

2-3tbsp Boiling Water

Pink Gel Food Colouring

Method: Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan, 325F, gas mark 3

Making And Baking The Almond Cupcakes

First of all, line a cupcake tin with the prettiest wrappers you can find.
In a bowl whisk together the butter and sugar until light and get and creamy.
Add in the eggs, milk, almond extract, salt and sifted flour and baking powder.
Continue whisking on a low speed until all the ingredients are just combined, stopping halfway through to scrape down the bowl.
Add 1 dessert spoonful of cake batter to each cupcake case.
Place the cupcake tin into the centre of the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

The cupcakes are baked when they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed.
As soon as the cupcakes are baked remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin.

Place the cupcakes onto a cooling rack.
And leave to cool completely before decorating.

Making The Buttercream Frosting And Decorating The Cupcakes

Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl.
Add the softened butter and 2tbsp of boiling water.
Whisk until light, fluffy and creamy, adding up to 1 extra tablespoon of boiling water to obtain the desired consistency.

Fit a large piping bag (I use disposable ones for coloured icing) with a large, open star piping nozzle, I use Wilton 1M.
Fold the bag back on itself, opening up the inside.
Use a small brush and paint two lines of food colouring gel, in a line, from the tip, to approximately half way up the bag.
The second line should be opposite the first.
Place the bag in a stable container, I use a large jug.
Fill the piping bag with the buttercream.
As soon as the cupcakes are cooled, they are ready to be iced.
Holding a cupcake with one hand and starting 1/3 down from the edge, pipe a letter e, keeping the pressure constant. As you get to the end of the e continue piping around the cupcake in one complete circle.

Practice Will Help You Nail Piping Skills

Piping the frosting on to these Raspberry Ripple Almond Cupcakes was my first attempt at creating buttercream roses. And I’m really proud of how they turned out, especially as I am not a natural cake decorator.

Practicing is the best way to improve piping skills. Also, if you are unsure of how to pipe these look on Pinterest or YouTube, there are plenty of short tutorials showing you what to do.

When choosing from the vast array of piping tips available, if you want a professional, bakery style finish to your cupcake Wilton’s Large Open Star 1M is a great nozzle to start with.

Singular Raspberry Rippled Iced Almond Cupcake — Raspberry Ripple Almond Cupcakes

With the cupcake above, keeping steady pressure on the piping bag, I started in the centre of the cake and piped in circles, building layers to create the classic cupcake swirl.

Additionally, it is worth making up a bag of plain icing and practicing different methods, so that you feel confident icing your cupcakes.

If you enjoyed these Raspberry Ripple Almond Cupcakes you are sure to love these:

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Black Forest Cupcakes

Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Drizzle Cupcakes

These Raspberry Ripple Almond Cupcakes are utterly delicious and the icing is very light. I enjoy using the natural flavoured icing sugars from Sugar and Crumbs however, you can easily use plain icing sugar and add a few drops of natural flavour extract.

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? And if so, do you keep the celebrations between you and your partner, or spread the love further afield?

Regardless of how you spend February 14th, I hope you know that you are loved (see Important Stuff).

So, whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie xx

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