How to Make Cherry Bakewell Style Cupcakes
Bit Fiddly but Delicious
These Cup Cakes can be a bit demanding to make, however once mastered they are delicious. With finesse they can also look impressive and are good for afternoon tea party or function.
They start to go stale after a couple of days and I would recommend that they are stored in a lunch box, preferably in the fridge. However once tasted I don't think they will last that long!
They do resemble the famous branded Cherry Bakewell's in flavour but add a different dimension being in cake format.
I first saw these on one of the series of the Great British Bake Off and have experimented with them ever since. The recipe below however is the most original as I have not managed to successfully develop anything to replace them.
Rate the Taste
Cook Time
Ingredients
You will need:
- 12 holed muffin tray
- Paper cases, either cup cake or muffin style
- Electric Whisk
- 2 large bowls
- Small bowl for the jam
- Weigh Scales
For the Cake:
- 150g Unsalted Butter, Very Soft
- 150g Caster Sugar
- 100g Self Raising Flour
- 3 Large beaten eggs, Room Temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 60g Ground Almonds
- 1 Tablespoon Milk, Room Temperature
- 4 Tablespoons Raspberry Jam
For the Icing:
- 250g Icing Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice, Strained
- 12 Glace Cherries, Rinsed and Dried
Instructions
- To prepare, pre heat the oven to 190oC/375oF/gas mark 5 and line a 12 holed muffin tray with muffin or cup cake cases.
- To make the cakes:
- In a large bowl beat the butter using a wooden spoon or electric whisk until creamy. The butter must be very soft to accomplish this, if struggling leave covered for a while and come back a bit later.
- Not including the raspberry jam, add all the other ingredients for the cup cakes into the bowl with the butter and beat or whisk together until the mixture is light and creamy.
- Spoon the mixture into the lined muffin tray trying to ensure the mixture is divided equally between the cases.
- Use your fingertip or the back of a tea spoon ensure that the mixture is as level as possible
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. They should appear golden brown and firm to the touch. If a skewer is inserted into the cake then it should come out clean. If after this time they require longer, check at 2 minute intervals until ready.
- Remove the individual cup cakes from the tray and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the icing:
- Sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Starting slowly work in enough of the lemon juice to make a thick, however 'spoonable' runny icing.
- Using the handle of a teaspoon, remove the centre from the cup cakes. This should not be too deep at approximately 2/3 of the way down. The hole should be as wide as the base of the tea spoon. You may find that this gets slightly larger when removing the centre
- In a small bowl stir the jam until it is runny. Now carefully spoon the jam into the holes in the cup cakes until the jam sits just below the surface of the hole. This can be tricky and takes practice and it is not the end of the world if you get any on the top of the cup cake
- Mix the icing again with a spoon, now carefully spoon this over the top of the cup cake. The icing should flood the top of the cake. If there is some jam on the top this may mix with the icing causing streaking but again its not the end of the world they still taste great
- Wash and dry the cherries and then add a cherry to the centre of each of the cakes and leave them to set.
Hints and Tips!
Take your time the first time you make these. The most difficult element is removing the middle of the cooked cakes with the spoon. It may be that a small sharp knife makes it easier but will be about devising your own style.
Bottled lemon juice works just as well as freshly squeezed and strained if you don't want to end up buying a lemon just for the juice.
