Apple and Blackberry Crumble Cupcakes
Makes 8
Spiced apple cupcakes:
115g Butter
115g Light brown sugar
2 Eggs
115g Self raising flour
1/2tsp Baking powder
1tsp Cinnamon
1 Medium apple, peeled and diced
Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one by one and whisk until incorporated. Sift together flour and baking powder and add to mixture, then stir in apple chunks. Divide between cupcake cases and bake at 190°/170c fan for 12-15 minutes, until they spring back when pressed. Once cool, use a cupcake/apple corer or a knife to remove the very centre of the cupcake, which will later be filled with the blackberry compote.
Blackberry compote:
200g (1 punnet)
Blackberries
4tbsp sugar
Heat over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the blackberries release their juices and simmer on a medium heat until reduced and thickened. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool. When cooled, spoon the compote into the middle og the cupcakes and set aside.
125g Butter, softened
250g Icing sugar
Vanilla extract to taste
Cream the butter using an electric whisk/freestanding mixer until pale, and then add the icing sugar and vanilla and beat them on high for a couple of minutes, until pale and fluffy. Spoon buttercream onto the cupcakes, or if you’re feeling creative transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe a swirl onto the cupcakes.
Crumble topping:
35g Butter
50g Sugar
50g Plain flour
Rub together by hand until they resemble breadcrumbs, then sprinkle over an oven tray and bake for 5-8 minutes until cooked and golden. Leave to cool, crumble up and sprinkle generously over the buttercream. Garnish with a fresh blackberry and an apple crisp. Yum!
Spiced pear cake with rich mascarpone frosting and salted caramel sauce
Makes 3×7 Inch rounds
Spiced pear cake:
250g Butter
200g Caster sugar
50g Light brown sugar
4 Eggs
250g Self raising flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Vanilla extract
4 Conference pears, peeled cored and diced
Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Incorporate eggs one at a time until combined, then add the vanilla extract. Stif dry ingredients together and fold into the wet mixture, then stir through the chunks of pear. Divide between lined cake tins and bake at 190c/170c fan for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
Salted caramel sauce:
100g Granulated sugar
45g Salted butter, softened
60ml Double cream
1/2 tsp salt
Add the sugar to a medium saucepan and heat gently until it melts and turns a rich amber colour (it will become grainy before it melts, so swirl the pan around to combine a couple of times, without stirring.) Take care whilst adding the butter as it will bubble up! Stir the butter through the caramel until melted for a couple of minutes, then stop stirring and very slowly drizzle the cream into the mix. It will make a fuss and may start spitting as the cream is colder then the caramel, so wait until it has stopped then let the mixture boil for around a minute until combined, and take off the heat. Lastly, stir through the salt and leave to cool.
Mascarpone frosting:
500g Mascarpone
30g Butter
200g Icing sugar
1 tbsp Milk
Beat the mascarpone until smooth, then add the butter, milk and icing sugar until combined. Spoon lashings of the stuff over cooled sponges and drizzle with the cooled salted caramel between the layers. Decorate with lots of salted caramel sauce and dried pear halves. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Cakes by
Gladys May Bakery
www.gladysmaycakery.co.uk
Photography and styling by
www.christinetaylor.photos
