The Liverpool Cake Company share their delightful, boozy festive recipe for 24 cupcakes
Ingredients for 24 cupcakes:
1 pack butter: 8oz/250g (room temp)
12oz/400g golden caster sugar
4 eggs
12oz/400g self raising flour
Teaspoon each of cinnamon and ground ginger
Half teaspoon each of nutmeg and allspice
4 fl oz/120 ml whole milk
4 fl oz/120 ml spiced rum or brandy
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Ingredients for buttercream:
1 pack butter: 8 oz/250g (room temp)
1lb 8oz/ 800g of icing sugar
2 fl oz/60 ml whole milk
2 fl oz/60 ml spiced rum or brandy
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch each of cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger and allspice to taste.
Method:
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. In an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugar until really pale and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating really well after each one.
- Mix the spirit, milk and vanilla into a bowl.
- Mix the flour and spices in a bowl.
- Turn the mixer to the slowest setting and alternatively add the flour/spice mix and the milk/spirit mix into the butter, sugar and eggs about a quarter at a time, beating slowly until just incorporated after each addition.
- Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake for 20-25 minutes or until risen and golden brown and springy to touch.
- Cool on wire racks.
To make the buttercream:
- Put the butter, half of the icing sugar, milk, spirit mix, vanilla and spices into the bowl of an electric mixer and starting slow, build up the speed and beat until well incorporated.
- Stop and add another quarter of the icing sugar and again, start slow and build up the speed, beating until it is light and creamy. Test the consistency and add more icing as required until your buttercream is holding its shape well.
- Spoon the icing into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle of your choice and pipe swirls into the cooled cupcakes or ice by hand using a small palette knife.
- Decorate with a sprinkling of spices or sprinkles/adornments of your choice.
- Enjoy by the fire with a big mug of egg nog!
