Malteser Cupcakes Recipe

I've taken a bit of a break from blogging, social-networking (I've missed you all) and, tragically, crafting for the past couple of weeks as I've been too busy with work to fit anything else in.  After two weeks of non-stop work, I spent Easter weekend painting, sanding, filling, glossing and doing all manner of other DIY-like things to my hallway so I feel I've earned a treat.  I made these cupcakes for my sister's birthday celebrations and kept a couple back to enjoy with a cuppa while I sat on the stairs, admiring my work so far/sinking into despair at how much more was left to do.  

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I've done Malteser Cookies, I've done Malteser Refrigerator Squares, and now Malteser Cupcakes.  What can I say?  I just love the chocolatey, malty deliciousness of a melt-in-the-mouth Malteser.  The actual cakes this recipe produces are not too sweet or rich but the mountain of Malteser frosting on top makes up for this!  I used Ovomaltine, the Italian version of Ovaltine, because I'm cosmopolitan and exotic like that.  And also because I just happened to have some leftover from my trip to Rome at Christmas.

This recipe produces a whopping 24 cupcakes as I needed that many for a family gathering.  It can easily be halved to produce 12.

Ingredients

Cakes (makes 24)

220g butter or butter style margarine

220g caster sugar

4 free range eggs

220g self-raising flour

4 heaped tbsp Ovaltine (the traditional kind, not the light version)

4tbsp milk

Malteser Frosting

500g icing sugar

75g Maltesers

250g butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

A few tbsp of milk, as required

Extra Maltesers for decoration

Method

Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 4/160C

Cakes

1. Beat butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, flour, Ovaltine and milk.  Beat until smooth.

2. Split the mix into 24 paper cases, and bake for 15 - 20  minutes or until cakes have risen and the centres spring back when lightly pressed.  The cakes will have an ever so slightly sticky top.

3. Transfer to cooling rack and leave to cool.

Frosting

1. Using a blender, food processor or good old-fashioned bashing with a rolling pin, crumble, blend or crush the Maltesers until you have a fine Malteser dust.  There will be a few larger chunks of chocolate in the dust and that's fine:

2. Beat the butter until it begins to look pale and light.  Add the icing sugar, a third at a time, beating as you go.  Add the vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.  Add the Malteser dust and continue to beat until you have a light, fluffy buttercream.  You may need to add a few drops of milk to loosen the mixture as you work.  Add no more than 1tbsp at a time to ensure you don't loosen it too much. 

Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cupcakes and top with a Malteser.

  

Jenny

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Strawberry Cupcakes

I have a terrible habit of enthusiastically offering to do all sorts of things well ahead of time and then finding myself flapping around at the last minute because I've got too much to do.  I promised to make cupcakes for a family party the other day but then had a hectic week in work, lots of orders for Bluefinch Boutique and a hundred and one other things cropping up so had a last minute dash to the supermarket the morning of the party looking for inspiration.  I wanted something quick, easy, light and summery so when I spotted some lovely, Scottish strawberries, my dilemma was solved.

These strawberry cupcakes are super quick and easy to make.  They're lovely and light and although the frosting is sweet, it's not too heavy as you whip it to a fluffy consistency.  You could substitute pureed fresh strawberries for the jam in the frosting but I like to use seedless jam so it's nice and smooth.  I just use a basic cake mix with a touch of vanilla which goes perfectly with the strawberry frosting.  

Recipe (makes 12)

250g butter
250g caster sugar
250g self-raising flour
Pinch of salt

2 medium free range eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting

200g butter

500g icing sugar

90g seedless strawberry jam 

Fresh strawberries 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/Gas Mark 5. 

2. Beat the butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the sugar, flour, salt, eggs and milk and whisk until the mixture is smooth. 

3. Place the cake cases into a muffin tin and divide the mixture evenly into the cases.

4. Bake for approx 20 minutes or until cakes are a light golden brown colour.  Remove cakes from the tin and transfer to a wire cooling rack.

For the frosting:

1. Whisk the butter and jam together until smooth and well combined. 

2. Add the icing sugar gradually, whisking to combine each time before adding the next lot.

3. Pipe or spread onto cakes, top with a fresh strawberry and enjoy!

They are best kept in the fridge until a few minutes before serving.

Jenny

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