In my last 4 years I have made – and I make this statement with not one ounce of exaggeration, I promise – hundreds and tens-of-hundreds of canapes, nay, thousands of canapes have passed through these fair hands. Every year with my food society we hold at least 8-10 events where we make canapes for members, either as bribes or just as general treats, and this combined with the odd catering job and dinner party has made canapes into somewhat of an old hat for me. I’m constantly thinking of ways to reawaken my interest for what is an exciting food group, full of opportunity for imagination and food-play (see what I did there…ey).
When a friend offered me this recipe for earl grey cupcakes I was first of all excited, second of all hungry and third (of all?) ‘ly inspired. Having whipped around the quantities and altered a few things this recipe for earl grey mini-cupcakes was born!! Enjoy!
When a friend offered me this recipe for earl grey cupcakes I was first of all excited, second of all hungry and third (of all?) ‘ly inspired. Having whipped around the quantities and altered a few things this recipe for earl grey mini-cupcakes was born!! Enjoy!
Ingredients for cupcakes:
125ml semi-skinned milk
6 earl grey teabags – split them open to get the tea loose
110g unsalted butter
225g granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
2 eggs
125g self-raising flour
120g plain flour
Method:
Ingredients for Vanilla Frosting:
110g unsalted butter
60ml semi-skinned milk – keep an eye when adding, too much can make the mixture runny. Add a bit at a time, you may not need this much.
1 teaspoon of good quality vanilla extract
500g icing sugar
Method:
**If you don’t own a piping bag, don’t sweat it – take a sturdy plastic bag (like the kind you get new potatoes in from the supermarket, for example), make sure it is washed out, spoon in the mixture and squeeze into one corner. Snip the end off the corner and use as a piping bag!!!
125ml semi-skinned milk
6 earl grey teabags – split them open to get the tea loose
110g unsalted butter
225g granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
2 eggs
125g self-raising flour
120g plain flour
Method:
- Preheat oven to 160C (fan)/ 180C)350F/gas mark 4
- Line tray with mini cupcake cases – you can get them from any supermarket. Don’t get the full size ones…get the really tiny ones!
- Heat the milk in a saucepan over a medium heat until it just begins to boil.
- Remove from the heat and add the tea.
- Cover with clingfilm and leave to infuse for about 30 mins, then sieve the mixture through a double layer of muslin cloth to remove the tea leaves.
- In a large mixing bowl cream the butter sugar until the mixture is pale and smooth.
- Add the almond extract, and the eggs gradually, mixing after each addition.
- Combine the two flours together in a separate bowl.
- Add a third of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix well. Then add a third of the infused milk to the creamed mixture and mix well. Repeat this process until all the flour and milk has been added.
- Spoon the mixture into the mini cupcake cases, filling them about two thirds full.
- Bake in the oven for about 10 mins until slightly raised and golden brown.
- Leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 mins and then move them onto a wire cooling rack and leave until cool.
Ingredients for Vanilla Frosting:
110g unsalted butter
60ml semi-skinned milk – keep an eye when adding, too much can make the mixture runny. Add a bit at a time, you may not need this much.
1 teaspoon of good quality vanilla extract
500g icing sugar
Method:
- In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, milk, vanilla extract and half the icing sugar until smooth.
- Gradually add the remaining icing sugar and keep beating until your have a smooth and creamy buttercream.
- Spoon into a piping bag** and pipe on top of the mini cupcakes in a spiral, coming to a little peak!
- Serve on a cupcake stand or, as in the picture above, use a household prop – on my 22nd birthday I used my bookcase to make a wee stand!!
**If you don’t own a piping bag, don’t sweat it – take a sturdy plastic bag (like the kind you get new potatoes in from the supermarket, for example), make sure it is washed out, spoon in the mixture and squeeze into one corner. Snip the end off the corner and use as a piping bag!!!
