Hello lovelies!
I have a little treat recipe for you today.. Surprise Cupcakes!
Now the first surprise is that they are dairy AND gluten free! Yes, you read that right. And they actually tasted good. The main surprise is the cupcake itself, which has a lovely gooey jammy surprise as you bite into it. They are Vanilla Sponge cupcakes, topped with Chocolate Fudge Icing, filled with strawberry jam.
The beauty of this recipe is the simplicity. It is my go to recipe for a batch, and makes 12 good sized cupcakes. You will need:
1 cup flour
[for a gluten free recipe, switch this for almond flour/rice flour. I used Doves Farm]
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp baking powder
12 tsp strawberry jam, one for each cupcake
Mix together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla essence until light, creamy and fluffy. Then add in the flour and baking powder. It is literally as simple as that! Scoop them out into cupcake cases - tip, using an icecream scoop with a flicky bit (technical term, not sure what they are called I'm afraid, see above picture) makes sure you fill the cases evenly as it allows you to scoop the same amount each time. Then, using a teaspoon and your fingers, pop a teaspoon sized blob of jam into the middle of each cupcake, and add a little bit more cake mix to smooth over the top so the jam is all covered. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and risen in a 190oC Fan oven.
Now this is where I cheat a bit. You'll have heard me mention it many times, but Betty Crocker tubs of Chocolate Fudge icing are just amazing. No gluten, no dairy, and SO much easier than making your own! [Note, there is a small chance it may contain some milk ingredients, although they are not listed, so if you are highly allergic please be careful]
Once your cakes are COMPLETELY cooled, and I mean COMPLETELY cool, (trust me, don't be hasty, or you will end up with a big pile of melted icing, even if they are just a little bit warm) fill a piping bag with an attached star tip nozzle with the fudge icing, and pipe away! I think a thickly piped swirl always looks good, and it is so easy to do.
They were rather delicious, and being so quick and easy, definitely one that I will do again!
xxx
Labels: baking, cupcakes, dairy free, gluten free, treat of the week
