Strawberry and champagne picnic cupcakes
These beautiful cupcakes look gorgeous nestling in their new indigo Tala Originals tin and will liven up any picnic, even if the good old British weather lets you down! If you want non-boozy cupcakes, just leave out the champagne syrup and add half a teaspoon of vanilla paste to the buttercream.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
3 free-range eggs
150g caster sugar
150g baking margarine or softened butter
200g self-raising flour
3 tbs milk
0.5 tsp baking powder
3 free-range eggs
150g caster sugar
150g baking margarine or softened butter
200g self-raising flour
3 tbs milk
0.5 tsp baking powder
For the syrup (optional):
70ml champagne
sugar (filled to the 70ml mark in the measuring cup)
70ml champagne
sugar (filled to the 70ml mark in the measuring cup)
For the decoration:
250g butter softened
350g icing sugar
l tsp leftover syrup (optional)
15 smallish strawberries, hulled, washed and dried
250g butter softened
350g icing sugar
l tsp leftover syrup (optional)
15 smallish strawberries, hulled, washed and dried
Equipment:
Tala Performance Paring Knife
2. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
3. Cream the sugar and margarine. Then mix in the eggs followed by the flour, baking powder, and milk, beating until the mixture is smooth.
4. Divide the mixture equally between the cupcake cases and bake for about 25 minutes until the cupcakes are well risen, golden brown and springy to the touch. Allow the cupcakes to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.
5. Measure the champagne and sugar into a small saucepan and heat gently until the sugar crystals have dissolved. Turn off the heat and allow to cool a little (or fully if you have time).
6. Prepare the buttercream by creaming the softened butter with the icing sugar until soft and pale then add two dessertspoons of champagne syrup and beat until smooth. Set aside for later.
7. When the cupcakes are cool, use a serrated bread knife to level off the top of each cupcake. Cut so that the rounded top is kept in one piece and keep all these sponge 'hats' for later.
8. Use the small sharp knife to cut a cone shape space at the top of each leveled cupcake. Space should be about the size of one of your strawberries, and it should point downwards, like an icecream cone.
9. Drizzle about a dessertspoon and a half of champagne syrup into the cone-shaped holes and around the sides of the cupcakes surrounding the holes.
10. Push a whole strawberry into each hole, it doesn't matter if the top sticks out slightly as you will pipe buttercream over shortly and it won't be seen.
11. Transfer the buttercream to the piping bag and pipe a flat spiral or swirl shape over the top of each cupcake, covering the strawberry entirely. Then reach for the cut-off sponge 'hat', place it on top and pipe a small, this time 'peaked', swirl on top decorated with a quartered strawberry on top.
12. Snuggle them fairly tightly into the tin so they don't fall over and enjoy with friends in the beautiful outdoors ...
1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius (338 degrees Fahrenheit).
2. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
3. Cream the sugar and margarine. Then mix in the eggs followed by the flour, baking powder, and milk, beating until the mixture is smooth.
4. Divide the mixture equally between the cupcake cases and bake for about 25 minutes until the cupcakes are well risen, golden brown and springy to the touch. Allow the cupcakes to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.
5. Measure the champagne and sugar into a small saucepan and heat gently until the sugar crystals have dissolved. Turn off the heat and allow to cool a little (or fully if you have time).
6. Prepare the buttercream by creaming the softened butter with the icing sugar until soft and pale then add two dessertspoons of champagne syrup and beat until smooth. Set aside for later.
7. When the cupcakes are cool, use a serrated bread knife to level off the top of each cupcake. Cut so that the rounded top is kept in one piece and keep all these sponge 'hats' for later.
8. Use the small sharp knife to cut a cone shape space at the top of each leveled cupcake. Space should be about the size of one of your strawberries, and it should point downwards, like an icecream cone.
9. Drizzle about a dessertspoon and a half of champagne syrup into the cone-shaped holes and around the sides of the cupcakes surrounding the holes.
10. Push a whole strawberry into each hole, it doesn't matter if the top sticks out slightly as you will pipe buttercream over shortly and it won't be seen.
11. Transfer the buttercream to the piping bag and pipe a flat spiral or swirl shape over the top of each cupcake, covering the strawberry entirely. Then reach for the cut-off sponge 'hat', place it on top and pipe a small, this time 'peaked', swirl on top decorated with a quartered strawberry on top.
12. Snuggle them fairly tightly into the tin so they don't fall over and enjoy with friends in the beautiful outdoors ...