Pimm’s Cupcakes
Everyone's favourite summertime tipple in cake form, these light, fluffy cupcakes are the perfect way to round off an al fresco meal.
From the book
Six-Minute Showstoppers
The ultimate guide to fuss-free, high-speed baking.
Packed with ingenious kitchen hacks and 100 delicious recipes.
Including stunning cakes, lavish desserts and tasty tea-time treats.
Introduction
A bite of these fluffy, fruity cupcakes is like a mouthful of summer. The bubbles in the Pimm’s act as a raising agent, working together with the self-raising flour to make the sponge light and airy like a fairy cake – the perfect post-BBQ treat for grown-ups.
Ingredients
| 125g | unsalted butter, softened |
| 150g | golden caster sugar |
| 3 | eggs |
| 60ml | ready-mixed Pimm’s |
| zest of 1 lemon | |
| zest of 1 orange | |
| 150g | self-raising flour, sifted |
| For the icing/decoration: | |
| 30g | unsalted butter, softened |
| 200g | icing sugar |
| 25ml | ready-mixed Pimm’s |
| 6 | strawberries, halved |
| 12 | sprigs of fresh mint |
Essential kit
You’ll need twelve silicone cupcake moulds (better than paper as they hold their shape when cooking) and a flat, microwaveable plate to bake them on. An electric whisk is good, if you have one, and a piping bag or sandwich bag with a small hole (approx. 1cm) snipped in one corner is needed for icing the cupcakes.
Method
Beat the butter and sugar together, using the whisk.
In a separate bowl, loosely beat the eggs with the Pimm’s and citrus zest.
Add half the egg mixture along with half the flour to the butter and sugar, and combine fully before adding the other half.
Divide half the batter between six cupcake cases, spaced out on the microwaveproof plate. Don’t fill them too much – a heaped tablespoon in each is enough – or they’ll overflow as they bake.
Bake for 2 minutes on high, then repeat with the other six. The cakes should rise in domes to the tops of the cases and turn golden when they’re done.
While the cupcakes bake, make the icing. Whisk the butter, icing sugar and Pimm’s together to make a light, flufy buttercream. Allow the cakes to cool slightly before piping mounds of buttercream on top of each and finishing with half a strawberry and a sprig of mint.
Serve immediately – with a tall glass of Pimm’s (you don’t want any going to waste, after all). They’ll keep for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container.
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