Having last week made a rather successful (if not overly pretty) attempt at making one of the recipes from Eat Me: The Stupendous, Self-Raising World of Cupcakes & Bakes According to Cookie Girl by Xanthe Milton, here’s the recipe from the book for anyone that may be interested. I would certainly recommend giving it a try; the cupcakes taste absolutely delicious and will be eagerly snapped up by your family and friends…a little too quickly!
When I first invented these cakes my family simply couldn’t get enough of them. They really do taste like the French toast they are named after. I think they look cute with light brown icing and miniature gingerbread men sprinkled on top. Makes 12.
For the icing
110 g/4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
110 g/4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
450 g/1 lb icing sugar, sifted 1⁄4 tsp cinnamon brown food colouring
(optional) sprinkles to decorate
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F/Gas 4. Line a 12-hole non- stick muffin tray with paper cases.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs together, then add the melted butter. Mix the vanilla, maple syrup and milk in a separate bowl or jug.
4. Now stir the flour mixture into the sugar, eggs and butter, followed by the milk mixture. Beat until everything is well combined.
5. Divide the mixture between the paper cases so that each is about three-quarters full. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Check with a skewer – it should come out clean if the cakes are cooked. Remove the cakes from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.
6. Meanwhile, make the icing. Using an electric whisk, mix the butter and cream cheese. Add the icing sugar, a third at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add the cinnamon with the last of the icing sugar. Add a dot or two of food colouring if you like.
7. Using a piping bag with a straight- edged nozzle, pipe icing onto the cakes, working from the outside into a peak in the centre. Decorate with sprinkles – I like to use gingerbread men.
