Eat Me! Festive Bollywood Cupcakes

Time for cake? Of course it is. Eat Me: The Stupendous, Self-Raising World of Cupcakes & Bakes According to Cookie Girl, Xanthe Milton just landed on my desk and features some mouthwatering recipes, so I thought I’d share some with you. Choose from wonderfully festive Bollywood Cupcakes (above) and Banoffee Cupcakes (below). Need an excuse? It’s Thursday and it’s raining outside (no Christmassy snow here yet). That’ll do. Enjoy…

Bollywood cupcakes

These decadently decorated creations never fail to impress. Their vibrant clashing colours make them perfect for celebrations and the delicious spice spiked carrot cake that lies within is nothing short of delicious.

Makes 12

110 g/4 oz plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp mixed spice

2 large eggs

170 g/6 oz dark muscovado sugar

100 ml/3½ fl oz sunflower oil

2 carrots, peeled and grated

55 g/2 oz walnuts, chopped

55 g/2 oz sultanas

For the icing

110 g/4 oz unsalted butter,

room temperature

110 g/4 oz cream cheese

450 g/1 lb icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

food colouring paste – red, orange, pink or purple

gold and silver decorations

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/ 325°F/Gas 3. Line a 12-hole nonstick muffin tray with paper muffin cases.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and spices into a bowl and set aside. Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until thick. Add the grated carrot, walnuts and sultanas and mix to combine, then gently stir in the flour mixture.

3. Divide the batter between the paper cases. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until the tops of the cakes are springy. Remove and place the cakes on a wire rack to cool while you prepare the icing.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and cream cheese. Sift the icing sugar into the bowl and mix until smooth and light. Divide the icing into three and colour each with a strong Indian colour.

5. Using a piping bag with a large star tip, start piping icing at the outside of each cake and work inwards to cover. Try piping a ring in one colour around the edge and a different colour on the inside for contrast. Finish by sprinkling on some gold and silver balls.

Banoffee cupcakes

This classic desserts is perfect for a cupcake recipe. The ooze of the caramel when you bite into the banana cake is gorgeous. You can now buy the caramel filling ready made, in which case you can skip the first step in this recipe.

Makes 12

110 g/4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature

110 g/4 oz soft brown sugar

2 large eggs

110 g/4 oz self-raising flour

1 ripe banana

For the toffee filling

1 x 397 g/14 oz can

condensed milk (or ready-made caramel filling)

For the icing

400 ml/14 fl oz whipping cream

1 banana, sliced (optional)

1. If you are using condensed milk, first prepare the toffee filling; this needs to be done at least three hours in advance. Put the unopened can of condensed milk in a pan, cover with boiling water and boil for three hours. Keep the pan topped up with boiling water and do not let it boil dry.

2. After three hours, remove the pan from the heat and allow the can to cool. Once the tin is cool enough to handle, open and spoon out the toffee. This can be kept in a jar in the fridge for future use.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Line a 12-hole nonstick muffin tray with paper cases.

4. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light, pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, mixing them in one by one, then gently fold in the flour. Mash the banana and mix into the batter.

5. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake for 15–20 minutes. Remove when springy to the touch and place on a wire rack to cool.

6. Using an apple corer, remove the centre of each cake and fill with the toffee. Whisk the cream to form soft peaks. Using a piping bag with a star nozzle, pipe cream on top of each cake. Decorate with banana slices if you wish.

Eat Me! is published by Ebury Press, £15 Hb

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