Cupcake Crazy

Blimey, if I see one more blog solely dedicated to cupcakes I think I'll go mad! The world has gone cupcake crazy, the cupcake industry in the UK alone is worth 7.3 million (blimey!) and in the past few years lots of bakeries and cupcake shops have popped up all over the place. But nothing is more frustrating to a cupcake lover who cant get hold of a gluten free cupcake! Where I live in Sussex there is a lovely little pink bakery called The Swallow Bakery who do all manner of cupcake and dessert loveliness including a small batch of gluten-free cupcakes, but you have to be lightening fast-they sell out quick!
For those who are not so lucky to have a fab shop like this locally, then here is my fool-proof-even-a-toddler could do it recipe for cupcakes with All-American frosting inspired by the Hummingbird Bakery.
Raspberry and White Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 Large egg
• 120g Doves Farm's Self Raising Flour
• 140g Golden caster sugar
• 120ml Milk
• 40g Butter (baking butter is good, but normal unsalted butter is fine)
• 50g White chocolate chopped small and roughly
• 8 Raspberries quartered
  

For the Frosting

• 80g Butter (as above)
• 250g Icing sugar
• 25ml Milk
• A few drops of vanilla extract
• A few drops of natural food colouring (Spoons do a good one's which is gluten-free)

NOTE
If you have a food mixer this recipe is the best no-effort recipe there is, if not a little bit of elbow grease is in order. If the latter is the case for you keep all your ingredients at room temperature and it should be a little easier. I've listed the mixer recipe first and the manual method underneath.

Mixer method

• Preheat the oven to Gas 3 (170c)

• Pop the dry ingredients and the butter into the mixer and mix until combined and sandy
• Pour the milk in and mix until combined
• Whisk the egg in a separate bowl and then add to the mixture, mixing for a 30seconds.
• Gently stir in the chopped chocolate and quartered raspberries until well Incorporated
• Spoon the mixture into 12 cake cases,which you will have placed into a cupcake tray (Lakeland do some great re-usable silicon cases)
• Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer or knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle or until the sponge bounces back to the touch. As with the pastry you wont notice a dramatic colour change but the sponge should become darker.
• Turn out and wait until completely cold before your ice them or your icing will melt and split (yuck)
  

Mixer method for frosting

• Whizz the icing sugar and butter in the mixer for 20seconds
• Add the milk, vanilla essence and food colouring until well combined. Cover with clingfilm and pop in the fridge until ready to use.
  
• Once your cupcakes have cooled down spoon and spread the icing onto your cakes and decorate with sprinkles.

The manual method!

• Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon
  
• Whisk the egg with a fork in a small bowl and add to the sugar and cream stirring until mixed
• Sift in the flour and stir through with a metal spoon until combined. the mixture will be fairly dry at this stage.
• Stir in the milk, giving the mixture a good beat until everything is well combined.
  
• Gently fold in the raspberries and choccy and spoon into the cases and bake for 25-30minutes.
  

Manual icing

• Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a bowl, add the milk,vanilla essence and food colouring beating together until smooth and well Incorporated. cover with clingfilm and pop in the fridge until ready to use.