Gloverly Cupcakes

I love stollen, so this recipe using the stollen flavours in a cupcake sounded really yummy. I knew I wouldn’t have time to decorate cupcakes this year so these are perfect. Click <!–morehere to try this Christmassy cupcake recipe.–>

I found the recipe on the Lakeland website and decided to make mini cupcakes rather than big ones as they are perfect size to add to the box of goodies for Emily’s nursery staff. The recipe can be found here and is also below.

For the cupcakes

• 185g self-raising flour

• ½ tsp baking powder

• 40g ground almonds

• 1 tsp mixed spice

• 125g butter, at room temperature

• 110g light brown sugar

• 3 eggs, beaten

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 60g mixed peel

• 60g pistachios, chopped

• 30g cranberries

• 30g raisins

• 1 tbsp amaretto

• 85g marzipan

• Icing sugar, for dusting

• 30g flaked almonds

Preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas 3. Line the bun tin with cupcake cases.

Sift the flour into a medium bowl. Stir in the baking powder, ground almonds and mixed spice, and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, then the flour mixture. Stir in the mixed peel, pistachios, cranberries, raisins and amaretto, and mix until well combined.

Roll out the marzipan on a work surface very lightly dusted with icing sugar until it is about 2mm thick. Cut out 12 discs using a 5cm Dia. cutter.

Divide the cake mixture into two even parts. Split one part between the cupcake cases, filling each about one-third full, then top with a marzipan disc. Add the remaining cake mixture on top of the discs, filling each case to two-thirds full. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until well risen. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.