Gloverly Cupcakes

So it’s time for the fourth and final instalment of my cocktail cupcakes: Brandy Alexander. I appear to only have one decent photo of these cupcakes – maybe I was too tired after making and decorating four lots of cupcakes but if you want to find out how to make them then carry on reading

After coming up with 3 different decorations for the other cocktail cupcakes, I struggled to think of something for these. In the end I decided to use the rest of the biscuit dough (recipe coming soon!) which I’d made for the Mojito cupcakes. I’d made a whole batch of plain dough but only used a small amount of it (which I added lime zest to) to make the lime slice cookies to go on top of the Mojito cupcakes. So I added some orange zest to the remaining dough, since there was orange in the cupcakes, and made some “martini glass” biscuits. I also still had some white icing left in the piping bag so I used this to pipe the base and stem of the glass and outline the top of it. I then added some cocoa powder to the icing that what was left to turn it brown and then filled up the “glasses”. I didn’t have a cookie cutter to use so I ended up cutting out a glass shape from paper, putting this on top of the rolled out biscuit dough and then cut round it using a knife.

These cupcakes are probably the richest out of all of them and seemed like the most alcoholic to me!

Brandy Alexander Cupcakes (adapted from the Hummingbird Bakery’s Cake Days)

Makes 16

280g caster sugar

200g plain flour

40g cocoa powder

80g unsalted butter

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp finely grated orange zest

pinch of salt

160 milk

2 eggs

100ml brandy

Line 2 muffin trays with 16 cases. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5.

Mix the sugar, flour, butter, baking powder, cocoa powder, orange zest and salt together in a stand mixer (or rub in with your hands) until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Beat the milk, eggs and brandy together in a jug and then gradually beat into the dry ingredients until smooth (ensuring that you scrape down the sides of the bowls after each addition).

Divide the cake mixture between the cases and bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes until they are lightly browned on top and spring back when pressed (and a skewer comes out clean). I usually check them and turn them around after 15 minutes.

Take out the tins immediately and leave to cool on a wire rack. Decorate once completely cool.

Brandy Alexander Buttercream (also from Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days)

450g icing sugar

150g butter

60g cocoa powder

1.5 tsp finely grated orange zest

30ml  milk

30ml brandy

Beat the icing sugar, cocoa powder, orange zest and butter together on a very slow speed until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. I always put a tea towel over the top of my KitchenAid to prevent icing sugar going everywhere! Then slowly add the milk and brandy. Once it’s all been added increase the speed and beat on high for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.