Gloverly Cupcakes

Before I watched last weeks episode of The Great British Bake Off I was worried that the technical challenge was going to be a bit strange – I’d seen the trailer with a bright green purée! However, after hearing what was in the cake I was excited to make it since I love pistachios.
For the first time since making a technical challenge I decided to time myself. So at 4pm I started – I hadn’t done any prep before so I had to get all the ingredients out and line my tin etc. It’s been a while since I made a génoise sponge but luckily it turned out perfectly. The pistachio marzipan worked well too and didn’t take long while the cake was baking. It was however quite dry, although I didn’t realise this until I came to cover the cake and it started cracking when I tried to shape it down the sides (so you could see it on the corner). I then start to make the icing – it seemed like a bit of a faff. I’m not sure I’d bother with spinach again given you can get so many natural food colourings now, but given that’s what the challenge involved I used it (I didn’t have muslin so used a tea towel, which I think is now permanently stained green!). Just as the cake came out the oven I realised I didn’t have the right icing sugar! So I stopped the clock and went out to get some (as well as filling up with petrol) and about 45 mins later I started again. My sponge had risen really well so cutting into 3 was actually ok. I filled it (the creme au beurre was probably the hardest/most time consuming part to make), covered it, flooded it with fondant and then decorated it. Timer stopped – it was just before 7pm. Which means the time they got given was very tight – taking off my 45 min break it probably took me 2hrs 10mins. I wasn’t rushing but I didn’t have the pressure of being in the tent and luckily for me everything went right first time!

I love the decorations – and now I have loads of violet plants so might use them again soon! The cake is also delicious but very sweet and quite rich so you only need a small slice! If you want to give it a go the recipe is here.