Pimm’s cupcakes recipe

These Pimms cupcakes come with a fruity strawberry centre, a reduced-sugar buttercream and a delicious mint and cucumber drizzle. Top with fresh fruits for a lovely summery treat. This cupcake recipe takes just 30 minutes to bake.

Ingredients

• 200g self-raising flour
• 20g cornflour
• 115g unsalted butter
• 160g golden caster sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 120ml of buttermilk
• Zest of 2 oranges
• 100ml fresh orange juice
• Orange, cucumber, mint and strawberries to decorate (optional)

For the reduced sugar buttercream:

• 240ml milk
• 60g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 110g vegetable fat such as Trex
• 110g unsalted butter
• 220g caster sugar
• 1tsp vanilla extract

For the Pimms filling:

• 200g strawberries
• 2tbsp Pimms
• 1tbsp sugar
• 1tbsp cornflour

For the cucumber and mint sugar syrup:

• 1 small handful of mint, chopped
• 2tbsp sugar
• 2tbsp water
• 12 thin slices of cucumber

You will also need:

• Large piping bag with Wilton 1E nozzle
• Apple corer (optional)

Method

1.  
   1. Preheat the oven 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 and line the tray with 12 muffin cases
   2. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat again. Add the orange zest and juice and beat. Don’t worry if the batter splits it will come back when you add the flour.
   3. Add the flour and buttermilk a bit at a time beating in between each addition. Beat until just combined and smooth. Add to the paper cases and bake for 30 mins. Cool in the tins before cooling completely on a wire rack.
   For the reduced sugar buttercream:
   1. Heat the milk in a small saucepan, over a gentle heat. Whisk the flour and salt into the milk and continue to heat gently, while whisking continuously to avoid lumps, until the mixture takes on a thick pudding-like consistency. Cover with cling film, making sure the cling touches the top of the mix to stop you getting a skin. Cool for 15 mins before popping in the fridge for 15 mins.
   2. In a separate bowl, cream the vegetable fat, sugar, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy.
   3. When the cakes have cooled, add the chilled flour and milk mix to the creamed vegetable fat and butter mix one spoon at a time, beating with an electric whisk until all the pudding has been added. It will be very light in texture and quite white when it’s ready. Cool in the fridge for 15 mins, this helps stiffen it slightly so it’s ready to pipe.
   For the Pimms filling:
   1. Blend the strawberries and sieve over a small pan through a fine strainer to remove the pips (sieving optional but worth it)
   2. Add the sugar, Pimms and cornflour to a saucepan and heat gently, stirring constantly with a whisk until you have a thick jelly like consistency.
   3. Pop into a bowl and when cool chill in the fridge to set until you are ready to fill the cakes.
   For the cucumber and mint syrup:
   1. Add a handful of chopped mint and 12 thin slices of cucumber to a small pan. Add 2 tbsp of sugar and 2 tbsp of water.
   2. Heat the contents of the pan until the sugar bubbles, then remove and strain the syrup in to a glass and leave to cool until you are ready to drizzle over the tops of the cakes.
   To assemble the cakes:
   1. When the cakes are cooled core a hole in the middle of each cake using the corer or sharp knife.
   2. Add one tsp of the Pimms strawberry mix to the centre of each cupcake. Cut slices off the cored cake pieces to cover the top of the hole.
   3. Ice the cupcakes with the buttercream by spreading or piping onto the cakes with the piping bag and nozzle.
   4. Decorate with fresh strawberries, orange, cucumber and a sprig of mint and drizzle the cooled sugar syrup over the tops of the cakes.

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