Cosmopolitan Cupcakes

A few weeks ago I spotted this gorgeous book in our work book club called Peggy Porchen's Boutique Baking and from the second I picked it up, I was in love.

I don't know about you but I'm always disappointed when a recipe tells you to just 'pipe or spread the frosting onto the cake' and you already know yours is not going to look anything like the polished one in the photos. That is what I liked most about this book, every page is filled with beautiful recipes and the step by step instructions to create and decorate them yourself, plus a useful list of the equipment you need to get your creation looking exactly like the ones pictured.

There were so many recipes  in this book that I wanted to try, I just couldn't wait to get started. So last weekend I made a batch of the Cosmo Cupcakes for Mr B's lunches and he tells me they are the 'bomb diggity' which translates to 'super awesome' in anyone's book.

Cosmopolitan Cupcakes - Makes 24

For the sponge
150g dried cranberries
200g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
4 eggs
200g self-raising flour

For the frosting
200g cream cheese, softened
200g butter, softened
500g icing sugar
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges

For the sugar syrup
150ml freshly squeezed orange juice
150g caster sugar

Preheat oven to 175C and line 2 x 12 hole muffin trays with cupcake cases.

To make the cupcakes, place the butter, sugar and orange zest in a mixing bowl and cream until pale and fluffy.

Beat the eggs lightly in another bowl and slowly add them to the butter mixture whilst beating quickly. If your mixture starts to seperate, stop adding the egg and beat in 2-3 tbspns of flour to rebind the bater. Continue adding the eggs until they are all incorporated.

Sift the flour over the batter and add the cranberries. Mix gently until just combined to ensure the sponges stay light and fluffy.

Fill your cupcake cases until they are 2/3 full. Bake for 12-15 mins or until the cupcakes are golden brown and spring back when touched.

While the cupcakes are baking, make the sugar syrup. Place the orange juice and caster sugar in a microwave safe jug and heat for 60 seconds on high or until the sugar crystals have dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.

Once the cupcakes are baked, take them out of the oven and allow them to rest for 10 mins.  Use a pastry brush to brush the sugar syrup over the tops of the cupcakes whilst they are still warm.

To make the frosting, beat the butter using an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Add the cream cheese, icing sugar and orange zest and beat until light and fluffy. Chill until you are ready to frost your cupcakes.

To frost the cupcakes, fit a piping bag with a large star nozzle and fill with frosting. Pipe your frosting onto the cupcakes and enjoy!!

Mrs B xx