It’s National Cupcake Week which means you have the perfect excuse to pre-heat the oven, whip out the butter and icing sugar and get baking and frosting. Every now and again, a new craze or trend, such as cake pops or ‘cronuts’ threaten to knock the cupcake off the sweet treat top spot, but we all know that the gourmet cupcake will prevail. Here are three of my favourite cupcake recipes to keep you going throughout the week. If you’re going along to a charity coffee morning or school bake sale anytime soon, don’t forget to take a batch along and show off your cupcake prowess, too.
In this recipe, I recommend using 60g of caramel of toffee sauce in the frosting. There’s only one way forward when it comes to caramel in a jar, and it’s Bonne Maman Confiture de Caramel, which I have spotted in a few UK supermarkets now. If you really can’t find it, an alternative is Dulce de Leche. You can also hollow out a little bit of your cupcake once its baked (with a teaspoon) and add some the caramel to the cake before frosting. I made these for Valentine’s Day – but who says you need to wait till then to treat yourself to one of these? Warning – you will eat the remainder of the jar of caramel with a spoon. If you really have any caramel left, make these Salted Caramel Chocolate Oatmeal Bars for your next hit.
2. Raspberry Ripple and Basil Cupcakes
When the dark nights start to set in, these cupcakes remind me of summertime at the seaside, with white butter-cream or frosting drizzled with a little raspberry ripple sauce. The basil gives a very subtle flavour and also adds an extra little bit of colour. You can also add one or two leaves into your cake mix if you fancy trying something different.
3. Diddy Philly Cupcakes with cinnamon sugar
Finally, let’s not forget the kids. Cupcakes are a great way to get the little ones into the kitchen and you can let them get creative with sprinkles or even little sweeties to decorate the top. You can make a really simple cream cheese topping for your cupcakes with Philadelphia cheese. If you don’t have a mini cupcake tin, just make 12 regular sized fairy cakes.
I hope you find the time to bake up a little treat or two!
Don’t forget to search #NationalCupcakeWeek on Twitter for more ideas.
sachin desai says
great sharing! not for this only celebrate cupcake day always with specific and your favourite recipes.
Sally - My Custard Pie says
Those raspberry ripple ones look adorable.
Ren Behan says
Thank you Sally, they need a 99 flake!
Denise @ magnoliaverandah says
Didn’t realise there was a National Cupcake Week. Excellent initiative to keep these little treats first and foremost on the cake table. Love these three ideas.
Ren Behan says
I’m pretty sure there’s a National everything week! That would make a funny post – the most bizarre ‘National’ weeks!
Andrea Mynard says
They all look so wonderful. I’m adding your caramel recommendations to my shopping list too. Had planned to make cupcakes with Ruby and a friend who was poorly and couldn’t make it to her birthday party. Can’t believe I was thinking of standard cupcakes, now I’m much more inspired! May have to decorate with some edible flowers from the garden though – want to use them while there are still a few there.
Ren Behan says
Ooh yes edible flowers are so pretty on a cupcake. Hope you find the caramel! x
kellie@foodtoglow says
These all sound impossibly delicious and more-ish. I don’t think anyone needs a national cupcake week to get excited about these, Ren! I think I missed the caramel and cocoa ones the first time round but I’m sure my daughter would be interested in making these x
Ren Behan says
Ah hope your daughter does like them! Caramel is wonderful in a cupcake 🙂
Liz Thomas says
Goodness, those sound delicious!
L
x
Ren Behan says
Thank you Liz, back from America where I saw some really amazing cupcakes!