Fruit Cake (Cupcakes
This is a light sponge cake made with rum-soaked raisins and candied cherries, finished with fondant and Christmas tree decorations.
Ingredients
Butter (softened)
110g
Golden caster sugar
110g
Eggs (large, free-range)
2
Self-raising flour
110g
Baking powder
1 tsp
Mixed spice or pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp
Raisins (soaked in rum or brandy for 1 hour, drained)
50g
Glacé cherries (cut into quarters)
18
Milk (if needed to adjust consistency)
1 tbsp
Fondant icing (made with lemon juice, see page 68)
1 portion
Royal icing (see page 16)
2 tbsp
Silver dragees
as needed
Instructions
1
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases
2
Make the batter
Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then slowly add them to the butter mixture a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the drained soaked raisins until evenly combined
3
Fold in dry ingredients
Sift the flour, baking powder and mixed spice into a large bowl, add the chopped cherries and toss to coat in the flour. Carefully fold into the wet mixture using a large metal spoon. If the mixture seems dry, add the milk so it falls smoothly off the spoon
4
Baking
Carefully spoon into the tin and bake for 20 minutes, until firm to the touch and golden on top. Remove and leave to cool
5
Decoration
Once the cakes are cool, prepare the fondant icing and spread over the cakes. Leave to dry. Put the royal icing into a piping bag and pipe Christmas tree shapes onto the cakes, decorating with silver dragees
