Christmas Spiced Cupcakes

Here's a recipe for a delicious Christmas-tasting cupcake but without the dried fruit (for those currant/sultana/raisin haters out there!).

Spiced Christmas cake
Serves 12

225g salted butter, plus more for the tin
4 large eggs
225g dark muscovado sugar
330g plain flour, sifted
2tsp baking powder
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp ground ginger
100ml whole milk
finely grated zest of 1 organic orange
200g good quality white chocolate, plus more to adhere (optional)
Icing sugar, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175C and butter a 22cm round cake tin (or use a heart-shaped tin, 22cm at its widest point, if you prefer). Melt the butter and let it cool. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a big bowl until the mixture holds a ribbon trail for 8-10 sec after the whisk has been lifted. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger. Alternately stir the flour mixture and milk into the egg mixture, until just combined. Add the orange zest. Fold together as lightly as possible. Finally, stir the melted butter into the mixture.
2. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 50-55min. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
3. Melt the white chocolate and place into a small piping bag. Snip off the end and pipe hearts on a piece of baking parchment. Leave the chocolate hearts to one side to set, then peel them off the parchment and arrange on the cake, sticking them on with a little more melted white chocolate. Sprinkle icing sugar across the top and serve.

The recipe is for a large cake but I bake it as cupcakes (makes 24) - just reduce the cooking time to about 20 minutes,  Carefully check the cupcakes after about 15 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack and either dust with icing sugar or decorate with marzipan and royal/fondant icing.

These have been baking in my oven all morning for various edible gifts and goodies for my family and neighbours.  They fill the house with a lovely smell - just right for Christmas Eve!

Here's the link to the original article where you can find other traditional Scandinavian recipes.