Chuckleberry Cupcakes
Cute as pie, my chuckleberry cupcakes keep the smiles coming, with Shed 1 Chuckleberry Gin butter cream and boozy gin lemon curd filling.
Ingredients
Sponge
- 110 g unsalted butter
- 110 g caster sugar
- 110 g self raising flour
- 2 each large eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Buttercream
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 300 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Shed 1 Chuckleberry Gin
- 5 drops pink food colouring gel
Filling
- 3 tbsp lemon curd
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170C.
- Layout 12 cupcake cases on a tray. I use silicone ones which you can get from most places.
- I used a stand mixer as I find this a lot easier on the arms but you can do this by hand, just be aware you need to give it some welly! Add the butter to your stand mixer and beat on low for a few minutes to soften (you may need to pause and scrape the butter down the sides of the bowl here and there).
- Add the icing sugar and set on a low beat. Again, you might need to pause and scrape intermittently.
- Add the eggs and continue on low beat setting.
- Pause and add the flour, vanilla and salt. Continue low beat setting until mixed then turn up to midway for five minutes to ensure mixture is thoroughly combined.
- Spoon into cases and bake for 15 minutes until golden and springy. Avoid the urge to open the oven before 15 minutes is up. If your oven is on 170 they should be fine.
- Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
- Cut small holes in each cupcake and spoon in a little lemon curd.
- Now, onto the buttercream. Add the butter to your stand mixer bowl and beat until soft, then add the icing sugar and beat on a low setting until combined.
- Add gin and vanilla and beat in, then add the food colour to your preferred shade of pink. I went with a light shade, but a brighter colour would also work well.
- Time to decorate! Spoon into an icing bag and pipe onto the cakes in a nice swirly motion.
- As tempting as it is to eat them straight away, let them sit for an hour or two and the icing should set. Serve with a 'Stupid Cupid' which is a measure of Chuckleberry Gin, topped with ice cold, traditional, flat cloudy lemonade. The drink turns an incredible blush colour and tastes just as good as it looks.