MARSHMALLOW CUPCAKES

Don't you just love a cupcake that is a bit different?  These marshmallow topped and filled cupcakes are just delightful.  My kids are going to love them when they eventually get their hands on them.  There are a couple of steps in this recipe but there is nothing difficult about it at all.  These would make a lovely addition to a birthday party table.

This recipe makes around 8 good size cupcakes but it will depend on the time of your cupcake liner.

MARSHMALLOW CUPCAKES

Cupcakes

120ml full cream milk

120g plain flour

140g caster sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

40g of unsalted butter softened

1 egg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees.  Line a 12 whole cupcake tin with paper liners.

2. Place all ingredients in the jug, in the order specified, with the kneading blade.
3. Select Pastry Program P1. 30 seconds before the end of the program, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the jug.

4. When the program is complete, fill each of the paper liners 2/3 full with cake batter.
5. Place the tin on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cake bounces back when touched in the centre.
6. Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.
7. When completely cool, scoop out a teaspoonful of cake from the middle top of each cupcake.

Marshmallow Filling
16 pink marshmallows

1 teaspoon of unsalted butter.

1. Marshmallows and butter in the jug with the kneading blade. Select Speed 4 for 3 minutes. You made need to scrape marshmallows off the kneading blade if they get caught there.
2. Once the marshmallows are melted to a smooth mixture, place a teaspoonful into the cavity in the top of the cupcakes.

Vanilla Buttercream

250g icing mixture

80g unsalted butter, softened

25ml whole milk

1/4tsp vanilla extract

200g pink and white mini marshmallows
Sprinkes, edible glitter or cachous to decorate

1. Place all ingredients in the jug with the kneading blade. Set Speed 8 for 30 seconds. 

2. Scrape down the sides of the jug. Set Speed 8 for 15 seconds.

3. Place marshmallows in the jug. Select Speed 4 for 10 seconds or until marshmallows are combined with buttercream.
4. Pile the buttercream on top of the cupcakes and decorate further with sprinkles etc if you so desire.

LIME AND COCONUT CUPCAKES

I don't know about you but I absolutely adore citrus flavours.  You name them, I love them. Especially lime, lemon, orange and mandarin.  I just adore the zingy, zesty, tangy, freshness of citrus and the myriad of ways that they can be used in baking. Citrus fruits are not overly expensive and you seldom need to use a lot of them in a recipe, making them both a tasty and affordable flavouring option.

I created this recipe yesterday when I was craving a touch of summer after a day of gloomy grey skies.  These cupcakes have the most wonderful flavour, texture and tang and they smell divine. I hope you enjoy them.

LIME AND COCONUT CUPCAKES

Cake

1 cup coconut cream

125g softened butter

3/4 cup white sugar

4 drops vanilla essence

2 eggs

2 cups self raising flour

1/2 cup dessicated coconut
zest of 2 limes

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Place rack in the centre of the oven. Place cupcake liners in a 12 hole muffin or cupcake tray.
2. Place all ingredients into the jug with the kneading blade, in the order listed. Select the Pastry P1 program. 30 seconds before the end of the program, stop the machine and scrape down the sides. Restart the program.
3. Once program is complete, carefully remove the kneading blade.  Then fill each of the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way to the top.
4. Place the tray on the centre rack of the oven and bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
5. Remove cakes from the oven.  Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then remove to cool on a cake cooler.

(Note: - this batter can be baked as a whole cake by placing in a 20cm round or square pan and baking at the specified temperature for 35-45 minutes.)

Icing

1 tbsp butter
2 cups of icing mixture (not pure icing sugar)
1 cup dessicated coconut

zest of one lime

juice of two limes (you may not need the entire amount)

1. Place butter in the jug with the kneading blade. Select speed 3 Temp 90 Time 1 minute to melt butter.
2. Place icing mixture, coconut, zest and half of the juice in the jug with the melted butter. Select Speed 4, Temp 0, Time 15 seconds.
3. When complete, check the consistency. It should be thick but spreadable.  If it is two thick add a little more lime juice, a teaspoon at a time and mix for 5 seconds until the desired consistency is reached.
4. Once the cakes are cool, spread the icing mixture over the tops.  Garnish with a small slice of lime if desired.
5. Allow the icing around half an hour to set. (You will notice in the picture that the icing looks quite shiny and that's because I took the picture before the icing had had time to set.)