Cupcakes And Cocktails ~ Raspberry Daiquiri Cupcakes

We've been sent Cupcakes And Cocktails for review and it's one of the very best recipe books I've ever reviewed. The cupcakes are amazing - impressive and very easy to make, with amazing flavours. Here's how to make Raspberry Daiquiri Cupcakes...

Cupcakes & Cocktails is a new release by Parragon Books in The Bonnie Marcus Collection. Full to the brim with more than 65 recipes on 130 pages and all featuring cupcakes or cocktails ~ usually both.

When choosing a recipe from this book I really was in heaven. I could have picked 20 recipes I'd happily make, however I've been good and chosen one. They don't all feature alcohol, but the recipe I've chosen to bake today does.

Raspberry Diaquiri Cupcakes (page 22)

Ingredients

Sponge
185g self-raising flour
1/4tsp salt
115g unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
125ml milk
2tbsp rum
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime

Filling
350g fresh raspberries, pureed/mashed*
55g caster sugar
2tbsp rum
1tbsp cornflour

Icing
115g unsalted butter, softened
250-375g icing sugar
1tsp raspberry extract*
2tbsp double cream
pinch of salt
pink sugar crystals to decorate*

*My ingredients were slightly different. I replaced sugar crystals with edible glitter, I found no raspberry extract so had to do without, and 350g of raspberries today would have cost me £5, so I used 150g and half the sugar and cornflour in the filling - and I still only used about 1/2.

Method

Sponge

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with paper cases. I could not find my large cupcake cases, so I used regular cake cases.

Sift together the flour and salt into a bowl. Put the butter and sugar into a separate bowl and whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition.
Add half the flour mixture, the milk, rum and lime zest and juice, and whisk until well mixed. Add the remaining flour mixture and whisk.

Spoon the mixture into the cake cases and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for a minute or two, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Filling

Put the rum and cornflour into a jug and whisk together

Put the raspberry puree and sugar into a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring frequently. Pour in the rum and cornflour mixture and keep stirring for a couple of minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and leave to cool, then chill.

Icing

Beat the butter until really pale and creamy (with an electric mixer if you have one). Add 250g icing sugar, raspberry extract, double cream and salt and 2 tablespoons of the raspberry filling. Whisk until well combined and add more icing sugar if necessary to get a good piping consistency. Spoon into a piping bag with a star-shaped nozzle.

Putting it all together

Use an apple corer to remove the centre of each cupcake - but not all the way through to the bottom if possible.

Spoon the raspberry filling into each hole. Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes, then sprinkle with sugar crystals to serve. I was a bit over-cautious, I could definitely have dug the apple-corer in deeper.

The cakes are incredible, absolutely delicious. The lime and raspberry go together very well, they have a fantastic fruitiness that cuts into the sweetness, and a hint of alcohol that's barely intrusive.  Gorgeous for a warm Summer's evening in the garden, I can imagine I'm on a beach somewhere exotic....

Cupcakes and Cocktails is a really straightforward and easy to use recipe book with clear photo's and extra hints and tips. I think it's excellent value with an RRP of only £5, and it is currently available on Amazon. 

I was sent my book to review - and my icing was not quite stiff enough.