Rhubarb and rose cupcakes - makes 12-15 (standard size)
Ingredients:
For the sponge:
200g Caster Sugar
200g Unsalted butter- at room temp
200g self-raising flour
3 eggs
5 tablespoons Milk
Vanilla extract
For the filling
150 g rhubarb
Sugar (to taste)
For the icing:
375g icing sugar
120g butter
Rhubarb syrup (see method)
Rosewater (to taste)
Rhubarb Flavouring (to taste) (00I bought mine from Lakeland- it is concentrated so only a few drips needed)
You will need: 12 hole cupcake tray and cases, piping bag and star shaped nozzle.
Method:
Preheat oven to 350/180/gas mark 4. Line a 12-15 cupcake tray with cases
Directions:
1. Make the sponge: Beat together the sugar and butter (with handheld mixer or stand-alone mixer) until very
fluffy and pale.
2. Add eggs one at a time with mixer still on high speed. Make sure all the egg is incorporated before adding the
next. If mix starts to curdle, add a couple of spoons of flour and continue mixing.
3. Turn the mixer down and add the flour. Do not over mix.
4. Add the milk and vanilla to the batter. You may need a drop or 2 more milk, if the mix feels dry. Batter should
be light and lump free.
5. Spoon into cupcake cases bake for approximately 12 minutes. Test with a cocktail stick or skewer after
10minutes. Cakes are done when the skewer comes out clean. When the cakes are cooked, remove from the
dray and leave to cool on a wire rack until completely cooled.
6. While cakes are baking, make the rhubarb filling. Finely chop the rhubarb. Put in a pan on a low heat with a
splash of water and a few tablespoons of sugar. Cook until soft. At this point taste the rhubarb, it should be
slightly sharp (to counter act the sweet icing) but you may need to add a little more sugar at this point.
7. Pour rhubarb into a sieve over a bowl and leave to cool. Reserve the juice that collect in the bowl underneath.
8. Pour the reserved rhubarb juice into a small sauce pan and return to the heat to reduce. Again you may need
to add a touch more sugar to the juice if it is too sharp. Reduce by half then remove from the heat a leave to
cool. This will be the rhubarb syrup for the icing.
9. To make the icing. Put the icing sugar and butter into a mixer and on a medium speed, completely combine.
Turn the mixer up and slowly add the rhubarb syrup. The more the icing is beaten, the lighter it will be.
10. Tip into a bowl and add a few drops (really only a few) of rosewater- it has a very strong flavour, and you can
always add more, but can’t take it away! Add a few drops of concentrated rhubarb flavouring. Keep tasting the
icing as you add both the rose and rhubarb. You want an equal mix of both flavours.
11. To assemble the cakes: using a small sharp knife, cut a small hole in the top of the cake. Keep the circle that
you have removed. Spoon in a teaspoon of the rhubarb compote filling. Replace the “lid”.
12. Fill a piping bag with the icing. Pipe from the outside of the cake inwards creating an almost rose shaped
topping. If you don’t want to pipe, you can swirl the icing on using a pallet knife. Dip the knife in hot water
before swirling as this will make it easier to do.
13. Attempt to only eat one cake and fail miserably. Repeat steps 1-12 when you realise you have none left for
guests.
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