Boozy Cupcakes

By Karlie Simmonds

Sugar, spice and all things… booze! When the kids go to bed, indulge with an adult boozy cupcake (or two)!

Serves: 8
Preparation time: 10min
Cooking time: 24min

Ingredients for basic cupcakes:

115g baking margarine
115g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
115g self-raising flour

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C, Fan Oven 170°C, Gas Mark 5. Line 8 muffin tins with cupcake cases. Beat together the margarine and sugar until pale and creamy. Whisk in the eggs until well blended. Sieve over the flour and gently mix together.

2. Divide the mixture between the cases. Smooth over the tops and bake for 22-24min until risen and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Variations:

For chocolate cakes: Replace 15g flour with 15g cocoa powder and add ¼tsp baking powder.

For coffee cakes: Dissolve 2tsp instant coffee in 1tbsp hot water. Cool, then fold into the cake mixture.

To fill a cupcake:

Using a teaspoon, scoop some of the sponge from the centre of a cooked cupcake. Add 1-2tsp of your favourite tipple, then fill with 1 heaped tsp of your chosen filling. Sit the scooped out sponge back on top and press down gently.

Butter icing:

Put 150g very soft unsalted butter in a bowl and beat until smooth. Gradually sieve in 250g icing sugar, beating well after each addition to make a smooth, firm-ish icing. Beat in up to 50ml of your favourite tipple – adding any more will be difficult to mix in without separating. Add colouring if using and mix well. To pipe, spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm large closed star nozzle or 1cm lain nozzle. Start in the centre of the cake, and pipe a swirl on top of each cake to cover the top. Alternatively, spread thickly over each cake with a knife. For chocolate butter icing, replace 2tbsp icing sugar with cocoa powder.

Turkish Delight

Make a batch of chocolate cupcakes. Cool. Scoop out sponge and spoon in 1-2tsp Chambord. Fill with raspberry jam and a few drops of rose water. Make up chocolate butter icing: add up to 50ml Chambord if liked. Pipe on top. Decorate with chocolate hearts, rose petals and raspberries.

Gingerbread Lady

Add 2tsp mixed spice and 75g chopped glace ginger to basic cupcake mixture. When cool, skewer each cake and spoon over 2-3tsp ginger wine. Make up butter icing and mix in up to 50ml ginger wine if liked. Pipe on top and decorate with tiny gingerbread men sprinkles and cocktail accessories.

Irish Coffee

Make up a batch of coffee-flavoured cupcakes. When cool, skewer each cake and spoon over 2-3tsp whisky. Softly whip 300ml double cream and sieve 50g icing sugar on top. Gently fold in and pile on top of each cake. Dust with coffee-flavoured sugar or ground coffee, and decorate with chocolate coffee beans.

Choco-toffee Doodah

Make up a batch of chocolate cupcakes. When cool, scoop out sponge, spoon in 1-2tsp Baileys and fill with slated caramel. Make up a batch of butter icing and mix in up to 50ml Baileys if liked. Pipe on top and decorate with chocolate curls and stars and cocktail accessories.