Mini spiced cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
These delicious mini spiced cupcakes are a great twist on a classic sponge and the cream cheese frosting adds a zingy and refreshing twist. You’ll need a couple of piping bags with plain nozzles for this – though you can use a fun star nozzle for the frosting if you wish.
Serves 24
Cooking Time: 1 hour 35 minutes plus resting time
Ingredients
For the mini spiced cupcakes:
95g self-raising flour
30g plain flour
4 tsp mixed spice
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
125g unsalted butter
125g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, seeds only
1/2 orange, zested
1 lime, zested
2 eggs
90ml milk
For the cream cheese frosting:
50g unsalted butter, softened
200g icing sugar, sifted
175g low fat cream cheese
Method
1. Begin by sifting the flours and spices together through a fine sieve and into a large mixing bowl.
2. Get your little helpers to beat the butter and sugar together using an electric whisk or wooden spoon. Once it becomes light and fluffy, add the vanilla, orange zest and lime zest.
3. Gently whisk the eggs and then mix into butter gradually, until fully combined.
4. Fold in the flour and spices to this mixture with a spatula. Slowly add the milk and beat, being careful not to over mix.
5. Fill a 24 mould mini muffin tin with cupcake wrappers. Get a piping bag with a plain nozzle and fill it with the mix. Ask the kids to pipe the mix into each wrapper until each is 2/3 full.
6. Leave in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 170˚C/gas mark 4.
8. Place the mini muffin tin on a baking tray in the middle of the oven. Bake until the cakes have risen and are golden brown – this should take around 15-20 minutes.
9. Once cooked take out of the oven and leave to cool down on a wire rack.
10. To make the frosting, get the little ones to use a wooden spoon or electric whisk to beat the unsalted butter and icing sugar until fluffy. Next, beat the cream cheese into this mix.
11. Add the mixture to a piping bag (with a star or plain nozzle). Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes to firm up.
12. Decorate the cupcakes by piping the frosting over them and serve.
Cooking with Kids Christmas App from Great British Chefs, the award-winning recipe site, and Tesco available to download for free at www.greatbritishchefs.com/kids-recipes
Serves 24
Cooking Time: 1 hour 35 minutes plus resting time
Ingredients
For the mini spiced cupcakes:
95g self-raising flour
30g plain flour
4 tsp mixed spice
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
125g unsalted butter
125g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, seeds only
1/2 orange, zested
1 lime, zested
2 eggs
90ml milk
For the cream cheese frosting:
50g unsalted butter, softened
200g icing sugar, sifted
175g low fat cream cheese
Method
1. Begin by sifting the flours and spices together through a fine sieve and into a large mixing bowl.
2. Get your little helpers to beat the butter and sugar together using an electric whisk or wooden spoon. Once it becomes light and fluffy, add the vanilla, orange zest and lime zest.
3. Gently whisk the eggs and then mix into butter gradually, until fully combined.
4. Fold in the flour and spices to this mixture with a spatula. Slowly add the milk and beat, being careful not to over mix.
5. Fill a 24 mould mini muffin tin with cupcake wrappers. Get a piping bag with a plain nozzle and fill it with the mix. Ask the kids to pipe the mix into each wrapper until each is 2/3 full.
6. Leave in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 170˚C/gas mark 4.
8. Place the mini muffin tin on a baking tray in the middle of the oven. Bake until the cakes have risen and are golden brown – this should take around 15-20 minutes.
9. Once cooked take out of the oven and leave to cool down on a wire rack.
10. To make the frosting, get the little ones to use a wooden spoon or electric whisk to beat the unsalted butter and icing sugar until fluffy. Next, beat the cream cheese into this mix.
11. Add the mixture to a piping bag (with a star or plain nozzle). Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes to firm up.
12. Decorate the cupcakes by piping the frosting over them and serve.
Cooking with Kids Christmas App from Great British Chefs, the award-winning recipe site, and Tesco available to download for free at www.greatbritishchefs.com/kids-recipes