Bonfire Cupcakes

Name: Bonfire Cupcakes
Yield: 16 people
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 50 g good quality cocoa powder; 100 g dark muscavado sugar; 250 ml boiling water; 125 g unsalted butter, at room temperature; 150 g caster sugar; 2 large eggs; 225 g plain flour; 1 tsp mixed spice; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 170 g caster sugar; 3 large egg whites (112g roughly); 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1/4 tsp cream of tartar; 320 g icing sugar; 180 g unsalted butter, room temperature; 2 TBSP Brandy; Box Matchmakers to decorate - Orange or Maple are good

Jodie Mann @MannBakes

Scotland

Bonfire night is soon approaching, and as it’s also the night before my birthday, I always like to celebrate both occasions with something sweet and on-theme! Presenting my warm, spiced chocolate & marshmallowy cupcakes that make a beautiful centrepiece to any autumnal celebrations. #mycookbook #autumnrecipe #spicedcake #bonfirenightcake

Jodie Mann @MannBakes

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Ingredients

16 people

For the Chocolate spiced cupcake
50 ggood quality cocoa powder
100 gdark muscavado sugar
250 mlboiling water
125 gunsalted butter, at room temperature
150 gcaster sugar
2large eggs
225 gplain flour
1 tspmixed spice
1/2 tspbaking powder
1/2 tspbicarbonate of soda
For the marshmallow fluff filling
170 gcaster sugar
3large egg whites (112g roughly)
1 tbsplemon juice
1/4 tspcream of tartar
For the brandy bonfire buttercream
320 gicing sugar
180 gunsalted butter, room temperature
2 TBSPBrandy
BoxMatchmakers to decorate - Orange or Maple are good

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Steps

1

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees fan. Place the cocoa powder and 100g dark muscavado sugar in a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water and whisk until well mixed. Set aside to cool.
2

Beat the butter and caster sugar together in a large mixing bowl, ideally using a free standing mixer or electric whisk. Beat in each egg one at a time, mixing each egg for around 2 mins each.
3

Add the flour, mixed spice, baking powder and bicarb and fold in very gently so as not to knock the air out. Slowly incorporate the cocoa mixture into the batter until well incorporated.
4

Pour this beautifully chocolatey mixture into the muffin cases, dividing it up equally.
Place into the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. Or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack.
5

While your cakes are cooling, get started on your marshmallow fluff filling. Heat all the frosting ingredients in a metal mixing bowl (ideally one that attaches to your free-standing electric mixer) over a Bain marie. Whisk continuously until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture has reached a temperature of around 70-75 degrees C.
6

Remove from the heat, put back to your free standing mixture and whisk on high for roughly 8-10 minutes until your meringue has doubled, even tripled in size, and is glossy and stiff.
When the cupcakes are cooled, core out the middle of each cupcake. You can do this using an Apple corer or a large piping nozzle. Place a dollop of marshmallow fluff into the centre of each cupcake, filling to the top.
7

Finally, make the buttercream. Beat together the butter and icing sugar until smooth. Add the Brandy and mix well, check the taste to ensure its strong enough for your liking.
Pipe the buttercream on top of each cupcake, and carefully place the matchmakers around the buttercream to make a 'log fire' effect. You may need to snap the matchmakers in half so they are not too tall!