These stunning sweets are popular with customers of all ages. Become the favourite co-worker by bringing a pack of these into the office or since they are quite possibly too good to share, indulge in a pack yourself!
Here is a recipe for some delicious salted caramel jelly baby cupcakes:
Ingredients
FOR THE ICING
- 300g full-fat soft cheese
- 100g very soft unsalted butter
- 50g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
FOR THE CUPCAKES
- 175g soft unsalted butter
- 175g light muscovado sugar or light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 175g self-raising flour, sifted
- about 4 tbsp milk
- 12 tsp salted caramel sauce, at room temperature
TO DECORATE
- 3 shortbread fingers, crushed finely (plus an extra 2 if you want ‘sand’ for the plate)
- jelly babies or seaside-themed sweets
- edible gold stars (optional)
- paper cocktail parasols
Step by step
GET AHEAD
The iced cupcakes can be frozen for up to 1 month. Any leftover decorated cupcakes are still good the next day.
- To make the icing, whip the soft cheese for 1-2 minutes until really soft and smooth; this is to stop the icing going lumpy when you add the butter. Scrape in the soft butter plus a pinch of salt and beat again. Add the icing sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth. Chill to firm up.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cases. Cream the butter and sugar with a pinch of sea salt, for at least 2-3 minutes using an electric mixer, until really pale and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, followed by the vanilla, then the flour. Add enough milk so that the batter will drop easily from a spoon.
- Divide the batter between the cases and bake for 18-20 minutes until cooked through. Cool on a wire rack.
- Use the tip of a sharp serrated knife to cut and scoop out a bit of sponge from the top of each cupcake. Fill with a spoonful of salted caramel sauce, then pop the section of sponge back on top.
- Spread or pipe the icing on top of the cupcakes. Scatter with crushed shortbread, then add sunbathing jelly babies or seaside-themed sweets, gold stars (if using) and parasols.
