Actress Patsy Kensit's cupcake recipe is to highlight Macmillan Cancer Support’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning on 25th September – a great excuse for coffee and a cake whilst making money for charity.
Ingredients
- 250g unsalted butter, softened
- 250g caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 50ml espresso or strong coffee
- 250g self raising flour
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 25g cocoa powder
For the frosting
- 250g unsalted butter, softened
- 425g icing sugar
- 2 tsps of vanila extract
- A couple of squares of dark chocolate
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160/Gas 4.
- 2. Beat the butter with the sugar either by hand or in an electric mixer, until really pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Don’t worry if the mixture curdles it will all come together once you have added the flour. Add the coffee and then gently stir in the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder.
- 3. Line a muffin tray with paper cake cases and spoon the mixture into the cases about ¾ full. Bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes until firm to the touch. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
- 4. To make the frosting, beat the butter and icing sugar either by hand or in an electric mixer until really light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Either spoon or pipe the mixture onto the cupcakes and finish with finely grated chocolate.
Chef's tip
These cakes are best eaten on the day they are made, but can be frozen, iced or un-iced, for a couple of months.