Spiced muffins with pineapple flowers

Name: Spiced muffins with pineapple flowers
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Makes 12
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 160g unsalted butter, softened; 160g golden caster sugar; 150g self-raising flour; 3 medium free-range eggs; 2 tbsp whole milk; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp mixed spice; Grated zest 1/2 orange; 75g currants (or use mixed fruit and peel); For the cream cheese icing; 75g unsalted butter, softened; 180g full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese (see Know How); 75g icing sugar; For the pineapple flowers; 1/2 small pineapple, peeled, eyes removed and thinly sliced into 12 rounds (slice as thinly as you can or use a mandoline, and don’t remove the central core); A few drops food colouring in various colours (optional); You’ll also need; 12-hole muffin tin lined with paper cases or a lightly greased silicone muffin tray

Portion size: Makes 12
Hands-on time 25 min, plus cooling. Oven time 18-20 min
Difficulty: easy

Jen Bedloe

Former head of food, delicious.

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Pretty as a picture, these spiced muffins are easier than they look. Top with a swirl of luscious cream cheese frosting and a dried pineapple ‘flower’.

Keep it retro with our classic pineapple upside-down cake.

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Ingredients

160g unsalted butter, softened
160g golden caster sugar
150g self-raising flour
3 medium free-range eggs
2 tbsp whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp mixed spice
Grated zest 1/2 orange
75g currants (or use mixed fruit and peel)

For the cream cheese icing

75g unsalted butter, softened
180g full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese (see Know How)
75g icing sugar

For the pineapple flowers

1/2 small pineapple, peeled, eyes removed and thinly sliced into 12 rounds (slice as thinly as you can or use a mandoline, and don’t remove the central core)
A few drops food colouring in various colours (optional)

You’ll also need

12-hole muffin tin lined with paper cases or a lightly greased silicone muffin tray

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Method

Heat the oven to 130ºC fan/gas 2. For the flowers, dry the pineapple slices with kitchen paper, then arrange on 2 baking trays lined with baking paper. Mix a few drops of food colouring into 1 tbsp water for each colour, then drop a little of it onto the middle of a few flowers using a teaspoon. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for 20 minutes more or until the pineapple feels dry to the touch. While the slices are still warm, push each into a mini muffin hole to set it in a flower shape (see Make Ahead).
For the cupcakes, turn the oven up to 170°C fan/gas 5. Put the butter, sugar, flour, eggs, milk, vanilla, spice and zest in a large mixing bowl and beat using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in the currants.
Divide the mixture among the cupcake cases in the tin and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the cakes have risen and spring back when lightly pressed. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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For the icing, beat the all the ingredients until smooth, then ice the cupcakes – use a piping bag if you like. Decorate each muffin with a pineapple flower.

Nutrition

354kcals Calories
21g (12.9g saturated) Fat
4.4g Protein
36.3g (26.8g sugars) Carbs
1.1g Fibre
0.3g Salt

Make Ahead

The pineapple flowers will soften over time. If you want to make them ahead, store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Un-iced muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed container, though the paper cases may come loose. Defrost before adding fresh paper cases and decorating.