"…it pleases us"

This year my Christmas baking hasn’t been quite what it usually is. Unfortunately I’m yet to experience the pre-Christmas wind down. But I did find the time to make these little babies.

I wanted to make something else with my festive spice mix that would be an all around crowd pleaser. A vanilla cupcake with delicate spice coming through sounded promising and I added a maple cream cheese frosting. I chose to make a cream cheese frosting so it wouldn’t be too sweet and the result was (if I say so myself) pretty darn perfect.

Have a very merry and delicious Christmas!

Spiced vanilla cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting

The cupcake recipe is from Peyton & Byrne’s British Baking, a book I came across in London thanks to the lovely Meg! I adapted it and added the spice mix. The frosting was experimental and delicious!

Makes 12 full sized cupcakes.

For the cupcakes

100g unsalted butter, softened
175g caster sugar
2 eggs
150g plain flour (or 180g spelt flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g natural yoghurt
1 tsp festive spice (see recipe here, or substitute with cinnamon/ginger/nutmeg mix)

• Pre-heat the oven to 170C / 340F and line a muffin tin with baking cases.
• Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, waiting until incorporated before adding the next.

• Sift the flour and baking powder in and mix until well incorporated.

• Add the vanilla and yoghurt and mix lightly until incorporated. Stir through the spice mix.

• Fill the cases 3/4 full and bake for about 15 minutes, until cooked through. Cool completely before icing.

Maple cream cheese frosting

100g unsalted butter, softened
400g cream cheese, softened
500g icing sugar
just under a tablespoon of maple syrup

• Beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat until well incorporated. Note I grated the cream cheese in as it was really cold.

• Sift the icing sugar into the mix in 3 batches – add it at low speed and wait until it is well mixed before adding the next batch.
• Add the maple and beat until a creamy consistency.
• Chill for 15 minutes before using – to decorate, put the frosting in a piping bag and pipe on, or use a knife.

• Sprinkle with decorations of your choice.
• Enjoy!

Tags: Christmas, cupcake, maple, maple cream cheese frosting, maple frosting, spice, spiced cupcake