Recipe by Juliet Sear; @julietsear
Makes approximately 12 cupcakes
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These gingerbread latte cupcakes are super cute and make lovely table presents or treats for Christmas gatherings. The playful gingerbread decorations nod to the delicious flavour of the cupcake sponge, and the recipe is so simple to put together.
Utensils
- Bowls
- Scales
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment (ideally, but if you do not have this you can use an electric hand whisk, or of course a bowl and wooden spoon will work, but it might take you a bit longer)
- Cupcake tin and cupcake liners (I like using plain white for these but it’s up to you!)
- Miniature cookie cutters (mixed sizes look nice, I’ve used gingerbread men, candy canes, trees and stars)
- Marzipan spacers/guide sticks (optional)
- Rolling pin
- Piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle
For the gingerbread style decorations
Make these in advance
This quantity makes enough for about 16 medium sized cookies so you won’t need this whole batch for just the mini decoration cookies, you can make fewer, larger cookies instead if you wish. The dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
- 125g unsalted butter
- 100g dark muscovado sugar
- 90g golden syrup
- 300g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2-3 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tbsp soft peak white royal icing in a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle (I used a No.2 ) alternatively, snip a small hole in the bag
Method
1. Mix the golden syrup, orange juice, sugar, spices and vanilla in a pan. Heat, stirring regularly, over a medium-low heat until all the sugar is dissolved, and everything is combined – don’t let the mixture boil. Add the butter and stir until melted and incorporated into the hot sugar mix.
2. Add the bicarb and whisk until fluffy and pale. Pour into a mixing bowl. Allow to cool slightly, then add the flour and beat on slow, or mix with a wooden spoon, until the mixture comes together and resembles an oily dough – it should be gloopy, pliable and a little runny, but will harden as it cools and sets.
3. Using a spatula, tip the dough onto two large pieces of cling film laid out in a cross, one on top of the other. Wrap up to seal, then chill in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight. The dough can be made ahead to this stage and frozen for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then leave at room temperature for 1 hr before kneading until pliable.
4. Preheat the oven to 180c fan and line a baking sheet/sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough out using a little more flour, use guide sticks if you have them to keep the biscuits all the same thickness. Cut into mini shapes, place on tray with some space between, bake until cooked through, going darker around the edges and springy to touch, depending on the size this will be about 8-12 minutes. Leave to cool completely then decorate by piping the little white details over the cookies as shown.
For the gingerbread latte cupcakes
Have all ingredients at room temperature
Sponge mix ingredients
- 125ml Buttermilk (If you can’t get hold of buttermilk you can replace this with full fat natural yoghurt)
- 200g self-raising flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 150g light muscadavo or soft brown sugar
- 120g soft unsalted butter, softened
- 2 medium free range eggs
- 20g black treacle
- 75g chopped stem ginger in syrup
Coffee syrup ingredients
- Approx 10-15g good quality instant espresso powder (to taste)
- 70g caster sugar
- 50 ml boiled water
- Shot of brandy or coffee liqueur optional
Icing ingredients
- 250g soft unsalted butter
- 500g unrefined icing sugar, sifted (if you can’t get unrefined you can use regular that’s fine)
- 125g full fat soft cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Edible gold leaf (optional)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4.
2. Line your cupcake tin with baking cases.
3. Sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder and spices to combine.
4. Cream the butter, sugar, treacle and ginger on medium speed for a few minutes until pale and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, combined.
6. Add the flour and buttermilk, in increments of 3, flour then buttermilk until all mixed in.
7. Divide between the cupcake cases and bake for 15-18 mins or until risen, springy and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre. Leave to cool in the tins, pierce all over the sponges with the skewer to aid soaking with the syrup which you can make once the cakes go in the oven.
8. Make the coffee syrup by combining the coffee and sugar in a bowl and stirring in the boiling water until everything has dissolved.
9. Drizzle or brush the coffee syrup evenly over all the cakes. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
10. To make the icing, cream the butter until it is really soft and fluffy. Add the icing sugar, a quarter at a time, with the mixer on slow. Once the powdered sugar has blended up, whip up the speed to high for a minute to make very light.
11. Stir in the cream cheese on slow until combined, then place into your piping bag and pipe a swirls of frosting onto the top of each cake. Then top with your little biscuits to finish and add a few flecks of gold to the frosting if using.
12. Bring to room temperature before eating.
These cakes keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
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