Cherry & almond Easter cupcakes
By Jane Hornby
These little Simnel cakes are really almondy, with pieces of marzipan in the mix – and they look gorgeous
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Prep:20 mins
Cook:25 mins
- Easy
Nutrition per serving
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kcal 0
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fat 0g
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saturates 0g
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carbs 0g
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sugars 0g
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fibre 0g
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protein 0g
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salt 0g
Ingredients
- 250g pack butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 175g golden caster sugar
- 5 eggs, beaten
- 250g self-raising flour, plus an extra 2 tbsp
- 1 tsp baking powder
- zest 1 orange, plus 2 tbsp of the juice
- 250g natural marzipan, coarsely grated (easiest if chilled beforehand)
- ½ tsp almond essence, optional
- 200g glacé cherries, halved
- about 100g/4oz icing sugar, sifted
- mini chocolate eggs, to decorate
Method
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and place 24 cupcake cases into cupcake tins. Beat the butter and sugar together with electric beaters or a tabletop mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 250g flour, baking powder, orange zest and juice and beat well till thick, creamy and evenly mixed.
Toss cherries in the extra 2 tbsp flour and fold into the batter along with grated marzipan and almond essence (if using). Spoon into the cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 mins, or until well risen and golden. Leave to cool in tin for 10 mins, then place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Mix the icing sugar with around 1 tbsp water to make a loose but not-too-runny icing. Ice the tops of the cupcakes and top each one with about 3 mini chocolate eggs.
