Sally Greer
Blackcurrant mascarpone icing completes this delectable bite-sized blackcurrant, lemon and vanilla babycake.
Blackcurrant, lemon & vanilla babycakes with blackcurrant mascarpone icing
These gorgeous little gems which will impress all ages. You could make 10 regular cupcakes with this recipe, but I quite like them to be bite-sized.
Makes 24
For the cake:
180g butter, softened
180g caster sugar
4 free-range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
180g ground almonds
40g spelt flour, buckwheat or plain all-purpose flour
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
75g fresh or frozen blackcurrants
For the icing:
200g mascarpone
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of ½ a lemon
1 tbsp blackcurrant jam
READ MORE:
* Recipe: Strawberry shortcake in a glass
* Recipe: Violet and blackberry baby cakes
* Recipe: Jordan Rondel’s passionfruit and lemon friands
Method
Preheat oven to 180C fan bake. Grease 24 mini muffin pans, or use papers if you prefer. I prefer to use silicone moulds for this when not using papers as it prevents any sticking.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, along with the vanilla.
Gradually fold in the ground almonds and flour, then the lemon zest and juice.
Spoon the batter into the mini muffin pans, filling them about ¾ of the way up. Sprinkle some blackcurrants into each one (about five each). Press the fruit down lightly with a spoon.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes. The babycakes are ready when golden in colour, springy to the touch, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
If you didn’t use papers, allow the babycakes to cool for around 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. If you did use papers, take the babycakes out of the tin when they are cool enough to touch.
Meanwhile, make the mascarpone icing. In a bowl, mix the mascarpone with the vanilla and lemon zest, and swirl through the jam.
Once the babycakes are fully cool, ice each one using either a piping bag or a palette knife.
Serve at room temperature.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
