Raspberry Ripple Cupcakes - From The Book That Started It All..Cupcake Heaven!

About a year and a half ago my cake obsession really kicked up a notch. I also enjoyed baking and throughout University I was getting into bits of it here and there, until one Christsmas circa 2009 I was given a book...

Which is quite funny as I had been wanting this book but was too poor so couldn't justify luxuries around Christmas shopping time. The book in question is Cupcake Heaven by Susannah Blake. Buy it, you won't be sorry.

This is responsible for my cupcake obsession and general baking indulgence. One thing I really love is how great the actual pictures are, sometimes the pictures are so rubbish you do wonder if a 3 year old was let loose on them...and I think a 3 year old would do a better job - rant over.

I have a few favourite recipes from here, in particular the Victoria Sponge cupcakes and the Raspberry Ripple ones. My picture the Victoria Sponge one isn't brilliant, so I'll have to make another batch soon to take more photo's - of course!

But while your waiting here's the recipe for the Raspberry Ripple ones to keep you going. I seem to have a nack for taking picture of pervy looking cupcakes!

Recipe:

• 115g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 115g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 115g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tablespoons raspberry jam
• 150g icing sugar
• 1-2 tsp lemon juice
• pink food colouring
• 12 raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees (celcius).
2. Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Then beat in the eggs, one at a time.
4.  Sift in the flour and fold into the mixture.
5. Put the jam into a bowl and stir until runny.
6. spoon dollops of cake mixture into paper cases and flatten slightly with the back of a teaspoon.
7. Making a slight indent and spoon a little bit of the jam into the middle. Top with remaining cake mix.
8. Drizzle a little but more jam on top, and with a skewer marble slightly to get a ripple effect.
9. Bake in the oven for about 18 minutes until risen and golden.
10. Transfer to wire rack and cool.
11. To recorate, put the icing sugar in a bowl and gradually stir in the lemon juice until you have a thick consistently.  Keep some aside for the plain piping.
12. Add a couple of drops of pink colouring to the remaining and mix for an even colour.
13. Spoon the icing onto the cakes.
14. Take the white icing and put it into a piping bag with a narrow nozzle (or a freezer bad with a small part of the corner cut off!) and pip swirls onto the pink icing going into the centre.
15. Take the raspberries and place one on each of the cupcakes in the centre.
16. Eat! Nom.

Book image from Bespoke Country Pin It Now!