Almond and Raspberry Cupcakes

This is something I have wanted to try for a while, I thought the flavour and sweetness of almonds and the sharpness of raspberries would be a nice combination and using berries was fittingly autumnal. The original point of the blog was to try my hand at new things and to learn new skills... but I just LOVE cupcakes! They are fun and easy to experiment with, also it was cupcake week so my hands were tied! ;) 

For these cupcakes I used the recipe for vanilla cupcakes in the Primrose Bakery Cupcake Cookbook. I find their cupcakes really fluffy which I think is to do with the milk. I replaced the vanilla with Almond Essence and used double the amount. I then made an almond infused butter cream and decorated with raspberries. I didn't want to put raspberries in the sponge as they may have been too wet and I like the idea of biting into a raspberry with the butter icing! Really simple, really sweet and they look cute. 

Almond and Raspberry Cupcake
Cath kidston Crockery 

Almond and Raspberry Cupcakes

Ingredients

Almond Cupcakes

(Adapted recipe from 'Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery' cookbook)

110g Butter

225g Golden Caster Sugar

2 Eggs

150g Self Raising Flour

125g Plain Flour

120ml Semi Skimmed Milk

2 teaspoons Almond Essence

Raspberries to Decorate

Butter Icing 

(Also adapted recipe from 'Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery' cookbook)

110g Butter 

500g Icing Sugar

60ml Semi Skimmed Milk

1 teaspoon Almond Essence

Method

• Preheat oven to 160c and prepare muffin tray with cases. (Makes 12 regular or 36 mini cupcakes).
• Mix Butter and Sugar until pale and smooth and add the Eggs one at a time.
• Combine the two Flours in a separate bowl. Also combine the Milk and Almond Essence in a jug.
• Add one third of the Flour mix and fold followed by one third of the Milk and mix. Repeat until all ingredients are combined.
• Spoon mixture into prepared cases and bake for 25 minutes for regular and 15 minutes for minis. They should be raised and golden.
• Cool on a wire rack!
• Once cooled completely, mix Butter, Milk and Almond Essence with half the Icing Sugar. Once mixed add the remaining half until thick. 
• I decorated with a palette knife and added three Raspberries to each and some with a sprinkle of Almonds. 

Almond and Raspberry Cupcakes

If anybody tries them I hope they turn out as well, let me know via twitter (@josieroberts88) if you have made anything interesting or tasty for cupcake week! I think they are my favourite thing to bake and this is something I am definitely doing again! In the meantime I hope everyone is loving the GBBO as much as me! Glen For the Win! Ruby is also fab! Although I would love to able to bake as well as any of them. 

Another reason for making cupcakes this time was for Calender Cakes, something I have wanted to make a post for for ages! So this month its ... Cupcakes! This fun blogging activity is put on by Laura Loves Cakes and Dolly Bakes. Looking forward to the next month!