VIOLET AND BLACKBERRY BABYCAKES
VIOLET AND BLACKBERRY BABYCAKES
Recipe
Violet has been one of my favourite flavours since I was a young child visiting my grandparents in France. They would always buy me a little tin of violet candies and I would savour them until the end of my trip. I recently discovered some violet-infused sugar from a company called La Petite Ingredients in Australia, and immediately ordered some online to try. It works beautifully in this recipe.
MAKES 24 BABYCAKES
FOR THE BABYCAKES
200g (1 3⁄4 sticks) butter, softened
200g (7.1oz) caster sugar
4 free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g (3.5oz) plain or spelt flour
150g (5.3oz) ground almonds
Pinch sea salt
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
150g (5.3oz) / 24 frozen blackberries
FOR THE ICING
1 cup mascarpone
Zest of half a lemon
3 tbsp violet sugar
FOR THE DECORATIONS
Fresh or freeze-dried blackberries
2 tsp violet sugar
- Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F on fan bake. Grease 24 holes of a mini cupcake tray very well.
- 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 flour, ground almonds and salt, then the lemon zest and juice, taking care not to overmix.
- Spoon the batter into the mini cupcake holes. Dot a blackberry into each one and press down lightly.
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes. The cakes are ready when golden in colour, springy to the touch, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool for around 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
- Meanwhile, make the icing. Simply combine the mascarpone with the lemon zest and violet sugar.
- Using a piping bag or resealable plastic bag with a corner cut off, swirl some mascarpone onto each babycake.
- Decorate with fresh or freeze-dried blackberries and an extra sprinkling of violet sugar.
- Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.