Raspberry trifle cupcakes

I have to tell you two things about these cupcakes: first, they were delicious; second, the icing was a bit of a pain in the neck to make – I beat it forever using the electric mixer and it still did not firm up like the one on the magazine (I believe it happened because I used a different kind of cream).

It was not as quick as I’d expected it to be, but I wasn’t determined not to quit – I was already feeling bad for quitting “In Bruges” after watching it for 50 minutes...

Raspberry trifle cupcakes
from Donna Hay magazine

Cupcakes:
250g unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cups + 2 tablespoons (274g) caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 1/3 cups + 1 tablespoon (337g) all purpose flour
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
generous pinch of salt
1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temperature
1 cup frozen raspberries
¼ cup (60ml) sweet sherry*

Whipped custard icing:
1 ½ cups (360ml) heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
4 egg yolks
¼ cup + ½ tablespoon (56g) caster sugar
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 cup double (thick) cream**
1 tablespoon icing sugar

Start by making the custard: place the heavy cream and vanilla (seeds and bean) in a saucepan over low heat and cook until just comes to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reheat the mixture. Place the egg yolks, sugar and corn starch in a bowl and whisk thick and pale. Slowly pour the hot cream mixture over the yolks, whisking continuously. Return to the saucepan and stir over low heat for 8-10 minutes or until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Let cool, then refrigerate until required.
Now, the cupcakes: preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two 12-hole ½ cup (120ml) capacity muffin pans with paper cases. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Sift over the flour, baking powder and salt and beat until combined. Add milk and beat in low speed until combined. Fold in the raspberries. Divide batter among prepared pans and bake for 15-18 minutes or until risen and cooked through when tested with a toothpick. Carefully remove from the pan and place on a wire rack. Drizzle the warm cupcakes with the sherry and cool completely.
Finish the icing: add the double cream and the icing sugar to the cool custard and whisk until stiff peaks form. Spoon the icing over the cupcakes.

*I didn’t have any sherry at home, so I drizzled the cupcakes with vanilla extract
** there is no double cream in Brazil, so I whipped 1 cup whipping cream until stiff peaks formed, combined it with the custard then whipped it again

Makes 24 – I made ¼ of the recipe above, used 1/3 cup (80ml) capacity pans and got 6 cupcakes