hot cross bun cupcakes

With spices that you’d find in a Hot Cross Bun, you may end up making these all year round!

125 g caster sugar

100 g soft light brown sugar

finely grated zest of 1/2 orange

2 large eggs

100 g natural yogurt

25 ml orange juice

100 ml sunflower oil

200 g plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

75 g sultanas

50 g mixed peel

1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped into 1-cm cubes

cross decorations

100 g white chocolate, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons double cream

cinnamon frosting

100 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

600 g icing sugar, sifted

250 g cream cheese, cold

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus extra to decorate (optional)

two 12-hole deep muffin trays, lined with 16 paper cases

Makes 16

For the decorations: Put the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water). Leave until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally until completely combined. Remove from the heat and leave to cool and thicken. Using a marker pen, mark out 16 crosses, each 4 x 4 cm, on a piece of baking parchment, then flip the sheet over and place on a baking tray. Spoon the chocolate mixture into a piping bag fitted with a size 12 nozzle. Using the marked-out crosses as a guide, pipe on the chocolate mixture to form the

decorations. Leave to set for three to four hours in a cool place, or overnight if possible.

Preheat the oven to 175°C (160°C fan)/Gas 4. Put both sugars, the orange zest, eggs, yogurt, orange juice and oil in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on medium speed until well incorporated. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a separate bowl. Turn the mixer down to slow speed, then slowly add the flour mixture to the egg

mixture, beating until incorporated. Be careful not to overmix. Fold the sultanas, mixed peel and apple cubes into the mixture by hand until evenly dispersed.

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until about one-third full and bake in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes until the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool for about 15 minutes in the trays before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

For the cinnamon frosting: Beat the butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium speed for a few minutes to loosen. Turn the mixer down to slow speed and add the icing sugar in three stages until it is well incorporated, then turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for five minutes. Add the cream cheese and cinnamon in one go and beat until completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to high speed and continue beating for another two to three minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.

Spoon the frosting onto each cupcake, gently smoothing over with a palette knife until the frosting is flat and smooth. Top with the cross decorations and sprinkle with cinnamon, if using.

This is an extract from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook