Rum and raisin cupcakes

The work of minutes to make yet delightfully pleasing. Soft, buttery little cupcakes containing juicy raisins and topped with a rum buttercream these are little gems!


You can use any type of rum for these but just be aware that a dark rum will give a much stronger taste than a white. I went middle-of-the-road and used golden rum made by the best rum makers in the world: the Tortuga rum company in the Cayman Islands:


While all cake is attractive and needs to be eaten by me, nothing quite says “come and eat me” more than a cupcake piled up with buttercream!



Here are the cupcakes nude and fresh from the oven – they look pretty already:



I probably need to get out more, but I thought they looked really cute in the tin waiting to be eaten :


Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g light brown sugar
2 eggs
125g self raising flour
2 tablespoons rum
100g raisins

For the buttercream:
250g icing sugar
125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2-3 tablespoons rum
60g chocolate covered raisins (to sprinkle on top)

How to make:

- Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan oven 170°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.
- Line a 12 hole patty tin with paper cases.
- Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, flour and rum and beat until well combined.
- Stir in the raisins.
- Spoon the mix evenly into the paper cases and bake for 12-15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean (mine took 15 minutes).
- Leave the cakes to cool on a wire rack.
- Now make the buttercream: beat together the icing sugar, butter and rum until smooth.
- Spread over the top of the cooled cupcakes and then sprinkle the chocolate raisins on top.
- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.
- Eat.