When Duerr’s kindly offered me a sample of their
new range of baking jams and told me they would send me the rhubarb and custard
flavour, I was very excited as these are two of my favourite things! I started
thinking about what to use it for. Since we have moved I haven’t
fully unpacked all my baking boxes and every time I walk from the kitchen to
the dining room I see boxes of cupcake paraphernalia staring at me as if
they’re saying, ‘hey, what about us? We want to move into our new home
too!’ To placate my cupcake overlords I decided to make some cupcakes.
The jam is amazing. It messed with my head a little bit because it was jam that tasted like rhubarb and custard boiled sweets....yes, that good!
I nearly didn’t post these cupcakes. They were meant to have a custard buttercream I’d successfully made before...but it was one of those days were everything felt against me. Lots of anguish and an abandoned buttercream later I decided to top them with a simple glace icing. I was so fed up at this point I didn’t even let it set properly before photographing the cakes. It would be a fair assessment to say I was in a bit of a mood (ahem). You can see how angry I was by the fact I didn’t even stick a wafer daisy on top to pretty them up!
Summary: yes, they look like they were made by a particularly un-artistic five year old but, in their defence, they taste amazing. The sponge was so fluffy, the jam so sweet and sticky and the simple glaze was actually all they needed. I still wasn’t going to post them, but Mr CC took them into work and they turned out to be one of most popular bakes for a long time. I’m a little ashamed by how they look but I shall bow to my eaters on this one!
Ingredients
For the sponges:
175g unsalted butter at room temperature
175g caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
175g self raising flour
2 tablespoons milk
6 teaspoons jam – I used Duerr’s rhubarb and custard jam
175g unsalted butter at room temperature
175g caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
175g self raising flour
2 tablespoons milk
6 teaspoons jam – I used Duerr’s rhubarb and custard jam
For
the icing:
200g
icing sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Enough hot water to make a thick icing – add a teaspoon at a time – mine took 3 teaspoons
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Enough hot water to make a thick icing – add a teaspoon at a time – mine took 3 teaspoons
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/ fan oven 160C/350F/Gas mark 4.
Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper cases.
Start by making the sponges: beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. The mix should look almost whipped – don’t be tempted to skimp on this stage.
Beat in the vanilla and the eggs, one by one.
Fold in the flour.
Stir in enough milk to get a dropping consistency batter.
Spoon into the cupcake cases and bake for about 12-14 minutes or when a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean – better to be a little under than over, as they will continue to cook as they cool. Don’t worry if they take longer (mine took nearer to 20 minutes) – they are big cupcakes.
Remove from the baking pan as soon as you can do so safely (the heat from the tin may cause them to overbake), and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
Use a cupcake corer or knife to remove some of the sponge.
Spoon half a teaspoon of jam into each cupcake.
Now make the icing: beat together the ingredients until you have a really thick, glossy icing.
Spoon over the cupcakes.
Leave to cool and firm up.
Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have created.
Eat.
Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper cases.
Start by making the sponges: beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. The mix should look almost whipped – don’t be tempted to skimp on this stage.
Beat in the vanilla and the eggs, one by one.
Fold in the flour.
Stir in enough milk to get a dropping consistency batter.
Spoon into the cupcake cases and bake for about 12-14 minutes or when a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean – better to be a little under than over, as they will continue to cook as they cool. Don’t worry if they take longer (mine took nearer to 20 minutes) – they are big cupcakes.
Remove from the baking pan as soon as you can do so safely (the heat from the tin may cause them to overbake), and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
Use a cupcake corer or knife to remove some of the sponge.
Spoon half a teaspoon of jam into each cupcake.
Now make the icing: beat together the ingredients until you have a really thick, glossy icing.
Spoon over the cupcakes.
Leave to cool and firm up.
Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have created.
Eat.
I think your cupcakes look beautiful, not done by a 5 year old! I can imagine the flavour of the jam would remind you of those old fashioned sweet shops :-) x
ReplyDeleteThat's funny...... I'm so pleased someone else gets the hump when it doesn't go to plan. Makes me feel much better..... I can be quite a diva in the kitchen! But these sound delicious! So sod what they look like...... eat and enjoy!
ReplyDeleteaww look beautiful CC, love them!
ReplyDeleteWhat a novel idea, not sure i'd want custard flavour in the jam all the time, but certianly sounds a delicious combo for cakes.
ReplyDeleteThey look delicious. Love the sound of the vanilla icing
Rhubarb jam - must be delicious. Haven' t seen before. So beautiful cupcakes.
ReplyDeleteThey look good, CC. Rhubarb and custard jam - wow, and a great way to use it.
ReplyDeleteThese look absolutely divine! What a great looking, sounding (and no doubt tasting) recipe! My mouth is watering just looking at them! Such a great bake! xxx
ReplyDeleteOh that jam looks amazing! You had me at the taste like sweets part :) The Cakes look heavenly too CC
ReplyDeleteI like rhubarb and custard sweets! This jam sound very interesting. I know those days when things don't work out right. I get annoyed because in my head I wanted whatever I was baking to turn out a certain way and when it doesn't I get annoyed and a lot of "it's going in the trash" gets thrown around!! Until I settle down and remind myself that as long as it tastes good that is okay .... for now. ;0)
ReplyDeleteAwww you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. They look really pretty in their simplicity. I imagine it would make the jam filling all the more surprising and exciting too.
ReplyDeleteRhubarb & custard is absolutely one of my favourite combinations in the whole world. In fact, I am taking the kids to London for half term and am on a mission to source that ultra lush looking rhubarb & custard doughnuts that apparently appear fleetingly in Borough Market on Thursdays. Your cupcakes look lovely, even if you nearly didn't post them,
ReplyDeleteFlavour before beauty! Great way to use rhubarb and custard jam. They look really tasty.
ReplyDeletePurely on the strength of your photos, I have ordered some of that jam.
ReplyDeleteThe cakes look so lovely!
Taste over style always!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this recipe. They have gone down very well and remarkably quickly (even for us). I have just made my second batch in a week! Delicious.
ReplyDelete