Marshmallow fluff cupcakes

 

Certain words just get me every time; if something has one of these words in the title I am opening my purse before my brain has even questioned whether I need the item.  'Vintage' is one.  'Plush' is another.  I can now add 'fluff' to the list.  I’m still not really sure what turns marshmallow into marshmallow fluff, but before I could find out I owned a couple of jars of the stuff and wondered what to use it for!

What I can say is that it is the stickiest, sweetest substance I have encountered.  It stuck to the spoon so I used a knife to scrape it off.  It then stuck to the knife so I used a spatula to scrape that off...can you see where this is going?  It even made the baked sponge sticky.  Until I got it under control I had visions of Mr CC getting home and finding me stuck in the middle of a marshmallow fluff web in the kitchen.

Now, all of this might make you think that I didn’t bond with it (actually, I bonded rather too well – sticking two of my fingers together!) but it does have one thing in its favour – it is delicious!  I can forgive it all its ‘handling issues’!

These cupcakes are very sweet and simple looking.  I think what makes them, is the texture – that mallowy sticky sweetness.  They are sweet, I cut down on the icing sugar in the buttercream from the original recipe and they are still very sweet.  If you know anyone on the cusp of diabetes maybe steer them away from this recipe!

NB.  I bought my marshmallow fluff from Amazon, but I have noticed that some ‘old fashioned’ sweet shops also stock it.

Ingredients:

For the sponges:

175g unsalted butter, at room temperature
175g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 tablespoons marshmallow fluff
175g self raising flour
2 tablespoons milk

For the buttercream:
150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150g icing sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150g marshmallow fluff

To decorate: sprinkles of your choice

How to make:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper cases.

Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until pale, fluffy and whippy – almost like whipped cream.  It will take a good 5-10 minutes so don’t skimp.

Beat in the vanilla extract.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding some of the flour if the mixture looks like it’s curdling.

Beat in the marshmallow fluff.

Fold in the flour and the milk.

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tray.

As soon as you can safely handle, remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Now make the buttercream: Beat together the butter, icing sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth.

Beat in the marshmallow fluff gradually, large spoonfuls at a time, until incorporated.

Pipe over the cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles.

Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have created.

Eat.