Oh yum...

We baked cupcakes yesterday afternoon. So much fun!! Cupcakes that are seriously bad for you, but at the same time seriously gooooood :) They just turned out incredibly yummy. Almond & marzipan cupcakes with raspberry jam. At first I thought "Raspberry jam....with marzipan?!". But it works. It really works!! And they are even yummier today if anything. I better not confess that I have already had two today and it's only the middle of the afternoon LOL!

We had a little mishap overfilling some of them so they got a little oddly shaped. But who cares. They taste just as nice :)

Now I must pass on big thanks to Shimelle for this seriously nice recipe.

*** We Love Almonds Cupcakes ***

Ingredients:
250g unsalted butter
150g sugar
100g brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
70g ground almonds
150g self-raising flour (you may need a little more)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
100ml cream
50ml milk
Raspberry jam

Heat oven to 170c and line cupcake tin with papers. This recipe makes about 18 average sized cupcakes.

In a mixing bowl, beat softened butter with an electric mix/whisk until fluffy. Add sugars and continue to beat.Add eggs one at a time and continue to beat. Stir in almond extract. Add dry ingredients gradually, mixing throughout. Stir in cream and milk until texture is consistent.
Spoon into cupcake papers, filling just over half full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a chopstick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Use a melon baller or a knife to remove part of the top of the cooled cupcake, and spoon in raspberry jam. Replace top and add frosting.

Ice with almond buttercream (unsalted butter, icing sugar, almond extract and a little milk). Roll out some marzipan and cut shapes with a cookie cutter.

...and I bet you'd like to see what ours turned out like, right: