Arizona cupcakes
Cupcakes are small sponge cakes. In their original American version, they are usually decorated with brightly coloured icing. Here's a version inspired by the famous saguaro cactus, so common in Arizona.
1 hour 50 min.
Easy
50 cupcakes
10 IngredientsLast modified on: October 13th 2010
For 50 cupcakes, you will need:
- 1
1 cup butter - 2
1⁄3 cup caster sugar - 3
1 ½ tablespoon vanilla sugar - 4
1 1⁄3 cup flour - 5
4 eggs - 6
2 pinches salt - 7
1 tablespoon baking powder - 8
1 cup marzipan (almond paste) - 9
2 tablespoons icing sugar - 10
1 1⁄3 cup fondant icing
Change these quantities to make:
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 1 hour 15 min.
Cooking: 35 min.
All in all: 1 hour 50 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 3 min.
Cut 1 cup butter into small pieces and tip into the bowl of the mixer, along with 1⁄3 cup caster sugar and 1 ½ tablespoon vanilla sugar.
Stage 2 - 5 min.
Knead for a few minutes on slow speed until thoroughly mixed.
Stage 3 - 3 min.
Stage 4 - 5 min.
Knead again on medium speed just until evenly mixed.
Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F).
Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F).
Stage 5 - 10 min.
Divide the mixture between small moulds, preferably in paper cake cases. Do not over fill as the cakes will expand during cooking.
You can divide out the mixture with a spoon, but it's much quicker and easier to use a forcing bag.
You can divide out the mixture with a spoon, but it's much quicker and easier to use a forcing bag.
Stage 6 - 35 min.
Put in the oven and bake for around 35 minutes (watch for colouring).
Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Stage 7 - 15 min.
Meanwhile, make the cacti using green marzipan.
Stage 8 - 10 min.
Melt 1 1⁄3 cup fondant icing in a bain-marie.
Note: if you don't have fondant icing, make up a quick glacé icing using 100g icing sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon water, or just a little more.
Note: if you don't have fondant icing, make up a quick glacé icing using 100g icing sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon water, or just a little more.
Stage 9 - 2 min.
Spread icing over the cupcakes...
Stage 10 - 1 min.
... and place a cactus on top immediately.
Stage 11 - 20 min.
Decorate all the cupcakes like this.
Remarks
You can start with the basic cupcake mix and let your imagination run wild!
A quick variation: replace the marzipan decorations with pistachio paste, which gives a more realistic saguaro cactus colour.
For that real Arizona touch, the sun should make an appearance on the cupcakes, maybe as a small circle of yellow marzipan at the top to left or right of the cactus? Oh, well - for next time.
A quick variation: replace the marzipan decorations with pistachio paste, which gives a more realistic saguaro cactus colour.
For that real Arizona touch, the sun should make an appearance on the cupcakes, maybe as a small circle of yellow marzipan at the top to left or right of the cactus? Oh, well - for next time.
Keeping: Several days in a closed metal box.
Source: Home-made, but warmly dedicated to Krissy, Kelley and Heather, three charming friends from Phoenix, of whom I cherish fond memories.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 100 RDI=40 % | 990 RDI=90 % | 360 RDI=50 % | 5,090 RDI=250 % | 21,300 RDI: 250 % |
| Per 100 g | 8 RDI=3 % | 80 RDI=8 % | 30 RDI=4 % | 420 RDI=20 % | 1,750 RDI: 20 % |
| Per cupcakes | 2 RDI=1 % | 20 RDI=2 % | 7 RDI=1 % | 100 RDI=5 % | 430 RDI: 5 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 50 cupcakes : 6.65 €
- Per cupcakes : 0.15 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Fondant icing
Like these other recipes: Chinois, Fondant-iced pithivier, Chocolate eclairs, ... See them all 3
Flour
Like these other recipes: Sandwich bread, Toasted almond cake, Plain cake, Brownies, Crunchy little pieces of fish, ... See them all 204
Marzipan (almond paste)
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Piped petits-fours, How to make marzipan decorations, Agen prune cake, Little Christmas biscuits, Fraisier (French strawberry cake), ... See them all 6
Butter
Like these other recipes: Nanou's apple and almond cake, Mouna, Caramelized apple "moelleux" cake, Smooth mixed vegetable soup, Bonnevaux apple tart, ... See them all 477
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