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
25 cupcakes
10 IngredientsLast modified on: October 13th 2010
For 25 cupcakes, you will need:
- 1
100 g butter - 2
30 g caster sugar - 3
10 g vanilla sugar - 4
100 g flour - 5
2 eggs - 6
1 pinch salt - 7
5 g baking powder - 8
100 g marzipan (almond paste) - 9
1 tablespoon icing sugar - 10
150 g fondant icing - Total weight: 610 grams
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 100 g butter into small pieces and tip into the bowl of the mixer, along with 30 g caster sugar and 10 g 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 150 g 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 | 50 RDI=20 % | 500 RDI=40 % | 180 RDI=20 % | 2,540 RDI=90 % | 10,650 RDI: 90 % |
| Per 100 g | 8 RDI=2 % | 80 RDI=6 % | 30 RDI=3 % | 420 RDI=20 % | 1,750 RDI: 20 % |
| Per cupcakes | 2 RDI=1 % | 20 RDI=1 % | 7 RDI=1 % | 100 RDI=4 % | 430 RDI: 4 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 25 cupcakes : 3.35 €
- 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: Chocolate eclairs, Fondant-iced pithivier, Chinois, ... See them all 3
Flour
Like these other recipes: Biscuit de Savoie sponge cake, Cheese Soufflé, Far Normandy-Brittany, Toffee apple upside-down cake, Fillet of salmon meunière, ... See them all 201
Marzipan (almond paste)
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Provençal colombier for Pentecost, Agen prune cake, How to make marzipan decorations, Little Christmas biscuits, Fraisier (French strawberry cake), ... See them all 6
Butter
Like these other recipes: Winemaker's toast, Gnocchi alla romana, Chocolate mousse, Baked potoatoes with herb butter or cream , Tart Tatin, ... See them all 470
Other recipes you may also like
Epiphany galette
Here is the recipe for the very classic but delicious "galette des rois" (Epiphany galette) in puff or flaky pastry (pâte feuilletée) with almond cream or frangipane . You will also see some professional tips to easily handle the dough, and obtain a nice and regular galette.January 1st 2025294 K 24.5 3 hours 8 min.
Chocolate mousse
Here is a simple quick recipe for chocolate mousse. It is just necessary to be careful at the final stage, when mixing the melted chocolate and the beaten egg-whites.February 21th 2011478 K3.7 40 min.
Marzipan (almond paste)
Very easy to do if you have a food processor which can slice or grate a lot of things.December 19th 2021635 K 34.5 15 min.
Fougasse with bacon and Comté
This is a richer version of the traditional Mediterranean recipe (originaly, it was a simple olive oil bread).October 24th 2017340 K4.1 3 hours 9 min.
Stewed apple (compote)
Here is a very basic but delicious recipe, and the pitfalls to avoid.November 8th 20172.43 M 14.8 1 hour 15 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-06-08)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.
The 1 comment already posted on this recipe