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
½ cup butter - 2
2 tablespoons caster sugar - 3
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar - 4
2⁄3 cup flour - 5
2 eggs - 6
1 pinch salt - 7
1 teaspoon baking powder - 8
½ cup marzipan (almond paste) - 9
1 tablespoon icing sugar - 10
2⁄3 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 ½ cup butter into small pieces and tip into the bowl of the mixer, along with 2 tablespoons caster sugar and 1 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 2⁄3 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 | 50 RDI=20 % | 500 RDI=50 % | 180 RDI=30 % | 2,540 RDI=130 % | 10,650 RDI: 130 % |
| 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 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: Chinois, Chocolate eclairs, Fondant-iced pithivier, ... See them all 3
Flour
Like these other recipes: Mascarpone fondant with two lemons, Hazelnut and orange cake, Oat shortbread biscuits, Spinach and Comté Loaf, Muffin dough, ... See them all 200
Marzipan (almond paste)
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Piped petits-fours, Provençal colombier for Pentecost, How to make marzipan decorations, Agen prune cake, Little Christmas biscuits, ... See them all 6
Butter
Like these other recipes: Tomato tatin, Two-stage beef chuck , Langoustine sabayon tart, Mussels marinière, Pan-fried salmon with white cabbage, ... See them all 463
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