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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.

199 K 1× 4.5/5 (21 reviews)

1 hour 50 min. difficulté

Easy

3.35 €

25 cupcakes

10 Ingredients

Last modified on: October 13^th 2010

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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:

25 cupcakes 50 cupcakes 75 cupcakes

Change measures:

Metric

Metric weight Metric volumes

Times for this recipe

Preparation: 1 hour 15 min.

Cooking: 35 min.

All in all: 1 hour 50 min.

When should you start or finish this recipe?

If you start now, at 13:25, you will finish around : 15:10.Change start time

To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: 17:45.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.

Then add ²⁄₃ cup flour, 2 eggs, 1 pinch salt and 1 teaspoon baking powder.

Stage 4 - 5 min.

Knead again on medium speed just until evenly mixed.

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.

Stage 6 - 35 min.

Put in the oven and bake for around 35 minutes (watch for colouring).

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.

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.

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 %

The % figures are calculated in relation to the Recommended Dietary Intake , or RDI of 2,000 k-calories (or 8,400 k-joules) per day for a woman Change to a man

Possible allergens in this recipe: Milk, Gluten, egg, Nuts

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.

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The 1 comment already posted on this recipe

Those are absoluetly perfect!! I love it! I sure wish we could share that cup of tea while enjoying your yummy cupcakes.
Posted by Krissy may 10^th 2010 at 04:40 n° 1

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