Nigella Lawson Christmas Cupcakes

Name: Nigella Lawson Christmas Cupcakes
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients: 236.59 ml all-purpose flour; 4.92 ml baking powder; 2.46 ml baking soda; 4.92 ml ground mixed spice; 0.25 ml salt; 118.29 ml soft unsalted butter; 118.29 ml dark brown sugar, plus; 44.37 ml dark brown sugar; 2 large eggs; 44.37 ml sour cream; 118.29 ml boiling water; 85.04 g bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces; 4.92 ml instant coffee; 255.14 g instant royal icing (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons); 340.19 g package ready-to-roll green fondant; 30 cranberries, for decoration (about)

Submitted by Lorraine of AZ

"These cupcakes sound yummy. Nigella describes them as "somewhere between chocolate and gingerbread." She has decorated them with white frosting, with two holly leaves made from ready-made, dyed icing and cranberries for the holly berries. I'm putting the recipe here so I know where it is at Christmastime. I don't know if the types of icings she uses are available here in the U.S., but you'll get the idea."

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Ready In:: 50mins
Ingredients:: 16
Yields:: 12 cupcakes

ingredients

236.59 ml all-purpose flour
4.92 ml baking powder
2.46 ml baking soda
4.92 ml ground mixed spice
0.25 ml salt
118.29 ml soft unsalted butter
118.29 ml dark brown sugar, plus
44.37 ml dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
44.37 ml sour cream
118.29 ml boiling water
85.04 g bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
4.92 ml instant coffee
255.14 g instant royal icing (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
340.19 g package ready-to-roll green fondant
30 cranberries, for decoration (about)

directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper baking cups.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and soda, the mixed spice and salt.
In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in one-third of flour mixture followed by a tablespoon of the sour cream, repeating till all is used up.
Put water, chocolate, and instant coffee in a pan and heat gently, just until the chocolate is melted. Fold this into the batter, but don't overbeat. The mixture will be very thin; "so don't worry about that," advises Nigella.
Pour batter carefully into waiting muffin cups and put in oven for about 20 minutes. The cakes should be cooked through but still dense and damp. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes then lift out carefully onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.
To ice them, make up the royal icing according to the package instructions and cover the tops of the cupcakes thickly. Cut out holly leaves from the green fondant using a small holly-leaf cutter with veining stamp . Arrange 2 leaves on each cake, then then press on the cranberries, 2 or 3 to a cake, to represent the holly berries.

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Reviews

these are by far the best chocolate cup cakes I have ever made.I did not have the mixed spice so I used nutmeg,ginger and cinnamon.The boiling water was hot enough to melt the choco chips. I used plain yogourt instead of sourcream.There is no need for topper.

patkochi
These were really yummy. The cooking time was a lot less in my oven, but I think I need to check my oven's temp. I made Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting for these, which was a perfect, yummy topper!

SeriousMoms
Heaven! Although I decorated mine a bit more simply x

Tara 4
I've made these a few times to rave reviews - it seems a bit fiddly when you read thru the recipe for the first time but they are worth the effort. I iced with dark choc-sour cream icing and decorated with foil hearts for Valentine's Day.

CharlieNZ
these cakes are so amazing. i left out the icing and decor, but they are wonderful plain. so fluffy and spicy. i made these a few times this winter, everybody loved them.

dandel764

Tweaks

these are by far the best chocolate cup cakes I have ever made.I did not have the mixed spice so I used nutmeg,ginger and cinnamon.The boiling water was hot enough to melt the choco chips. I used plain yogourt instead of sourcream.There is no need for topper.

patkochi