Starry Christmas CupCake Recipe
These pretty cupcakes are just the thing to get you in the festive mood and the fruity buns are much lighter than traditional Christmas fruitcakes. Make the fondant stars the day before to let them firm up. If you can’t find blue fondant icing, add a few drops of blue food coloring to white fondant icing and knead to make a pale blue.
Make the star decorations the day before you plan to make the cupcakes. Roll out the fondant icing, then use the cookie cutter to cut out the 12 stars. Set aside and let dry overnight.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- grated peel of 1 unwaxed orange
- 1/2 cup self-rising flour
- 1 tablespoon brandy
- 4 dried figs, chopped
- 3 tablespoons golden raisins
- 1/2 cup glace cherries, halved
To decorate
- 3 1/2 oz. blue ready-to-roll fondant icing
- 3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
- 3 egg whites
- 2 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- edible silver balls (dragees)
- edible clear sparkles
- a mini star shaped cookie cutter
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 F.
Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until creamy, then gradually beat in the egg, followed by the orange peel. Sift the flour into the mixture and fold in, then stir in the brandy, followed by dried fruit and glace cherries.
Spoon the mixture into the paper liners and bake in the preheated oven for about 14 minutes until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To decorate, gradually neat the sugar into 2 of the egg whites in a bowl until smooth and creamy, then beat in the lemon juice. Spoon the mixture over the cupcakes and scatter over the silver balls. Let firm up slightly.
Place the star decorations on top of the cupcakes, brush with the remaining egg white, and sprinkle with edible sparkles.
makes 12
