Queen of Puddings Cupcakes

By foodiva

Ingredients

• 175 g butter (at room temperature)
• 175 g self-raising flour
• 175 g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 cupcake cases
• 450 ml milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 160 g raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• 160 g caster sugar
• 3 egg whites
• 165 g caster sugar
• 4 1/2 tbsp water

Details

Servings 12
Preparation time 60mins
Cooking time 60mins
Adapted from myrecipebook.co.uk

Preparation

Step 1

For a while now I’ve been thinking of making a Queen of Puddings. It combines custard, jam and meringue – three things I love to eat. Then I saw the

The recipe is made up of four parts, the sponge, the custard, the jam and the italian meringue. I was tempted to cheat and use ready made jam. Then I had a vision of Mary Berry on Great British Bake Off looking disapprovingly at the fact I’d not made everything from scratch. So out came the raspberries. That said, these cupcakes can be made more quickly by using ready made custard and jam if you’re in a hurry, and Mary would never really know (they’ll be a lot less washing up too – I was very grateful for my dishwasher when I’d finished!).

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Make the cupcake sponge

Preheat the the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan.

Put all of the ingredients into a bowl (175g room temperature butter, 175g self-raising flour, 175g caster sugar, 3 eggs, ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp vanilla extract) and beat until fully combined and smooth.

Evenly divide the mixture between the cupcake cases.

While the cupcakes are cooking, make the custard

Heat the milk (450ml) on a gentle heat until just boiling.

Meanwhile, beat together the eggs (3 yolks) and sugar (1½ tbsp).

Once the milk is just boiling, pour it over the eggs and sugar mixture and whisk rapidly until combined.

Immediately return the mixture to the pan, and return the pan to the hob. Stir over a very low heat for 5-6 minutes until it has thickened.

It's important not to heat it too quickly as the eggs will scramble and you'll end up with lumpy custard.

Leave to cool in the fridge while you make the jam.

Make the jam

Heat the raspberries (160g) and caster sugar (160g) in a saucepan over a very low heat until all of the sugar has melted, stirring occasionally.

Once all of the sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil. You want the jam mixture to reach a heat of exactly 104ºC - use a sugar thermometer to check the exact temperature.

Once the jam has reached 104ºC remove from the heat and pass the mixture through a metal sieve to remove any raspberry seeds.

Set aside to cool, while you make the meringue.

Make the italian meringue

Whisk the egg whites (3 egg whites) until they form a stiff peak.

Mix the caster sugar (165g) and water (4½ tbsp) in a small pan and heat gently to make a syrup. Don't be tempted to stir the sugar syrup as this will cause it to crystallise.

Once all of the sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil. The sugar syrup needs to be heated to 120ºC -

Once the sugar syrup has reached the required temperature it needs to be rapidly whisked into the beaten egg whites. Start your mixer and slowly pour the sugar syrup into the egg white.

Be careful not the pour the syrup onto the whisk as it may splash

Keep the mixer running until the mixture is fully combined and has cooled.

Make sure all of the elements of your cupcakes have cooled.

If you have a blowtorch you may want to give them a quick blast to add some colour.

A sugar thermometer and stand mixer are essential to complete this recipe successfully and safely

I’m going backwards and forwards with whether to add calories to the recipe or not. I think I’d still rather not know, but part of the reason I set up the website was so it included all of the things I wish I could find on other recipe sites, and that includes calories. If I do add them I’ll hide them away at the bottom and pretend they’re not there

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