National Cupcake Week is on the way ! Posh Birds’ passion fruit and coconut meringue cupcakes recipe

National Cupcake Week is on the way again - this year it will be taking place from 16th-22nd September so that's only a couple of weeks away. Time to make sure your baking cupboards are fully stocked ! Posh Birds, the ultimate specialty eggs provider, have teamed up with celebrity chef and bona fide Posh Bird, Sophie Michell, to create a selection of decadent and delicious recipes designed to accompany the very best engagements that make up the British ‘Season’. (Look out for further recipes over the next couple of weeks.) Here's the one that she provided for National Cupcake Week.

Posh Birds’ passion fruit and coconut meringue cupcakes

Makes 12

Ingredients

For the cakes

110g softened butter

110g caster sugar

2 Posh Birds eggs

100g self-raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

For the passion fruit curd

4-5 large passion fruit

125g caster sugar

2 Posh Birds eggs + 2 yolks

75g unsalted butter, chopped

For the coconut frosting

350g caster sugar

2 tbsp of corn syrup

1/2 vanilla or coconut extract

2 Posh Birds egg whites

100g fresh coconut, cut into thin slivers

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C/gas mark 4. Line a 12-hole bun tin with fairy cake cases.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl, and gradually add to the butter and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Sift over the flour and baking powder and add the vanilla extract and the milk. Fold all the ingredients together.

3. Spoon the mixture evenly among each paper case. Bake for around 30 minutes or until risen and golden. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

4. Make the passionfruit curd. Halve the passionfruit and scoop out the seeds and juice. Measure into a bowl until you have around 175g. Put into a saucepan with the sugar, eggs, yolks and butter and place the pan over a very low heat. Stir the mixture until the butter melts. Continue to stir until the mixture thickens - this will take about 20 minutes. Be careful not to overheat otherwise the mixture will scramble. When the mixture has thickened pour into a plastic container to cool.

5. For the frosting, put the caster sugar, corn syrup and vanilla or coconut extract into a pan and heat gently to allow the sugar to dissolve. As soon as the sugar has dissolved, put a sugar thermometer into the mixture and cook over a medium heat until the temperature reaches 160°C.

6. Whisk the egg whites in a metal bowl (or in the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer) until stiff. Pour in the sugar syrup, whisking all the time. Place over a pan of simmering water, making sure the base doesn’t touch the water, and continue to whisk until the mixture is thick, white and glossy and is completely cool. This will take about 7 minutes.

7. When ready to assemble the cupcakes scoop a hole out of the centre of each one, then spoon in a teaspoon of curd. Spread a layer of frosting on top of each one. Toast the frosting with a blowtorch until just golden then push a couple of shavings of coconut into each one and serve!

National Cupcake Week is designed to help promote the popularity of cupcakes in order to help bakery businesses. In addition, the week aims to encourage bakers to raise money for their partner company CLIC Sargent, through fundraising during the week, or donating a percentage of their sales to the charity for children and young people with cancer.

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

What's Cooking at The Madhouse next week ? menu plan 30/8

Last of the Summer Recipes

Recipe : Roasted Summer Fruits