RECIPE | G&T Cupcakes

 These aren't just some ordinary cupcakes! Who knew that the nation's favourite tipple could be converted into a cupcake? The first time I made these was for a Macmillan coffee morning at work to add a little extra buzz and excitement around the event and they hardly lasted five minutes! So, I kept making them, for parties, friends birthdays and the requests just kept flooding in. I have developed the recipe and the decoration over the past couple of years and thought I'd let you all in on the secret. 

Putting gin into a cake batter is a bad idea, the alcohol will be cooked off during the process and you won't get the distinctive flavour that you are after. However, tonic works perfectly in the batter, adds a slight fizz and means that you batter is super smooth. But top those cakes with a pipette full of gin and you're onto a winner. That means that you can squeeze as much or as little gin as you like into the cake (for an extra kick, add a little gin to your icing too!). 

Top Tip

When making alcohol cupcakes, remember that as the alcohol can be cooked off during baking, add the alcohol once the cupcakes are baked and warm fresh out of the oven - just like a lemon drizzle cake. The pipette is the best way of adding the fantastic flavour that you love, and also gives you the choice on strength. 

Gin & Tonic Cupcakes (makes 12)

Ingredients 

For the cupcakes:

• 175g Unsalted butter
• 175g Caster sugar 
• 175g Self raising flour 
• 25g Plain flour
• 2 Large eggs 
• 1tsp Baking powder
• 1tsp Vanilla extract 
• 4tbsp Tonic water 
• Gin for soaking/drizzling

For the icing: 

• 250g Unsalted butter (block)
• 500g Icing sugar
• 100ml Tonic water
• 50ml Gin 
• 1 Lime 
• 12 small cupcake pipettes 

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180°c fan and line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases. 
2. Place the butter and caster sugar into a bowl and whilst (with an electric whisk or stand mixer if you have one) on a high speed setting until light, fluffy and creamy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla, mixing well in between each addition so that you get back to the light and fluffy texture. Then, add the flours and baking powder in one go. Fold the flour mixture until all ingredients are fully combined. 
4. Add the tonic water and stir in. 
5. Fill your cupcake cases to ⅔ full and bake for 15-20 minutes until the cake bounces back to the touch (if you're not confident, insert a skewer and if it comes out clean, your cakes are done!)
6. When the cupcakes are still warm, remove them from the tin to cool completely and spike them multiple times with a fork. Use a pastry brush to brush gin over the warm cupcakes so that it soaks into the sponge. 
7. For the buttercream, allow your block unsalted butter to come to room temperature and chop into cubes before mixing on high speed until creamy. Then add your icing sugar and half of your tonic water. Build up the speed until your on high and add a little more tonic if it's too stuff. The buttercream should be super smooth but strong enough to hold its shape when piped. 
8. Pop a piping nozzle (star shape is the one used for the image, but you can use any for different patterns) a the bottom of your piping bag and cut the end off so that it sits snuggly. Then, fill with your buttercream and pipe a generous swirl onto each cupcake and add a small wedge of lime (your wedges should be small enough to get 12 out of one lime). 
9. Fill each pipette with your gin of choice and pop these into the opposite side of the cupcake icing to your lime. 
10. Finally, tag me in any pics and enjoy your little cupcakes of heaven. Can't wait to see your creations!

You can also buy G&T cupcake baking kits here. The kit includes everything you need apart from the eggs including nozzles and piping bags.