Ingredients

Method

For the cupcakes:
• 3 eggs
• 180 g soft brown sugar
• 80 ml apricot jam
• 100 g butter, melted
• 25 ml white vinegar OR lemon juice
• 280 g cake flour
• 5 ml bicarbonate of soda
• A pinch of salt
• 200 ml milk
For the malva sauce:
• 250 ml fresh cream
• 125 ml water
• 150 g soft brown sugar
• 45 g butter
• 5 ml vanilla essence OR vanilla seeds from 1 pod
For the milk tart frosting:
• 200 g castor sugar
• 70 g cake flour
• 330 ml milk
• 1 ml salt
• 330 g butter, at room temperature
• 5 ml vanilla essence OR vanilla seeds from 1 pod
• Cinnamon sugar, for dusting

Method

Ingredients

To make the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line two cupcake pans with cupcake papers.

2. Beat the eggs and brown sugar together until the sugar has dissolved.

3. Add the apricot jam, melted butter and vinegar, and mix well.

4. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the egg mixture, as well as the milk, and mix well to make a

smooth batter.

5. Divide the batter between the cupcake papers and bake for about 20 minutes until cooked or until a skewer

inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean.

To make the malva sauce:

6. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan on medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.

7. Poke a few holes in the top of the cupcakes as soon as they come out the oven and spoon 25 ml of the sauce over each cupcake. (If you like the cupcakes more moist, you can add more of the sauce.)

8. Cool completely on a wire rack.

9. Frost the cupcakes with the milk tart frosting.

To make the milk tart frosting: 

10. Place the castor sugar and flour in a small saucepan.

11. Gradually add the milk and salt, and whisk well to combine.

12. Place on low heat and stir continuously. It will thicken. Bring to a gentle simmer and
allow to simmer for about 1 minute.

13. Remove from the heat and cover the surface with clingfilm. It must touch the surface with no air bubbles in between – this will prevent it from forming a skin. Allow to cool completely.

14. Beat the butter until very light and fluffy.

15. Add the flour mixture to the whipped butter in four batches, beating very well after each addition, until the frosting is light and airy.

16. Stir in the vanilla and then spoon the frosting into a piping bag.

17. Pipe the frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Cook's note: Instead of dusting with cinnamon sugar, reduce the leftover malva sauce to a syrup and drizzle over the cupcakes.

This is an extract from Baking by Christine Capendale, published by Human & Rousseau, retailing for R420.

Find more cake recipes here.