White Chocolate & Clementine Cupcakes

As my favourite time of the year rapidly approaches (where has this year gone again!!!) I start to plan and prepare my Christmas feast for family and friends and I always create a special cake or cookie ready for guests dropping by. This year I decided on a luscious, creamy white chocolate frosting atop a bright red, clementine‑infused cake and a zingy fresh strawberry perched jauntily on the top… Santa Claus has arrived in a very tasty fashion!

If you don't like strawberries or if you don’t quite have enough (like I didn’t… oops!) you can always pipe frosting on the top to resemble trees and decorate with sugar decorations. I used mini sugar gingerbread and white sugar dragees that I had in the cupboard but you can literally use anything.

What You Need

Cupcakes

• 200g self raising flour
• ½ level teaspoon baking powder
• 200g caster sugar
• 100g butter
• 100g baking margarine
• Grated zest of 4 clementines
• 4 medium eggs, lightly beaten
• Few drops of red food colouring

Frosting

• 250g butter
• 200g icing sugar
• 200g white chocolate
• 16 large ripe strawberries
• White chocolate stars, red/blue dragees or mini sugar‑coated chocolate beans

What You Do

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Line 2 muffin tins with 16 paper cases.
2. Place the butter, margarine, caster sugar and clementine zest in a bowl and beat until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs a little at a time, then fold in the flour, baking powder and red food colouring until you have a deep red batter.
3. Divide the mixture between the 16 cases and bake for 15–20 minutes or until well risen and firm to the touch. Leave to cool.
4. For the frosting, melt the white chocolate in a bowl over hot (not boiling) water or in the microwave in short bursts. Leave to cool slightly.
5. Cream the butter and icing sugar until very soft and fluffy, then beat in the melted chocolate. Continue beating until pale and creamy. Place into a piping bag with a star nozzle.
6. Cut each strawberry just above halfway. Pipe a small swirl of frosting inside the bottom half, attach the top, then pipe a small blob on top for a bobble. Add two dragees or mini chocolate beans for eyes and a mouth.
7. Pipe a swirl of frosting onto each cupcake, sprinkle with white chocolate stars, then place a filled strawberry on top.
8. If you don’t have quite enough strawberries, simply pipe the frosting on the top of some of the cakes to look like little trees — they looked really cute and were ideal as one member of my family doesn’t like strawberries…