Work Text:
G & T cupcakes
Based on https://annabanana.co/gin-and-tonic-cupcakes/
For the cupcakes:
175 g unsalted butter room temperature
87 g brown sugar
87 g white sugar
2 medium limes zest only
2 large eggs room temperature
200 g flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 tablespoon gin
3 tablespoon tonic water syrup
For the syrup:
50 g white sugar
Juice of half a lime
3 tablespoon gin
Remaining tonic water syrup
For icing:
150 g unsalted butter room temperature
370 g icing/ powdered sugar
2 tablespoon gin
To decorate (optional):
zest of one lime
Instructions
* Pour one mini can of tonic water (222 mL) into a small saucepan on high. When it begins boiling, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the volume has reduced by half. Take 3 tbsp of this syrup and set it aside to cool.
* Preheat the oven to 175 C (160 C fan). Line 12-hole cupcake tin with paper liners and set aside.
* Place butter and sugar in a large bowl, and using an electric mixer, beat together until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add lime zest and mix again to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, along with 1 tablespoon of flour between each addition (it will prevent the batter from curdling), and mix on low speed until well combined. Fold in the remaining flour and baking powder, followed by gin and tonic syrup and mix together to combine, until you have smooth batter.
* Divide the cupcake batter between the cases (fill ¾ of each cupcake case with batter, leaving enough room for them to rise) and bake for 17- 20 minutes until the cupcakes have risen and are springy to the touch. Let them cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and place on the cooling rack.
* While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the remaining syrup. Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to boil. Simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes, until all the sugar dissolved and it becomes a bit thicker. Remove from the heat and set aside.
* Brush the cupcakes with the syrup (you can also dip the top of each cupcake in the syrup, or spoon it on top of each cupcake) and set aside, while you prepare the butter icing.
* To make butter icing, place the butter and icing sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low speed until well combined. Add 2 tablespoon of gin, and mix again until you have smooth, thick and creamy icing. The longer you beat it, the smoother and lighter in appearance it will be. Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with the nozzle and pipe it on top of each cupcake. Decorate the cupcakes with fresh lime zest.