I love Christmas Cake, the family not so much. This recipe for “hungover” Christmas Cupcakes makes exactly 12 cupcakes which can be made in advance and frozen. So if you’re trying to get ahead of the Christmas rush then it’s grand and handy.

Why hungover Christmas cupcakes? Well they came about when I accidentally added espresso to the cupcake mixture and the resulting cakes were so tasty that I’ve made them again and again!

Ingredients (makes 12 hungover Christmas cupcakes)

• 165g Butter (unsalted)
• 110g Light Brown Demerara Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Black Treacle
• 3 Medium Free Range Eggs
• 165g Plain Flour
• 1 shot good quality Espresso
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 400g mixed fruit presoaked (at least overnight) in whiskey (100ml) & juice and rind from 1 orange
• 50g finely chopped crystallised ginger
• 50ml whiskey to sprinkle on the cakes while warm

Equipment

• Mixing Bowl or Stand Mixer
• Wooden Spoon
• Cupcake Cases
• Cupcake Baking Tray

Method

1. Preheat your (fan) oven to 150 degrees Celcius and line your cupcake tray with cases.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together then add the treacle and mix in well.

3. Beat the eggs into the mixture one by one until the batter is smooth and not lumpy. If it is lumpy then add a small spoon of the flour.

4. Slowly beat in the flour, espresso, baking powder, cinnamon and ground ginger. The batter will become thick.

5. Stir in the soaked mixed fruit and crystallised ginger.

6. Divide the mixture equally between the cupcake cases and bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes.

7. After 40 minutes using a cocktail stick test the cakes by poking right into the centre, if they are baked then the cocktail stick will come away clean. If the stick does not come away clean then bake for a further 10 minutes and test again.

8. Once cooked remove the cupcakes from the oven and sprinkle the top of each with whiskey and leave to cool covered with a clean tea towel.

9. If you’re going to freeze the cupcakes, then once completely cool then (still inside the cases) bag them or box them before putting them into the freezer to protect them from burn.

10. To ice/frost beat together 150g unsalted butter, 50ml full fat milk and 400g icing sugar. Flavour as you wish although perhaps a little whiskey in the icing might add a bit of zing!

Related Christmas Recipes: Malted Cookies and Gluten Free Chocolate Cherry Cake

This recipe, and more, is available on Wholesome Ireland.

If you have tried this recipe let us know what you thought of it in the comments below

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