Since I already have quite a few festive recipes on my blog, I decided this year something simple was in order.
Basic cupcakes like these are great to make when you don’t have time for more complex baking, and they would be a good thing to make with kids as well since the cook time is short (and the decoration options are endless!).
These cupcakes are spiced with the Gewürzhaus Christmas Cake and Pudding Spice which I was gifted in November when I went to visit the new Gewürzhaus store in Sydney’s QVB. It elevates these cupcakes from basic to festive, and provides all the Christmas-y flavour you could need (with very little effort). Other festive spice mixes can be used - a gingerbread style spice mix would also work really well, or a combination of spices such as cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg.
The vanilla buttercream is a favourite of mine and has a great vanilla flavour thanks to both vanilla extract and paste. The recipe makes a generous amount so you will have a decent amount of icing on each cupcake, ready to decorate whichever way you please.
Spiced Christmas Cupcakes with Very Vanilla Buttercream
Ingredients:
125g unsalted butter, at room temp
95g caster sugar
70g vanilla bean sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
250g self raising flour
3 tsp Gewürzhaus Christmas Cake and Pudding Spice*
105ml buttermilk
Ingredients for Vanilla Buttercream:
200g unsalted butter, at room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
240g icing sugar, sifted
festive sprinkles, to decorate (optional)
festive cupcake toppers, to decorate (optional)
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius, and line a 12 hole cupcake tray with cupcake cases.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time and mix well.
Then add half the flour and mix on low speed until combined. Add the milk and mix on low speed until combined. Then add the remaining flour and Christmas Cake and Pudding Spice and gently mix until everything is combined and there are no lumps.
Spoon the mixture evenly amongst the cupcake cases, filling so the cases are about 3/4 full.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean and the cakes spring back to the touch. Remove the cupcakes from the tray and allow to cool on a wire rack.
To make the icing, beat the butter and vanillas in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for at least 1 minute, or until the butter is light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar and beat for a further minute or two, or until the icing sugar is well combined and the icing is light and fluffy.
Spread or pipe icing onto the top of each cupcake, and decorate as desired.
Makes 12 cupcakes, will keep for a few days in an airtight container.
*This spice mix is a mixture of cassia, coriander, ginger, clove, nutmeg, so a similar mix of spices could be used in its place.
Gewürzhaus Christmas Cake and Pudding Spice was gifted by Gewürzhaus.
