Trifle Cupcakes with raspberries

As summer is approaching, though very very slowly, I was craving fresh raspberries. Obviously they were still pretty sour at this time of year so I decided to turn them into these cupcakes. They are both filled and topped with vanilla custard - for convenience's sake I chose to prepare the filling with a ready-made product. But I guess using homemade custard would be the proverbial "icing on the cake".  ;-)

Sorry for the pic's poor quality. I took it with my cell...

 Yields 10-12 cupcakes


For the sponge:

• 1/2 stick of butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs

For the filling and frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups of ready-made custard
• 1/2 cup / 7fl oz double cream
• 12 raspberries
• 1/4 cup raspberry jam
• edible rosebuds, rolled-fondant butterflies

Method:
 

1. Cream the butter, sugar and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well.
2. Add the buttermilk and vanilla extract to the rest of the mixture and beat well. Sift the flour and baking soda, add to the rest and whisk until a nice and smooth batter has formed.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. Divide evenly among 10 to 12 muffin cases, about one generous tablespoon per case. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely on a rack

 

4. For the filling whip the double cream until fairly stiff peaks form. Add the custard and mix well. Set aside and cool.

5. With a sharp knife, make a hollow (3/4 inch in diameter) in the centre of each cupcake; make sure you keep the cut-out pieces! Put one raspberry into each hollow, then pipe about 1/2 teaspoon of the raspberry jam on top and add the same quantity of custard on top of the jam. Trim the cut-out pieces of sponge so they will fit the now almost completely filled hollows and replace them on top of the filling. Make sure that the top is level with the rest of the cupcake.

6. Mix the rest of the custard-filling with the rest of the jam and spread the topping evenly onto the cupcakes. Decorate with rosebuds and rolled-fondant butterflies.