Lately I’ve embarked on a spate of baking. With the cooler weather there seems to be a never ending demand for cake. For school lunch boxes, cake stalls, afternoon teas and bring a plate get togethers. Whatever the request a tray of freshly baked cupcakes usually does the trick. Quick and easy to whip up with a minimum of fuss. Although I will admit decorating them has always been my particular achilles heel.
To sidestep the problem I have embraced the philosophy of less is more. Naked cakes adorned with nothing more than a lazy dusting of sifted icing sugar or a sweet syrup glaze. Occasionally for something a little fancier I’ll go all out with a piping bag and lashings of butter cream, although I much prefer the simplicity of a dollop of melted chocolate to anchor sprinklings of hundreds and thousands or cachous. Then there’s this glorious idea. No cake decorating required. All in one berry cupcakes baked with a blanket of meringue and a scattering of flaked almonds.
Raspberry and Almond Cupcakes With A Baked Meringue Topping
Makes 12 Cupcakes
Note: one standard Australian cup holds 250ml
For the Cupcakes
200 grams unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1 1/3 cups self raising flour
2/3 cup almond meal
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup raspberries, thawed if frozen
For the Meringue Topping
2 egg whites
1/2 cup caster sugar
generous pinch of cream of tartar
1/4 cup flaked almonds
2 tablespoons brown sugar
PREHEAT oven to 160 C. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper cases.
CREAM butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until very light and fluffy.
BEAT in eggs one at a time until well combined.
FOLD in flour and almond meal with just enough milk to achieve a batter of dropping consistency.
WHISK the egg whites in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar, one tablespoonful at a time until the mixture is thick and glossy. Fold through a generous pinch of cream of tartar to stabilize the meringue.
SPOON the cupcake batter evenly into the paper cases, filing each case until about two thirds full.
SCATTER over a few raspberries, then spread over an even layer of meringue mixture. Sprinkle with flaked almonds and brown sugar.
BAKE in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool.
The Paddington Foodie 
I love this idea! So simple it’s almost ridiculous 😉 Deffo on the list! 😀
One of those minimum effort for maximum effect recipes. Much less fiddlier than blow torching Italian meringue.
This sounds like a masterpiece on flavor!
They are delicious. And so very well dressed with their little meringue hats.
Wow this looks ingeniously beautiful! 🙂
Thank you. They do have a little rustic charm don’t they?
The simpler the better! 🙂
My grandsons are arriving for a short stay after a year of living in Italy……..perfect, they will enjoy making them!
I made these gluten free. Talk about a hit! It was my turn to pick up & drop off to after school sport so i brought them along for afternoon tea. The kids loved them and no one even knew they were GF 🙂 thanks for a super dooper quick and easy hit.
Thanks for the lively feedback Jodie. They also work beautifully as a gluten free cupcake by substituting the self raising flour with an additionsl equal amount of almond meal and two teaspoons of baking powder if you don’t have gluten free flour on hand. We’ve also tried my flourless hazelnut chocolate cake baked as cupcakes with berries and a meringue topping. They were divine.