These festive snowball cupcakes are the decedent way you need to enter the new year.
As we enter 2022, we can all keep our fingers and toes crossed that it will be better than the last.
So, to celebrate the only way it should be celebrated, would be with some great drinks and food. I'm not finished the festive celebrations just yet - we deserve more treats and sweets!
Festive Snowballs (also called Eggnog) are delicious. There really is no debate about this.
They are also the height of decadence and therefore a perfect choice for a new year cupcake.
These cupcakes not only look fantastic but taste incredible too.
Eggnog comprises of eggs, sugar, cream, milk, and brandy or rum. But, in the interest of time and ease, I use a combination of advocaat (I used you-know-who brand), lemonade, lie cordial, and a pinch of nutmeg to recreate the eggnog flavour. You'll thank me for how easy and quickly you can throw these together.
These have a delicious snowball sponge and a delicate snowball buttercream, which contains of a tonne of advocaat to really bump up the snowball flavour.
To increase the wow factor, I filled mine with a glorious crème pâtissier which is surprisingly easy to do once you get the hang of it. The trick is to add the hot milk to the mixture very slowly to avoid cooking the eggs. I last used this in my first recipe for Pwdin Eva Cupcakes 10 whole months ago!
If you're super squeezed on time then these also work great unfilled, or with a white chocolate ganache, which you can find the recipe for here.
I hope you had a lovely Christmas break and continue to have a wonderful festive time right up until 2022!
Happy New Year! Let's get Caking It!
Recipe
180C (170C fan)
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Prep: 15 mins
Bake: 20 mins
Assemble: 5 mins
Ingredients
Sponge
100g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
4 medium eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
150g gluten free self-raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tbsp sour cream
100ml advocaat
2 tbsp lemonade
1 tbsp lime cordial
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Filling
320ml milk
2 egg yolks
30g cornflour
150g caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting: Crème Pâtissier
100g unsalted butter
250g icing sugar
1 tbsp advocaat
1 tsp lime cordial
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Method: Sponge
Don't forget to wait until all the ingredients are room temperature before starting.
Preheat oven to 180C. Fill 12 muffin holes with cases.
With a fork, cream the butter until pale, then add the sugar and cream together until fully incorporated.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing with an electric whisk between each addition. Now add the vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, xanthan gum, and nutmeg with a fork.
Add the flour mixture and gently incorporate. Now add the advocaat, lemonade, and lime cordial.
Spoon in the sour cream and fold until combined.
Spoon 2 tbsp of batter into each cupcake case and let sit for 20 minutes before placing in an oven for 20 minutes. A skewer or toothpick inserted into the cupcakes should come out clean.
Method: Buttercream
This buttercream is based on my simple vanilla buttercream, but it's been decadently laced with advocaat for that snowball flavour.
While the sponges are cooling, move onto the snowball buttercream.
Cream the butter until pale, and gradually add in the icing sugar until it is all incorporated. You can do this either with a standing mixer, an electric hand whisk, or a fork. At this point the mixture should be a little stiff.
Add advocaat and lime cordial to the buttercream and mix until fully combined.
It is at this point that I usually do some taste testing to see if it's the right amount of snowball flavour. Add more advocaat if required!
Method: Crème Pat
This smooth and rich crème pâtissier is a decedent way to fill your snowball cupcakes.
Start off by heating 300ml of milk and the vanilla extract in a saucepan until warm. Take it off the heat and leave to steep.
In a bowl, mix the cornflour and sugar together, then add the eggs and 20ml of milk and beat until smooth.
Once the milk has steeped, very slowly pour the milk into the egg mix while continually whisking.
Pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and heat on low until warm. When it is warm, turn up the heat and vigorously whisk until thick. You will know when it is done when there is resistance against the spoon, and it looks more like jelly than a liquid. This requires some welly so have someone else on hand to help.
Strain through a sieve and mix in the advocaat, then cover with clingfilm, making sure it is touching the top of the mixture until needed.
Assembly
Making sure the sponges are completely cool, scoop out the middle of the cupcake with an apple corer, taking care not to go right down to the bottom.
Spoon a little creme pat into each cupcake hole.
Pipe on a good layer of the advocaat buttercream.
Enjoy!
