Saffron & Rose Funfetti Cupcakes

This week it's both Diwali and Fireworks Night, and these funfetti cupcakes are inspired by the bright colourful lights and fireworks.

This week is Diwali, the festival of lights, and so of course that inspired me to create a bright a flavourful cupcake. Fireworks night is also this week, and so it only seemed fitting that it would be funfetti to go with the lights and fireworks theme!

Now, unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard about the sprinkles debacle that happened at a bakery in Leeds last month. They were using sprinkles from the US, which contained illegal food colouring and had to stop selling some products, arguing that British sprinkles are 'rubbish'.

Now, in all fairness I have to agree. British sprinkles are not bake stable, and just dissolve into nothing when baked. I've tried a few different sprinkles of all shapes and brands from British supermarkets and baking shops, but to no avail. If you're eager to have a go anyway, feel free to throw in a tablespoon and see how they turn out. However, it's probably good that you prepare yourself for a sprinkle-less sponge. My suggestion instead is to fill the buttercream with tonnes of them and sprinkle them on top for good measure! You'll still get a lovely colourful effect.

These cupcakes are not just about the look, but the flavour is hugely important too. I wanted something that packs a punch like a firework! Saffron and rose are popular flavours used at Diwali, so I incorporated these into the bake.

The balance between the saffron sponge and the rose buttercream is a delicate one, but I feel I got it right.

If you're celebrating Diwali I hope it's a wonderful occasion, and if you're going to watch fireworks then I hope they're amazing!

Let's get Caking It!

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Recipe

180C (170C fan)

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Prep: 10 mins

Bake: 20 mins

Assemble: 10 mins

Ingredients

Sponge

160g unsalted butter

160g caster sugar

4 medium eggs

50ml milk & 1/2 tsp saffron

160g gluten free self-raising flour

2 tbsp ground almonds

1 tsp gluten free baking powder

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tbsp sprinkles

Frosting

150g unsalted butter

350g icing sugar

1/4 tsp rose water

1 tbsp sprinkles

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Method: Sponge

Don't forget to wait until all the ingredients are room temperature before starting.

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Fill 12 muffin holes with cases.

2. Warm up the milk and saffron in a small pan until its steaming. Cover and place to one side.

3. With a fork, cream the butter until pale, then add the sugar and cream together until fully incorporated.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing with an electric whisk between each addition.

5. Add the saffron milk and mix.

6. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, ground almonds, baking soda, and xanthan gum with a fork, and then add this to the mixture, mixing until fully incorporated.

7. Spoon 2 tbsp of the mixture into each muffin case.

8. Let the mixture sit in the cases 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 rose buttercream compliments the saffron sponge and its bursting with fantastic colourful sprinkles!

1. While they are cooling, move onto the buttercream.

2. 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.

3. Add the rose extract and a little milk until a rich pipeable mixture is formed.

4. Add the sprinkles and giving it a final quick mix.

Assembly

1. Making sure the sponges are completely cool, you can begin to pipe.

2. Pipe a glorious layer of your colourful sprinkle-filled buttercream on top and finish with even more sprinkles.

3. Enjoy!