American Vanilla Cupcakes

This recipe comes the Red Chocolate Velvet Heartache cookbook by Harry Eastwood. Having been seduced by the gorgeously pictured cakes and props inside I had taken a long time to actually make a recipe as they all include vegetables to make a supposedly ‘healthy’ cake. 

Behind the shoot pics taken from the book's inside cover

Not that I don’t eat vegetables, it just seems that when I feel like cake, I want it NOW – and that is why it is so brilliant that they can be whipped up using cupboard ingredients. Also, when I see a swede or aubergine in the supermarket I don’t automatically think CAKE! However, with a little forward planning I did remember to buy some courgettes for this recipe. With veg taking place of butter the actual cake is slightly chewier than normal but still got the stamp of approval from my greenery dodging brother – but this may have to do with the delicious marshmallow-like topping.

American Vanilla Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 180˚C and arrange 12 cupcake cases in a muffin tray.
• Whisk 2 Eggs with 160g Sugar in a large bowl until light and pale. Briefly whisk in 300g topped, tailed, peeled and finely grated Courgette.
• Add half 180g White Rice Flour (I used plain), 2 tsp Baking Powder, ¼ tsp Salt and whisk for 20 seconds. Add the remaining flour and 1 tsp Vanilla Extract and whisk.
• Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling almost to the top and cook for 30 minutes.
• Cool and then ice with the Vanilla Snow Meringue Icing, see below.

Snow Meringue Icing

• In a bain marie place 170g icing sugar, 2 tbsp Water, ¼ tsp Cream of Tartar, 1 Egg White, the seeds of 1 Vanilla Pod and a pinch of salt. Stir for 2 minutes for the sugar to dissolve.
• When warm, remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer for about 5-10 minutes until cook and it stands up in peaks.