About the bake
Packed with all of your favourite festive fruits and spices these cute little fairy cakes are a fantastic mini alternative to a large Christmas cake. Treat a loved one this Christmas with these delightful fairy cakes.
Method
Step 1:
Add the sugar, butter, dried fruit, ginger, orange zest and juice to a large pan and slowly bring to the boil, stirring frequently to melt the butter.
Step 2:
Reduce the heat and bubble gently for 10 minutes, continuing to stir regularly then set aside to cool.
Step 3:
Stir in the nuts, eggs and ground almonds into the fruit mix.
Step 4:
Sift in the flour, baking powder and spices and stir everything together, gently but thoroughly.
Step 5:
Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan, gas mark 2). Scoop the cake mix into 24 fairy cake cases then level the tops with a spoon dipped in hot water.
Step 6:
Bake for 35-45 mins until golden and just firm to touch. A skewer inserted should come out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Step 7:
Beat together the butter, icing sugar, vanilla extract and milk until light. Smooth onto each cupcake. For a more adult twist, swap the vanilla extract for a splash of brandy.
Step 8:
Roll out the green sugar paste and use a holly cutter to stamp out the leaves.
Step 9:
Roll 3 small balls of red sugar paste and top the leaves on the cupcakes to make the berries.
Ingredients
For the fairy cake
- 200g Billington's Unrefined Dark Muscovado Sugar
- 175g Butter (unsalted) (chopped)
- 3 Egg(s) (free range) (large, beaten)
- 200g Allinson's Plain White Flour
- 0.5 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Mixed spice (ground)
- 1 tsp Cinnamon (ground)
- 2 tsp Ginger (freshly grated)
- 1 Orange (zest of)
- 1 Orange juice
- 750g Dried mixed fruits
- 85g Pecan nuts (chopped)
- 85g Almonds (ground)
- 200g Billington's Unrefined Dark Muscovado Sugar
For the icing
- 500g Silver Spoon Icing Sugar
- 160g Butter (unsalted)
- 50ml Milk (whole)
- 1.5 tsp Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract
- Green sugar paste icing
- Red sugar paste icing
- 500g Silver Spoon Icing Sugar
Utensils
- Large saucepan
- 24 fairy cake cases
- Skewer
- Cooling rack
- Rolling pin
We'd love a slice of advice.
Was it yum? Did the recipe work well? Did you customise the recipe?
Ingredients
For the fairy cake
- 200g Billington's Unrefined Dark Muscovado Sugar
- 175g Butter (unsalted) (chopped)
- 3 Egg(s) (free range) (large, beaten)
- 200g Allinson's Plain White Flour
- 0.5 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Mixed spice (ground)
- 1 tsp Cinnamon (ground)
- 2 tsp Ginger (freshly grated)
- 1 Orange (zest of)
- 1 Orange juice
- 750g Dried mixed fruits
- 85g Pecan nuts (chopped)
- 85g Almonds (ground)
- 200g Billington's Unrefined Dark Muscovado Sugar
For the icing
- 500g Silver Spoon Icing Sugar
- 160g Butter (unsalted)
- 50ml Milk (whole)
- 1.5 tsp Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract
- Green sugar paste icing
- Red sugar paste icing
- 500g Silver Spoon Icing Sugar
Utensils
- Large saucepan
- 24 fairy cake cases
- Skewer
- Cooling rack
- Rolling pin