Pina colada mini cupcakes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan 150°C, gas mark 3) and place  24 mini cupcake cases in a mini cupcake or muffin tin.

2. Place the white rum and 30g sugar into a small saucepan and bring to the boil until the liquid has reduced by half, then set aside to cool. Add the chopped pineapple and leave to soak for about 30 minutes.

3. Place the butter, flour, remaining sugar and baking powder into a large bowl and using a hand held or freestanding electric mixer, slowly mix together until it resembles breadcrumbs.

4. Mix together the egg, coconut milk and vanilla extract in a jug then gradually add to the bowl, mix thoroughly.

5. Drain the pineapple from the rum and sugar mixture, saving the liquid. Place a few pieces of pineapple into the bottom of each cupcake case then spoon batter the on top until the case is 2/3 full.

6. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cakes are golden brown and a skewer comes out clean. When the cakes are still warm spoon over about 1 tsp of reserved rum & sugar reduction.

7. To make the frosting mix together the butter and icing sugar until it resembles breadcrumbs in texture, then add the coconut milk and remaining rum reduction and mix on a high speed until the frosting is soft and fluffy.

8. Decorated the cupcakes with frosting using either a piping bag or palette knife and finish with a chunk of pineapple.