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10 cracking cupcake recipes

Dust off your aprons and get baking with these gorgeous cupcake recipes. Choose from fruity flavours and icing-topped creations to squidgy chocolate cakes and even vegan bakes to suit whatever cake craving you have.

Banana, caramel and cashew butter cupcakes
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Banana, caramel and cashew butter cupcakes

If you're a fan of banana bread then you'll adore these stunning salted caramel and banana cupcakes. These gorgeous cakes are topped with swirls of cashew butter icing and salted caramel, making them the perfect indulgent snack or afternoon tea treat.

  1. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Line a bun tin with 12 cupcake cases.
  2. Put the softened butter and caster sugar into a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs one at a time and beat well between additions. Using a large metal spoon, fold in the vanilla extract; sift over the flour and baking powder and fold in. Add the mashed bananas and fold into the mixture.
  3. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each cupcake case, top with 1 teaspoon of the salted caramel and then put another tablespoon of the cupcake mixture on top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until light golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of each cake. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack while you prepare the icing.
  4. To make the icing, beat together the cashew butter and butter with an electric whisk until smooth and thick. Beat in the icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of the caramel. Add the salt and beat well. Add the milk and beat again until light and fluffy.
  5. Once the cakes are cool, pipe the icing onto each cake and then top with a slice of dried banana. Mix the remaining caramel with a little hot water until it’s a pourable consistency and then drizzle over the cupcakes before serving.

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As part of a healthy balanced diet, we recommend this recipe for a special occasion or treat.

View full recipe details
  • Ingredients
  • 125g salted butter, softened
  • 125g golden caster sugar
  • 2 medium eggs, beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 125g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 4 tbsp Carnation caramel, with a pinch of sea salt added
  • For the icing
  • 100g (3 1/2oz) cashew butter
  • 100g salted butter
  • 125g (4oz) icing sugar
  • 3 tbsp Carnation caramel
  • pinch sea salt
  • 2 tsp milk
  • 15g dried sliced bananas