BEE CUPCAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• For the Cakes:
• Preheat the oven to 350ºF/175ºC
• Beat butter, sugar and salt until soft and creamy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, and then add yoghurt. Do not overbeat.
• In a separate bowl mix the flour, almond flour and baking powder.
• Add to the egg mixture.
• Fill12 cupcake cases and bake for 25 mins.
• Cool on a wire rack
• For the Custard
• Warm the milk with the scraped vanilla bean seeds.
• Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until combined and add the flour and salt , mix until smooth.
• Whisk in half the warmed milk to the egg mixture, and combine, making sure there are no lumps.
• Pour the rest of the milk into the mixture and return to the stove.
• Let the mixture thicken by whisking all the time. Once it is thick, add the butter and essence and mix thoroughly, then take it off the stove and allow to cool.
• For the Almond Topping
• In a small saucepan add butter, honey, sugar , cream and salt and simmer for 3 minutes allowing it to boil and turn a golden colour and thicken. Add the almonds and cool slightly. This mixture needs to be added to the cupcakes while still warm, as the caramel hardens when cold.
• To Assemble
• Cut the cooled cupcakes in half.
• Add the topping to the top of the cupcake before you fill with custard. It is much easier this way.
• Fill with custard. Dust with icing sugar.

Steps:

• To make the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Add cupcake liners to a cupcake pan.
• Cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl. Add the egg, egg yolks, and honey and mix in. Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add to bowl and mix in.
• In a separate bowl, sift the cake flour with the baking powder and salt. Gradually mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Gradually mix in the milk. Pour batter into lined cupcake pan. Cook for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Let cool. Remove cupcakes from cupcake pan.
• To make the honeyed Swiss meringue buttercream, whisk together egg whites, sugar, and salt in a bain marie. Continue whisking until the temperature reaches 150 F (65 C).
• Remove from heat, add cream of tartar and honey and beat until egg whites are thick and glossy and have cooled to room temperature. Add butter a spoonful at a time, mixing continuously. Mix in vanilla. Keep mixing until mixture is smooth and cool.
• To assemble, add meringue buttercream to a piping bag with a large tip. Swirl buttercream on top of the cupcakes in the shape of a bee hive. Drizzle honey over top. Place candy bees on honey.