Raspberry filled Almond Cupcakes

These were made purely because I baked some cherry bakewell tarts and had spare cake mix. Because I also had spare jam, I filled the middle of the cupcakes and decorated them as normal. The jam keeps them wonderfully moist in the middle and the almond and raspberry compliment each other extremely well, these cupcakes really are a delicious twist to a standard vanilla sponge.

I would highly recommend these cupcakes to make! Only a few different ingredients but they have an exceptional taste.

This recipe makes 12 standard cupcakes.

Ingredients:
110g butter, softened
110g caster sugar
2 medium free-range eggs
55g ground almonds
55g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp almond extract
Raspberry jam (for filling)

Icing sugar

Dried raspberry pieces (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4) and fill a cupcake tin with cupcake liners. 

2. Place the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk until smooth.

3. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, adding 1 tbsp ground almonds after each addition. 

4. Add the flour, remaining almonds and almond extract and stir well.

5. Fill the cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked (an inserted knife will come out clean). 

6. Take out of the oven and leave to cool.

7. Once cooled, using a teaspoon dig into the centre of the cupcakes and remove some of the sponge. Take care not to remove sponge such that the bottom of the cake case is being exposed. Fill the gap with raspberry jam to fill to the top.

8. Create a thick icing with the icing sugar and water and decorate on top. Add optional dried raspberry pieces.