Beesting Cupcakes

Ingredients

1. Cupcakes: Preheat oven 160°C (fan-forced). Line 12 hole cupcake tray with paper cases.
2. In a stand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add vanilla extract and honey, mix until combined then add eggs, one at a time, beating well in between.
3. Sift flour into butter mixture, add lemon juice and mix on low to combine. Do not overmix.
4. Using a ¼ cup measure, divide mixture evenly between paper cases. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
5. While cupcakes are cooling, make the honey almond praline and vanilla buttercream frosting.
6. Honey Almond Praline: Once cupcakes have been removed from the oven for cooling, increase oven to 180°C (fan-forced). Place almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden (5-8 minutes). Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
7. Place fresh baking paper on a baking tray. Place almonds on the prepared tray in 12 separate rounds. Flatten the piles of almonds into desired shapes. Set aside until the toffee is ready.
8. Place sugar, honey and water into a medium saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Once sugar has dissolved, turn heat up and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches the hard crack stage (155°C) or is dark golden brown.
9. Remove the toffee from the heat and allow to sit until the bubbles have subsided.
10. Using a clean dry spoon, drizzle the toffee over the prepared almonds. Leave praline to sit until hard and cool to touch.
11. Vanilla Buttercream Icing: In a stand mixer, cream butter until pale, approximately 8 minutes. Sift in icing sugar, milk, vanilla extract and salt, mixing until smooth.
12. Place icing in a large piping bag fitted with a large star shaped nozzle.
13. Assembly: Once cupcakes are cool, frosting and praline are prepared, assemble the cupcakes.
14. Using a sharp knife, cut a 2-3cm diameter circle in the middle of each cupcake and scoop out a tablespoon of cake from the top of each cupcake. Fill with custard.
15. Pipe buttercream frosting, starting from the outside inwards, on the top of the cupcake.
16. Decorate with honey almond praline, bumble bees, and a drizzle of honey to finish.
17. Tips & Tricks! Honey almond praline can be made the day ahead and stored in an airtight container. Vanilla buttercream icing can be made up to a week ahead, store in an airtight container in the fridge. Allow to come to room temperature and beat with electric hand mixer before using. Cupcakes can be made in advance (undecorated cupcakes) and can and stored in the freezer for up to three months. Allow to defrost before decorating.

Used in this recipe

Pure Honey

Smooth, sweet and perfectly balanced, generations of Aussies have grown up with Capilano Pure Honey. Made by Aussie bees and their beekeepers, our signature blend of eucalypt and ground flora honey is the taste you know and love.

Make the Sweet Switch
Honey tastes twice as sweet as sugar, so you need less in your baking, drinks and savoury recipes. Learn more about how to swap Capilano for sugar in your recipes here.

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