Back when i used to write for the fabulous KiKi Blah Blah blog, I wrote a post about two products that were sent to me by the fabulous people over at Firebox. Not only did they send me Mermaid tea and Mermaid tears vodka but they also set me this jar filled with a heavenly substance called Spreadable Gin. But what is it? I hear you ask.
Firebox’s Spreadable Gin and tonic marmalade is an award-winning spreadable preserve. This very versatile marmalade, can be used in baking, as a cocktail ingredient, in cucumber sandwiches or simply spread on toast and devoured. Spreadable Gin is safe for everyone to enjoy as all the alcohol is cooked off during the creation process, only the distant gin and tonic taste is left behind.
Like any other preserve Firebox’s spreadable gin is thick and shiny and smells amazing. I couldn’t wait to start experimenting with it. After much deliberation, I decided to make gin and tonic cupcakes topped with a cream cheese frosting. I wasn’t completely sure if the flavours would work, but I have to say that the subtle sweetness of the frosting worked well with the boozy flavour of the marmalade.
The spreadable gin and tonic marmalade is available from firebox.com. Here is the recipe I used, have a go.
Ingredients (Serves 12)
For the cupcakes:
250g Caster Sugar
250g Butter
4 Eggs
Few drops of vanilla essence
250g Self Raising Flour
Zest of one lime (optional)
For Decoration:
12 Heaped teaspoons of Spreadable Gin marmalade
280g icing sugar
50g unsalted butter
125g cream cheese
Method
- Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
- In a small bowl beat the eggs and vanilla essence until combined. Pour the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture gradually stirring well after each addition.
- Add in the lime zest if using and fold in the flour slowly until all is well combined
- Divide equally into 12 cupcake cases and bake for around 22 mins or until golden brown and springy to the touch.
- Allow the cakes to cool
- Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting but putting the icing sugar and butter into a freestanding mixer. Mix until the butter is no longer visible, it should have an almost sandy texture to it.
- Add in the cream cheese and beat until fluffy. Be careful not to over beat the mixture as it will go runny- 3 minutes should be plenty.
- When the cakes are cold, cut a small amount of cake out of the centre of each cupcake. Make sure you don’t cut all the way to the bottom of the cake you just want to make a nice well.
- Put a heaped teaspoon full of the Spreadable gin into the well you have created in each cake.
- Put your freshly made cream cheese frosting into a piping bag with a star-shaped nozzle and pipe the frosting onto each cake decoratively.
- And you’re done. Sit down hold your gin and tonic cupcake up high and toast to a successful bake.
