For the cupcakes:
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Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C (fan)/ 350°F/ gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with muffin cases
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Heat the wine in a pan with the spices until it just comes to the boil, then remove from the heat, cover and leave to infuse for at least 30 minutes. Strain before using
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In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and egg yolk, mix well, then add the mulled wine and orange essence and mix until the batter is evenly combined. Fold in all the dry ingredients with a metal spoon until just combined
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Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cases and bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and leave to cool in the tray for 10 minutes or so before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the spiced mascarpone icing:
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Put the butter, orange juice and zest, cinnamon and half the icing sugar in a bowl and beat, using an electric hand beater on a low speed, until smooth. Add the rest of the icing sugar and beat again until well combined
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Add the mascarpone and continue to beat, this time on a medium speed, for about 30 seconds, until combined. Do not overbeat. Refrigerate the icing until just before you are ready to use it. Ice each cupcake with some of this icing and decorate with sugar-dipped grapes (see below) if you like.
For the sugar-dipped grapes:
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Dip each grape in the egg white and then roll in granulated sugar. Leave to set for a little while before using to decorate the cupcakes. As this decoration includes raw egg whites, remember not to give them to pregnancy women or children.
Taken from Primrose Bakery Celebrations by Lisa Thomas and Martha Swift (Random House; £20)
Ingredients
- For the mulled wine:
- 175ml red wine
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- zest of ½ orange
- For the sponge:
- 90g butter, at room temperature
- 200g soft dark brown sugar
- 50g granulated sugar
- 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 medium glass (175ml) of mulled wine
- 1 teaspoon orange essence
- ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 50g good-quality cocoa powder
- 140g plain flour
- For the spiced mascarpone icing:
- 50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- juice and zest of ½ orange
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 175g icing sugar
- 125g mascarpone
- For the sugar-dipped grapes:
- 12 red grapes
- 1 egg white
- granulated sugar
