Prep Time : 15 Minutes | Cook Time : 12 Minutes | Total Time : 1 hour | Difficulty : Easy
Hello my lovelies. This one is a classic and a favourite of mine. Golden Buttery cakes studded with currants. I know that ‘queen cake’ has become almost synonymous with fairy cake or cupcake in some circles but I am a stick-in-the-mud on this issue. A queen cake has currants (not sultanas!) and no icing at all. I totally get that these might not be for everyone but my goodness I love them so I thought I should share how I like them and what you do in your own kitchen is your own business. I’ve added a little lemon zest to the classic recipe and added a little grown up kick. I can’t imagine the queen being anything but pleased with the addition of a bit of brandy. If you particularly don’t like currants these would also be delicious with dried cranberries or diced ginger or a combination of both. Dried sour cherries would also be excellent. It needs to be something with a little tartness to cut the buttery richness of the cake. I have baked these in mini muffin pans to get glorious golden bites that will disappear with alarming rapidity. Choose a liqueur to match the fruit you use though.
I don’t like to use paper cases with these as I like the bottoms to colour beautifully. The cake is buttery and if your pans are truly non-stick or are greased and dusted with flour well then you will have no trouble. They need no adornment aside from a gentle dusting of icing sugar and should be eaten within a day or two.
Heat the oven to 200C (395F). Grease and flour a 24 cup mini muffin pan.
Put the currants and brandy into a small microwave safe bowl and zap for 20 seconds. Give the warm currants a stir and let them soak up the brandy.
Cream the butter, lemon zest and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time beating really well after each addition. It will be a little curdled because of the ratio of egg to butter but if your ingredients are all warm/room temperature it will hold together better.
Add the flour, baking powder, salt and currant mixture. Scrape all the brandy in as well.
Mix gently until just combined. It will be fairly thick and sticky.
Divide evenly between the 24 cups of your mini muffin pan. It’s about 1 tablespoon for each and you may find after measuring them that way you have a little bit of batter left over. Dip your fingers in some cold water and flatten down the tops so you can check they’re all roughly filled the same amount.
Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. They should be dark golden and crispy at the edges and spring back when pressed gently in the centre. They may peak and break into crags on top – this is ok.
Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool before dusting with icing sugar. Now close your eyes and think of England…. or just eat the cake.
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Brandy + Lemon Queen Cakes
Prep Time : 15 mins | Cook Time : 12 mins | Total Time : 1 hour | Difficulty : Easy
Makes : 24 mini cakes
Golden buttery cakes with a hint of lemon studded with tart brandy soaked currants.
Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons (115 grams) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (115 grams sugar)
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (160 grams) all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup (55 grams) dried currants
- 2 tablespoons brandy or rum
– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients –
Equipment:
- Bowls and spoons
- Standing or hand-held electric mixer
- Mini-muffin pan, greased and floured
Directions:
Heat the oven to 200C (395F). Grease and flour a 24 cup mini muffin pan.
Put the currants and brandy into a small microwave safe bowl and zap for 20 seconds. Give the warm currants a stir and let them soak up the brandy.
Cream the butter, lemon zest and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time beating really well after each addition. It will be a little curdled because of the ratio of egg to butter but if your ingredients are all warm/room temperature it will hold together better.
Add the flour, baking powder, salt and currant mixture. Scrape all the brandy in as well.
Mix gently until just combined. It will be fairly thick and sticky.
Divide evenly between the 24 cups of your mini muffin pan. It’s about 1 tablespoon for each and you may find after measuring them that way you have a little bit of batter left over. Dip your fingers in some cold water and flatten down the tops so you can check they’re all roughly filled the same amount.
Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. They should be dark golden and crispy at the edges and spring back when pressed gently in the centre. They may peak and break into crags on top – this is ok.
Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool before dusting with icing sugar. Now close your eyes and think of England…. or just eat the cake.
Cook’s Notes:
- Please try these with currants before trying other combos but cherries and ginger together with brandy would also be delicious – swap the fruit by volume.
- These cakes will overbake and be dry quite quickly because of their small size so keep a close eye on them.
– Eat these cakes within 2 days and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature –
Adapted from The Edmonds Cookery Book.
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I would totally be a Queen for a day just to get my hands on those cupcakes. oh and I love the idea of adding brandy 😉
Who doesn’t like adding brandy?