Valentine Fairy Cakes

There’s a lot of pressure put on Valentine’s Day – whether you’re single or in a long-term relationship it just seems that, much like Christmas, the true meaning of the day has become a little fuzzy. So, for me, this Valentine’s Day is about friendship and everyone I love, not just that special someone. On 14th February I’m having a little gathering of those near and dear to me to celebrate the true meaning of love and these little morsels of joy are perfect for that. Each cupcake has a heart-shaped strawberry on top and inside is the sweet secret filling of strawberry jam, so as you give each one out to someone you care for you know you’re handing out a little bite of sweet love and joy on this very special day.

METHOD
Pre-heat the oven to 150C and line two 12-hole muffin tins or cupcake tins with paper cases.

Place the white chocolate in a bowl and gently melt in the microwave – set aside.

Place the sugar, orange zest and butter into a large bowl and cream together until pale and fluffy. I used a handheld electric mixer but a wooden spoon and some effort will work.

Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and beat in the egg yolks one at a time until just combined.

Add the flour a third at a time and beat in. After each third add a little of the melted white chocolate to help slacken the mixture. You may even need to add a dash of milk each time – don’t overbeat at this stage, just beat until the flour has gone.

Quickly clean off you whisks, place the egg whites into a clean bowl and beat them to a soft peak, then gently fold them into the batter.

Spoon 2 teaspoons worth of batter into each paper case, then a dollop of jam which you can push down into the batter, followed by another teaspoon of batter on top.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and risen then remove from the oven and let them cool entirely before dusting with icing sugar and topping with a strawberry slice.

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