The Hummingbird Bakery Life is Sweet: 100 original recipes for happy home baking

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3. To make the cupcakes, reduce the oven temperature to 175°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, and line the muffin tin with the paper cases.

4. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, cream the butter and sugar together for around 5 minutes on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time, on a lower speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Then add the sweet potato flesh, maple syrup and vanilla and mix for a few moments until thoroughly incorporated. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Lower the mixer speed and mix in the dry ingredients in one slow but steady addition. Don’t overbeat.

6. Scoop the mixture into the paper cases until three-quarters full. Using a 50ml (1¾fl oz) ice-cream scoop can make this process easier and will result in even cupcakes. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until the cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

7. To make the frosting, mix the caster sugar, cream of tartar, pinch of salt, egg whites and cold water together in a small heatproof mixing bowl. Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water and beat with an electric whisk for 5–7 minutes until the mixture is very hot to the touch and stiff peaks have formed. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat for 1 minute more. Add the vanilla extract and marshmallow fluff and beat until combined.

8. Pipe or spoon generous amounts of the frosting onto each cupcake, gently smoothing over with a palette knife or spoon and making a nice swirl of frosting on each one.

9. Using a cook’s blowtorch, carefully torch the tops to brown them, avoiding the paper cases with the flame.

Chocolate Chip ‘Cupcakes’

These are a sort of chocolate chip cookie in a cupcake case. The texture is definitely not supposed to be cake-like, so don’t worry when they come out dense and chewy. We’d suggest eating them on the day of baking or soon after.

Makes 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes

115g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened

80g (3oz) caster sugar

75g (2½oz) soft light brown sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

150g (5½oz) plain flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

For the topping

100g (3½oz) soft light brown sugar

1 large egg

Pinch of salt

170g (6oz) dark chocolate chips (minimum 70% cocoa solids)

60g (2oz) chopped pecans (or walnuts)

½ tsp vanilla extract

One 12-hole deep muffin tin and 12 paper muffin cases

1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, and line the muffin tin with the paper muffin cases.

2. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, cream the butter, sugars and vanilla together for around 5 minutes on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, on a lower speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix into the wet ingredients on a low speed in one slow but steady addition. Don’t overbeat. The cake mix will be quite stiff – more like a dough.

3. Use a tablespoon to form the mixture into twelve balls (roughly weighing 35g/1¼oz each). Place each one in a paper case and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the topping.

4. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, beat the sugar, egg and salt for 3–4 minutes until thick and lighter in colour. Stir in the chocolate chips, pecans and vanilla extract by hand.

5. Take the cupcakes out of the oven and spoon one tablespoon of the topping over the partially baked cupcakes. Immediately put them back into the oven and cook for 12 minutes longer. These cupcakes come out as halfway between a cake and a cookie, so not as light and airy as normal cupcakes. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.

Honey Cornbread Cupcakes

Using cornmeal to make cornbread was something the early European settlers in America learned from the Native Americans they encountered. These cupcakes are sweet, denser than our normal sponges, and have a tangy cream cheese frosting flavoured with honey.

Makes 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes

170g (6oz) yellow cornmeal (polenta)

135g (5oz) plain flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

110g (4oz) caster sugar

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

235ml (8fl oz) whole milk

115g (4oz) unsalted butter, melted

60g (2oz) runny honey

For the frosting

340g (12oz) unsalted butter, softened

75g (2½oz) runny honey

285g (10oz) icing sugar

150g (5½oz) full-fat cream cheese, such as Philadelphia, cold

One 12-hole deep muffin tin and 12 paper muffin cases

1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, and line the muffin tin with the paper muffin cases.

2. In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and salt together thoroughly.

3. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, whisk the eggs, milk, melted butter and honey together on a medium speed until very well combined. Add the dry ingredients on a low speed in one slow but steady addition. Mix thoroughly but don’t overbeat.

4. Carefully scoop the mixture into the paper cases until three-quarters full. Using a 50ml (1¾fl oz) ice-cream scoop can make this process easier and will result in even cupcakes. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

5. To make the frosting, in the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or using a hand-held electric whisk, beat the butter for a minute to loosen it up, then add the honey and beat for a minute. Slowly add the icing sugar on a low speed until incorporated and beat for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and mix briefly until incorporated – don’t overbeat or it will split and become runny.

6. Pipe or spoon generous amounts of the frosting onto each cupcake, gently smoothing over with a palette knife or spoon and making a nice swirl of frosting on each one.

Mint Julep Cupcakes

The mint julep is a drink that Scarlett O’Hara would have offered to one of her guests, made with sugar, mint and bourbon whiskey. As with all our recipes calling for bourbon, you can use any whiskey you have to hand.

Makes 12 cupcakes

For the crystallised mint leaf decoration (optional)

1 egg white

Bowl of caster sugar

15–30 fresh mint leaves

For the cupcakes

115g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened

200g (7oz) caster sugar

2 large eggs

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp pure mint extract

115ml (4fl oz) whole milk

85ml (3fl oz) Kentucky bourbon or whiskey

185g (6½oz) plain flour

1½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

For the frosting

175g (6oz) unsalted butter, softened

375g (13oz) icing sugar

40ml (1½fl oz) whole milk

¼ tsp pure mint extract

1 tbsp Kentucky bourbon or whiskey

One 12-hole deep muffin tin and 12 paper muffin cases

1. To crystallise the mint leaves, whisk the egg white in a bowl until frothy. In a second bowl, put a generous amount of caster sugar. Dip the mint leaves gently into the frothy egg white so that they’re completely covered, then roll and press into the caster sugar. Be sure to turn and press each side so both sides are covered.