boston cream pie & coconut cream pie cupcakes

There is nothing quite like a cupcake, unless it is a cupcake filled with creme patissiere! and then what is that creme patissiere is flavoured with Malibu! oh yes.

I love making these simply to see the look on peoples faces when they bite into them and discover the wonders contained within...

I used the vanilla cupcake recipe from Magnolia as they are denser and more disposed for filling.

Recipe

1 1/2 cups self raising flour

1 1/4 cups plain flour

229g / 1 cup unsalted butter

2 cups caster sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 176C/350F

2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with baking cases

3. In a small bowl sift the flours together and set aside

4. Cream the butter until smooth with an electric mixer, on medium

5. Gradually add the sugar and beat until fluffy, for about 3 minutes

6. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until well incorporated

7. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk & vanilla extract. Beat well after each addition until all mixed in

8. After making sure the batter is all completely mixed together, spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases. Fill each case about 3/4's full.

9. Bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes, until well risen and slightly golden

Filling of Creme Patissiere from Nigella Lawson

Ingerdients

125ml milk (I use skimmed and it is fine)

125ml dbl cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 large egg yolks

50g caster sugar

15g plain flour

..Malibu...

Method

1. Warm the milk and cream in a saucepan, bring to the boil

2. In a large bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar until creamy, then beat in the flour

3. Add the milk to the egg mixture and whisk together, then pour back into the saucepan and return to the heat - whisk constantly over a low until the custard has thickened

4. Pour the custard into a shallow dish cover with dampened greaseproof paper (to prevent a skin forming) and leave to cool

5.....I then split the custard into two and mixed vanilla extract into one batch and enough Malibu to taste into the other.

Icings

I used a basic chocolate butter cream for the boston cream pie and a coconut icing for the Malibu ones...

Chocolate Butter Cream: 75g soft unsalted butter, 100g icing sugar and 50g cocoa blended together with a little double cream to make it all nice and smooth.

Coconut Icing: 25g unsweetend dessicated coconut, 75g soft unsalted butter, 150g icing sugar and 1 tablespoon Malibu. Toast the coconut in a dry frying pan until fragrant and golden, leave to cool. Blend the butter and icing sugar, then beat in the Malibu and cooled coconut.

Constructing the cupcakes

1. Using a sharp knife cut cones out of the tops of the cupcakes, slice the bottom off the cones so that you are left with a little cakey lid. Eat the cut off bit.

2. Using a teaspoon fill the hole you have made with one of the flavoured creme patissiere, then replace the lid

3. Carefully smooth on the icing that matches the filling, I used a knife rather than piping or you get too much and these are rather a rich cake as it is

4. Pop the cupcakes into the fridge to cool and set the filling a bit, I kept mine in the fridge until about 20mins before giving the out at work so that they didn't splurge everywhere when bitten into!