Strawberry Bombe Cupcakes

I love cupcakes just as much as the next person (and then some), so I will never pass up the opportunity to try new flavour combinations when I see them; which is exactly what happened when I stumbled across a small cake stall two years ago in London's Borough Market. My eyes immediately darted to the vibrant colours and unruly appearance of the 'chocolate & strawberry mess' cupcakes that lay before me, and at a bargain price of £1.95 the deal was made and I was one happy customer.

Having such high expectations for this cupcake would eventually be my downfall, as I was left bitterly disappointed at just how underwhelming it really was. From that moment on I vowed to create a cupcake that would go above and beyond to exceed expectations.

And thus the 'Strawberry Bombe Cupcake' was born.

*drools*

An indulgent Chocolate fudge cupcake, filled with oodles of tangy strawberry jam, swirled with the most delicious strawberry infused buttercream, topped with the chewiest melt-in-the-mouth strawberry meringues and finished with an extra drizzle of jam. These cupcakes without a doubt land themselves in my Top 5 all time favourites (yes I can assure you they are THAT good!) and are sure to become one of yours too.

Lets start with the fundamental pillar of any good cupcake, the cake itself. Nothing is worse than biting into a cake that immediately sends you gasping for a cold glass of milk to wash away the feeling of regret and dry sponge. That is exactly why this recipe calls for my go-to chocolate fudge sponge, light and airy yet moist and rich, it's no wonder why this is by far the most popular with my customers!

This particular chocolate cake is as easy as it gets and is fail safe for even a novice baker as long as you stick to the exact measurements listed. Though some traditional bakers may raise their eyebrows at the addition of boiling water, without it the cake would be nowhere near as moist and fudgy as it is so please, have faith, there is method to my madness.

As for the hidden gooey centre, if making jam scares you as much as it scared me the first time I made it, there is no harm in grabbing a jar of trustworthy Bonne Maman or Hartleys from the supermarket to use in it's place (don't worry they wont be asking any questions once they take a bite of these beauties).

Buttercream can often be the game changer when it comes to cupcakes. Too little sugar and you're left with a buttery, greasy aftertaste; however add too much sugar and you're left with a grainy substance that forces you overlook the flavour of the cake at hand as you proceed to make this face:

Not good.

With these cupcakes the buttercream isn't the star of the show, yet it's still important for it to hold its own when combined with the rich chocolate sponge and sharp strawberries. With a couple of additions to my 'Simple Vanilla Buttercream' this makes for the perfect accompaniment to such a show-stopping cake.

Now moving onto arguably the best and most important part of this entire cupcake, THE MERINGUE! *cue trumpet fanfare* As a novice baker I was extremely intimidated by the egg white and sugar concoction, therefore preferring to use the shop bought variety wherever I possibly could. If you feel the same then fear not, by the time you've made these meringues you'll be the master of pavlovas in no time.

Here are a few of my top tips to follow when making meringues to ensure that you get that delicate crisp shell whilst maintaining it's classic chewy texture.

1. USE A GLASS BOWL ~ Whether using a standing mixer or an electric hand whisk, I will always use a glass bowl to mix my meringues in. The reason for choosing a glass bowl over a plastic or ceramic one is that often greasy residue can be left behind on its surface, even after washing thoroughly. Meringues are delicate and can be temperamental as it is without the addition of fat (egg yolks, oil, butter etc) to destabilise the bonds that are created when whipping the egg whites into stiff peaks.

2. LEMON ~ Not only do I 'wipe' the sides of the bowl down with lemon juice before I start to make sure no fat residue remains, I also add 1 tsp of lemon juice into the meringue mixture at it's 'foamy' stage. Why? The acidity of the lemon juice delays the meringue from thickening as quickly, therefore allowing more air to get into the mixture resulting in a light yet sturdy meringue (GCSE science finally put to good use). Some people prefer to use white wine vinegar or cream of tartar, either or which will work however I personally prefer to use lemon.

3. COOL IN THE OVEN ~ A mistake that many people unknowingly make when cooking meringues is that they remove them straight from the oven once they have finished cooking. By doing this the meringues receive a 'shock' due to the contrast of temperature which may cause your meringues to collapse or crack. The key to a perfect meringue is to leave it on the baking tray in the oven (turned off) with the door left open slightly, only removing them when they have cooled to room temperature where you can then transfer them to a wire rack.

*that swirl though*

To achieve the signature pink swirl of these meringues; ripple a small amount of pink/red food colouring gel using a butter knife until you are happy with the desired effect. Be careful not to over mix the food colouring as you will lose the definition of the swirls!

Now it's time for assembly. Once the cupcakes have cooled, cut a small circle in the centre of the cake and hollow out enough of the sponge to create a small 'well', make sure you keep the tops as you will need to place them back on top once you have filled the cupcakes with jam. However much jam you decide to spoon into the middle is completely up to you, I personally am fairly generous with it however others may prefer less. Once the tops of your 'wells' are back on top, its time to pipe on the buttercream, however if you aren't as savvy with a piping bag you can just go ahead and spoon on as much as you like. Break apart your meringue into large chunks (no scrimping here) and place on top of the buttercream, and finish with a drizzle of the leftover jam.

If you are making these cupcakes ahead of when you need them, place them in an airtight container in the fridge after you have piped on the buttercream. Remove them from the fridge and place your meringues on top before serving. The meringues can be made in advance and kept in an airtight container, however you must not put them in the fridge as the additional moisture will make them lose their crisp shells!

Recipe

(makes 12 cupcakes)

For the Cupcakes:

- 2 medium eggs

- 400g granulated sugar

- 250g self raising flour

- 25g cocoa powder

- 250ml milk

- 125ml vegetable oil

- 100ml boiling water

- 500g Strawberry jam (approximately)

For the Buttercream:

- 250g unsalted butter (room temperature)

- 450g icing sugar

- 1 tbsp vanilla extract

- 3 tbsp strawberry jam

For the Meringues:

- 2 medium egg whites

- 100g caster sugar

- 1 tsp lemon juice

- 1 tsp freeze dried strawberry powder (optional)

- pink/red food gel colouring

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 140C/gas mark 1

2. In a large glass bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy then add the lemon juice. Continue whisking until the egg whites start to form soft peaks. At this point begin to add the caster sugar 1tbsp at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding another. When the sugar is fully incorporated, whisk the meringue on a high speed for 3-4 minutes or until the meringue is thick and glossy.

3. Take a small amount of pink/red food gel colouring and ripple it through the meringue mixture until you have achieved your desired effect. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and spoon your meringue mixture into 4 medium sized domes.

4. Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. When finished baking turn off the oven and leave the meringues to cool, keeping the oven door slightly ajar (this can take up to 3 hours).

5. When the meringues are in the oven you can begin to make the Buttercream frosting. Cube the unsalted butter into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk/standing mixer until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and repeat.

6. Gradually add the icing sugar a tbsp at a time until it is all incorporated and the buttercream is light and fluffy. Add the strawberry jam and beat until the buttercream is a pale pink colour. Set aside in the fridge until later.

7. Once your meringues have cooled, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack. Preheat the oven again to 180C/gas mark 4.

8. Mix together all of your dry ingredients in one bowl, and the oil, milk and eggs in another bowl until both are thoroughly combined. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ones until the cake batter is smooth.

9. Whilst continuously mixing the cake batter, gradually pour in the boiling water until all combined. The mixture should be fairly thin in consistency, yet thick enough so that it runs down the side of the bowl slowly.

10. Line a cupcake tin with paper cases and fill each case just under 2/3 full (i like to use a cookie/ice cream scoop so not to spill any mixture over the sides of the cases).

11. Place into the oven for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

12. When the cupcakes have cooled, make a small well in the centre of the sponge and fill with strawberry jam, remember to place the 'top' back on afterwards. Pipe/spoon on the buttercream generously.

(If you are making the cupcakes to have at a later stage, put them in the fridge at this point and set the meringues aside at room temperature in a sealed container.)

13. Roughly break up the meringues into large chunks and place on top of the buttercream, and finish with an extra drizzle of strawberry jam.

Happy baking!