Sex on the Beach Cupcake

This is the penultimate variety in the cocktail cupcake series, and uses vodka and peach schnapps.

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Sex on the Beach Cupcakes!
 

Sex on the Beach is a delicious and fruity vodka-based drink that is perfect for almost any occasion. There are different variations of the drinks itself, but I've stuck to the recipe which is easiest to replicate in cake form.

Makes about 12 cupcakes

You will need:
 

For the cupcakes:

• 110g/4oz margarine, softened
• 110g/4oz caster sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 110g/4oz self-raising flour
• 1-2 tbsp milk
• Zest of 1 orange

For the icing:

• 140g/5oz butter, softened
• 280g/10oz icing sugar, plus a little more as required
• A few drops of cranberry flavouring (work to taste as different brands have different flavour intensities)
• A few drops of pineapple flavouring (again, work to taste as different brands have different flavour intensities)
• Red food colouring
• Yellow food colouring
• 2 tbsp peach schnapps
• 2 tbsp vodka

For the garnish:

• Straws
• Red sugar crystals
• Yellow sugar crystals
• Glacé cherries
• Cocktail sticks

Method:

Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale.
3. Beat in the eggs a little at a time.
4. Fold in the flour using a large metal spoon, adding a little milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency.
5. Fold in the zest and mix thoroughly.
6. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until they are half full.
7. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean.
8. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

 

Icing

1. For the buttercream icing, beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
2. Then add the remaining icing sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy. (If may appear a little dry at this stage, do not worry as there will be more liquid added in the upcoming stages).
3. Add the peach schnapps, vodka and pineapple and cranberry flavourings, mix well until combined. (At this point taste the icing to check the balance of flavours and adjust by adding more of anything if necessary).
4. The icing will now be quite runny, so slowly add icing sugar, until the mixture is thick, smooth and creamy.
5. Now divide the icing equally into 2 bowls. Add the yellow food colouring to one bowl, and the red to the other. Mix thoroughly until the colouring is fully combined.
6. Spoon the icing into a piping bag with a star nozzle. Use alternate spoons from each coloured bowl so that the piping bag is full of a mixture of both icings - this will help to create the graduated colour effect seen in a sex on the beach drink.
7. Pipe the icing using a spiralling motion onto the cupcakes in a large swirl.

Decoration:

1. Sprinkle both types of coloured sugar over the icing.
2. Cut the straws down to a miniature size and gently press them into the icing.
3. Finally, stick a cocktail stick into the same number of cherries as you have cakes. Then press the cocktail stick into the icing to garnish.

Love, Chloe xx

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