Fairy Cake Baskets

Name: Fairy Cake Baskets
Yield: Makes 12 Baskets
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons strawberry jam; Boiling water, to cover; 3 eggs; ¼ teaspoon pure rose extract; 2 teaspoons espresso powder; 14–16 thin strips candied angelica, each 4–5 inches (10–13 cm) long; 1¼ cups (155 g) flour, plus more for the muffin cups; 1 teaspoon hot water; ¾ cup (170 g) butter, at room temperature, plus more for the muffin cups; ¼ teaspoon pure orange extract; 4 teaspoons chocolate spread; ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (170 g) superfine sugar, plus ½ teaspoon for the espresso mixture and more for the muffin cups; ⅔ cup (160 ml) heavy cream; 3–5 drops yellow food coloring; ¼ cup (1 oz) sweetened shredded dried coconut, finely chopped, or ground almonds; 3–5 drops red food coloring; 1 generous teaspoon baking powder; 4 teaspoons cold water; 2 tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons orange marmalade

Preparation info

Makes
12
Baskets

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook

By Annie Gray

Published 2019

About

Fairy cakes are a British teatime classic. Smaller than modern cupcakes, they nevertheless have similar origins and are essentially a flavored sponge cake. This delightful version takes a simple recipe and elevates it to a suitably high-class context. The cakes are particularly good fun to make with children, and both Sybbie and George can be seen in the Downton kitchen in season 6 making much of licking the bowl.