Mince Pie Cupcakes with Brandy Buttercream

Cupcakes filled with fruity mincemeat and topped with brandy buttercream, great for Christmas!

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Keyword Cupcake

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 25

Total Time 1 5

Servings

Calories 535kcal

Author thebakingexplorer

Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line a cupcake tin with paper cases
To make the cupcake sponge, mix together the butter and caster sugar, ideally using an electric mixer, until smooth and fluffy
Add the eggs and mix well
Then gently whisk in the self raising flour and mixed spice
Divide the mixture between the cupcakes cases, and bake them for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean. Put them on a rack to cool completely
Cut out the middle of each cupcake using a cupcake corer or a sharp knife
Fill each hole with the mincemeat
To make the buttercream, mix together the butter and icing sugar ideally with an electric mixer for the best results, when it starts to come together, add the brandy and mix until smooth. If the buttercream is too stiff then you can add more brandy to it
Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes or spread on with a spoon
Add sprinkles if you like
Keep in a cool place in an airtight container, and eat leftovers within 3 days

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I used a baking spread for the cupcakes and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
I used golden caster sugar for the cupcakes, but you can also use regular caster sugar.
The brandy in the buttercream is optional, replace it with milk if you are serving these cupcakes to children or anyone who should not consume alcohol. You can also add 1 tsp of vanilla or almond extract for extra flavour.
Mixed spice is a British spice blend containing cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, clove, pimento and ginger. If you can't get hold of it, use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead, or try ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ginger and ¼ tsp nutmeg for a lovely festive flavour.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.