Christmas Made Easy With Heart Of Gold's Christmas Cake Cupcakes

The season of goodwill is fast approaching so why not keep your spirits up and be of good cheer with this healthy and incredibly easy-to-make alternative to Christmas cake, made with Heart of Gold Rapeseed Oil!

Heart of Gold is a 100% natural, pure, rapeseed oil grown, produced and bottled by farmer Nick Bradley on his farm overlooking the picturesque Vale of Belvoir, on the Lincolnshire/Leicestershire border.

Bursting with flavour - chef Tristan Welch of Launceston Place deemed it tasted ‘like a summer’s day!’ - and oozing with healthy goodness, Heart of Gold is grown, pressed, triple-filtered (for maximum purity, taste and nutritional content) and bottled in the same square mile, making it a completely sustainable and traceable British product, originating from fields right in the Heart of England.

Rapeseed oil enjoys many health and culinary benefits. It has been proved to contain only half the saturated fat of olive oil and is packed with Vitamin E (a natural antioxidant) and Omegas 3, 6 & 9. In addition, it’s free from preservatives, trans-fats and artificial colourings, all of which make it the ideal choice for lowering cholesterol and promoting a healthy heart.

It can be used either cold or hot - where its high flashpoint makes it particularly versatile, but what many people don’t realise is that rapeseed oil can be used in baking as well!

This delicious Christmas Cake Cupcake recipe has been devised for Heart of Gold by local Lincolnshire cupcake supremo, Kate Elizabeth of Enchanting Cakes www.enchanting-cakes.com and the results are simply mouth-watering. The quantities of mixed fruit and marzipan can be altered according to taste, and the mixture can equally well be used for one whole cake, or doubled up for a super-sized one!

Say goodbye to the days of sad-looking Christmas cake, still sitting there in its tin at Easter, and welcome the arrival of a light, moreish and healthy Christmas cake cupcake, which you can whip up in a matter of minutes – although be warned, it will probably be devoured just as quickly!

Heart of Gold Christmas Cake Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

Equipment


Mixing bowl

Electric whisk/ wooden spoon

Spoon/ ice cream scoop

Spatula

12 cup muffin pan

12 muffin cases



Ingredients

3oz (75g) unsalted butter OR Margarine *butter will produce a richer sponge*

3oz (75g) Heart of Gold Rapeseed oil

6 oz (175g) Dark brown sugar

3 eggs

8oz (225g) self-raising flour

3 1/2 oz (100g) mixed dried fruit

2oz (50g) chopped golden marzipan


Before you start

Line a 12 cup muffin tin with muffin cases.

Pre heat oven, 180oC, 160oC fan oven, gas mark 4.


How to make

1. Using a wooden spoon or electric whisk if possible soften the butter in a bowl until it forms a creamy soft texture.

2. Add in the Heart of Gold rapeseed oil and combine with the butter.

3. Add in the dark brown sugar and mix well with the butter/rapeseed oil.

4. Add the eggs one by one into the mixture until all 3 are well mixed in. Adding the eggs one by one also prevents from spoiling the mixture if you happen to come across a bad egg.

5. Sift in the self-raising flour and bring the mixture together.

6. Finally stir in the mixed dried fruit and marzipan.

6. Divide the cake mixture between the 12 muffin cases using a spoon or ice cream scoop.

7.Place on the middle shelf in the oven for 20 minutes. If are unsure if the cupcakes are baked after 20 minutes gently press the top of one of the cupcakes. It should feel spongy and bounce back up.

8. Once baked remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cool wire.

Decorate with some Christmas sparkle and enjoy!