I don’t know if it’s quite normal to base cooking around crockery but when I saw this Wedgwood Queen of Hearts cup and saucer set I knew a) I had to have it and b) I had to bake a cupcake for it. I have a penchant for things that have hearts and also for details and I can be a right pain when it comes to details but rest assured anyone that has created things with flourishes or details, I’ll be one to notice.
It was easy matching a cupcake to this heart cup and saucer, what better an idea than a playing card cupcake? I realise I would have done better to get an Alphabet cutter set than make my own feeble Q’s but I haven’t seen one for the life of me so I had to make do with what I had.
Queen of Hearts cupcakes
Makes 8
- 1/2 cup muscovado or brown sugar in a pinch
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon each of ground ginger and ground cinnamon
- pinch of ground nutmeg
- 90g butter at room temperature
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup milk plus 1 squeeze of lemon juice into the milk to curdle it
- 30g glace ginger chopped into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup
Decorations:
- icing sugar to dust
- 1 packet of white fondant (I use Orchid brand)
- a small amount red prepared fondant prepared from the packet of white fondant. Dyed using a Gel or powder (liquid will affect the texture too much by the time you get the correct red)
- Jam
- Rolling pin
- Round cutter about the size of your cupcake top
1. Preheat oven to 150c fan forced or 170c non fan forced.
2. Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix on low speed until combined and then a higher speed until batter becomes pale. Spoon into patty tins.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool in tin.
4. Sift a coating of icing sugar over a clean flat surface. I use those latex gloves just to avoid moisture on my hands transferring to the fondant. Grab a section of fondant and knead until it becomes pliable. Roll it out and dust a rolling pin with icing sugar and roll fondant out to about 1/2 cm thick. Use a round cutter to cut out round.
5. To adhere the fondant onto the cupcake top, brush with a little warmed jam and then place fondant rounds on top.
6. With the white fondant done, roll out red fondant to 1/2cm thickness. Cut out heart shapes for the centre and then roll pieces into thin ropes and shape letters carefully (you may have to have a few goes at this). You can attach these red pieces to the white fondant using a little water brushed on the back of the letters.
Wedgwood Harlequin Queen of Hearts up and saucer available at David Jones, Myer & selected boutiques, $99 for the boxed set.
12 Comments | Add your own
Those are gorgeous. I have a weakness for teacups which I’m managing to successfully keep under control so far. We don’t have the space for them anyway.. what with the cookbooks and all…
I recently bought some preserved ginger to make gingerbread, so I think I might have give this recipe a try! I love your picture with the tea cup and the cards - very sweet
Wow, this post looks beautiful!
Wow, those are beautiful. I bet they taste good too!
Lovely tea cup and saucer. I’m a huge tea drinker and think it would be fun to have a tea cup collection.
Very fancy cupcakes, fit for a queen!
This was a food styling feast for the eyes, I LOVE your presentation and there isn’t anything wrong with your Q’s!
I love ginger kisses.. you know the sponge rounds with the cream inbetween? I’m sure I’d love these too.
Matching crockery to a cupcake..that is perfectly normal in my book. It makes sense. It’s why your site is a delight to visit. You have a great foodie/pastry chef/creative genius mind.
Well done on some gorgeous cupcakes Lorraine. Mmm Mmm.
i’ve got a thing for hearts too, which is a little strange because i’d never consider myself a romantic. maybe i’m just lying to myself.
anyhoo, i think your q’s look just dandy, your hearts are perfect, your cupcakes sound delicious, and your crockery is gorgeous. did i cover everything? yep.
Hi Y-I can totally relate. I wish I had a whole room to store everything that I want!
I have a homewares fetish that won’t quit!
Hi Renee-If you like gingerbread you’ll really like this recipe, I was really surprised at how soft it was and how well it kept!
Hi Sarah-Why thankyou-that’s lovely of you to say!
Hi Lisa-Thankyou so much!
They really did taste good which was a relief I’ not into cupcakes that aren’t “functional” too 
Hi LisaRene-these are definitely my favourite of all of the Harlequin set, although picking a favourite is hard. I think a motley teacup collection is quite gorgeous, if only I had the space for more!
Hi Maria-Thankyou!
It was hard figuring out what should be in the picture but thankyou for noticing and for being complimentary about my Q’s. You know I’ve seen those Ginger kisses but never tried them. I must rectify that soon!
Thankyou, I was worried people would think that it was odd but it just seemed to fit just perfectly!
Hi grace-Ahh good to hear there are lots of heart lovers out there! Hehe how about a reluctant romantic?
Thankyou, the Q’s were the hardest bit, fondant gets tricky to roll, even with small fingers like mine. Thanks for the lovely compliment!
These are fabulous, Lorraine! And the setting is pretty, too.
Hi Patricia-Thankyou so much! I had to try and make it as pretty at the teacups
2 Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[...] of Hearts cupcakes originally uploaded by Not Quite Nigella. Please see her fantastic blog for more pictures and the recipe. Posted by GreenEyedLillies, on [...]
[...] Queen of Hearts cupcakes [...]
Post a Comment