The Great Phoenix Cupcake Challenge, Part 2

Last time on the Great Phoenix Cupcake Challenge we awarded the prizes for storefront, decoration, most random location and range of flavours (for the full details see here). Today however we bring out the big guns, the OSCARS of this cupcake tasting championships. Today we will discuss the results for the best individual cupcakes and crown our overall champion, the queen of Phoenix’s cupcake shops.

In no particular order then, our top three cupcakes:

The Sweet Tooth Fairy – Strawberry Shortcake

I have a confession, whilst I love fresh strawberries, I almost never buy strawberry-flavoured products because they almost never taste like strawberries. Instead what you tend to get is a taste reminiscent of shampoo, bearing very little relation to the delicious fruit from which it supposedly comes. However, this cupcake make me eat my words. Delicious cake with a lovely vanilla flavour, and the frosting! Oh my. Absolutely delicious, wonderfully fruity and not at all too sweet, a common complaint amongst ones we did not like so much. Whilst all the cupcakes from this lovely shop were completely delicious (we did not have a complaint about any one cupcake!), this one stood out particularly.

21 Cupcakes – Bacon Maple Vanilla Cupcake

Putting bacon in a cupcake can be a little controversial amongst tasters – you seem to either love the idea or hate it! However, this cupcake defied the expectations of several doubters, and emerged clearly as one of our favourites. The vanilla cake was beautifully fragrant and soft, whilst the maple and bacon combination came through clearly but managing not to overpower the whole cupcake. Possibly my favourite cupcake that we tasted, this cake recipe should be the standard text on how to use bacon in a cupcake.

Sprinkles Cupcakes – Chai Latte Cupcake

Sprinkles Cupcakes have the plainest presentation of any of the shops, but often this plain presentation hides a wonderful interior, and this particular cupcake shows the duckling becoming the swan. A non-descript brown exterior, with perfectly smooth icing provides a wonderful hit of coffee and associated spices, recalling perfectly its namesake drink. A more unusual flavour, but a delicious end result, and one I would happily eat again.

(Image taken from here)

And now, the final award, this time for best in show goes to…

The Sweet Tooth Fairy!

Really from the first bit of delicious cupcake there was no way that The Sweet Tooth Fairy could not have won this contest. Scoring top marks on all categories from storefront to taste, this shop was a pleasure to visit, and it will definitely be one to visit next time I am in the USA.

The Great Phoenix Cupcake Challenge, Part 1

During our visit to the states this summer, Max’s aunt (who knows my obsession for all things baking) had put together a list of recommended cupcake shops to visit. This soon developed into a full-scale cupcake competition, pitting shops and bakeries against each other in a ‘battle for cupcake domination!’ (Sorry…)

Disclaimer: All of these opinions are my own, and those of Max and his family. There were other shops we didn’t visit, so just because something is not listed here does not make it bad!

In order to fairly compare the cupcakes, we scored them out of 10 on the following categories:

• Storefront
• Packaging
• Range of cupcakes
• Decoration
• Flavour/quantity of frosting
• Flavour/texture of cake

We also then awarded a holistic mark and came up with some overall winners based on their marks in all categories. I won’t bore you with all the data (we had tables, statistics and  collaborative comments), but here are some of the highlights.

Best Storefront and Packaging – The Sweet Tooth Fairy

 

It seems right to start with one of our favourite contestants from the tasting, and this shop hit pretty much all the marks. We loved the pastel colours and English-tea-party decor, and the monogrammed furniture inside. Whilst still rather plain, the pretty stickers on the boxes pushed The Sweet Tooth Fairy’s packaging above the very plain packaging of most of the others, and we also liked the small display of baking decorations and other cake-based goodies as you walked in. The cafe area did not feel to crowded and we fitted six people around one table quite happily.

(Image taken from here)

If we were to be really picky, we felt that it would have been nice to have a better selection of drinks to eat with the delicious cupcakes, however, that would just be the cherry on top of a really delicious cake.

Biggest Cupcake/Most Random Location – Tom’s Thumb Fresh Market

An honourable mention for this diner, which presented us with the largest cupcake we had ever seen – it looked like it had eaten two of the other cakes. At $2.95 it was great value for money, and good quality food considering this was the one entry not from a dedicated cupcake business. And all for a restaurant in a gas station. Much respect.

(Image taken from here)

Best decoration – The Victorian Cake Company and Candyland Cupcakes

This bakery has already been mentioned with regard to their completely delicious cronuts, but also deserve a mention for the pretty delicate decoration featured on their cupcakes. This was one feature we felt disappointed with overall, that decoration was very plain, and often non-existent. The flowers and toppings on these cakes made them an easy winner of the decoration award, really making them stand out from the crowd.

(Image taken from here)

Best Range of Interesting Flavours – Sprinkles Cupcakes

Going around a lot of cupcake shops, you soon find that a lot of flavours are baked wherever you go, meaning that when you find new flavours, it becomes quite exciting. The range of flavours on display at Sprinkles really impressed me, and small menus on display showed many other flavours if we were to come back on a different day. We sampled the Chai Latte and Pumpkin flavours, but was also very excited about the ginger lemon and mocha. I could have happily eaten any of their flavours, but more importantly was intrigued by some of the combinations – a success.

(Image taken from here)

That’s the first part of the contest then! Tune in later to find out our favourite individual cupcakes and our favourite overall shop!

Turkey: Turkish Delight Cupcakes

Today I’m presenting you with a new and improved version of one of the most popular cakes on this site so far, the Turkish delight cupcakes. These have without a doubt been the most raved about, most regularly made and the most searched out of the whole site, and I’m pleased to be able to give you an updated version of the recipe with some better photographs! (Always helps!) Enjoy, and if you make them, let me know what you think!

I’ve added a chocolate-covered coffee bean to the decoration of these which I feel works very well as a flavour contrast, however if you cannot get your hands on them, feel free to leave them out. Do not leave out the pomegranate seeds though, they provide a sharp contrast to the sweetness of the buttercream which is essential to the overall balance of the cake.

Ingredients

Cake

• 8oz butter
• 8oz caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1tsp vanilla essence
• 4oz plain flour
• 6oz ground pistachios
• 3tsp baking powder
• 6 pieces rose Turkish Delight, cut in half

Rose Buttercream

• 250g icing sugar
• 80g unsalted butter
• 25ml whole milk
• 1 tsp rosewater
• 1 drop of red food colouring
• Chocolate coffee bean and pomegranate seeds to decorate

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5 and place cupcake liners in 2 12-hole cake tins (you will likely use 18 of the 24).

Beat the butter and sugar together before adding the eggs and vanilla essence. Mix in the flour, baking powder and ground pistachios and combine gently. Place a teaspoon of the mixture  into the cupcake cases  and place a piece of Turkish delight into each case. Cover with the remaining mixture and bake in the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.

Once the cakes have completely cooled, make the buttercream by beating together the butter and icing sugar, before adding the milk and rosewater and beating for about 5 minutes until fluffy. Add the red food colouring drop by drop, mixing after each addition until a light rose pink colour is achieved. Pipe the buttercream onto the top of the cupcakes and decorate with pomegranate seeds and a chocolate coffee bean..

Scotland: Cranachan Cupcakes

Every so often you make something that works really well, and that needs to be repeated. These cupcakes were one of those recipes, one that was so popular that i was requested again and again, quoted as an example of a really good cake. Last time, I made this recipe as a cake, right at the start of writing this blog, but as a layer cake rather than cupcakes. Good, but less practical when there are only two of you. This time, I made it as cupcakes – a great improvement for a couple!

These cupcakes are boozy, featuring a oat-enriched cake soaked in Scotch whiskey, a raspberry whiskey compote and a whiskey-infused whipped cream topping. The cupcakes are then sprinkled with a combination of freeze-dried raspberries and rolled oats. The recipe is very similar to the original recipe, with just a few tweaks for a better flavour, based on feedback from the previous ones. Scottish or not, I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t like one of these cupcakes for an afternoon treat.

Cranachan Cupcakes

Ingredients (makes 12-16, depending on your generosity)

Cake:

• 4oz plain flour
• 4oz rolled oats
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 8oz caster sugar
• 8oz butter
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup of Scotch whiskey

Raspberry Compote:

• 2 punnets raspberries
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1/4 cup scotch whiskey

Whipped cream topping:

• 300 ml double cream
• 4 tbsp whiskey
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tbsp rolled oats
• 1 tbsp freeze-dried raspberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5 and line a cupcake pan with liners

Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and smooth. Add in the eggs, beating well after each addition. Mix together the flour, oats and baking powder. Add this to the creamed mixture, mixing well to make a smooth mixture. Add the vanilla essence and stir in until completely combined. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and bake in the oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

When the cake comes out of the oven, use a skewer or sharp knife make small slits in the cupcakes. Pour over the whiskey, allowing time for the liquid to sink into the cakes. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and allowing to cool completely. Use a small knife or a cupcake corer to remove the centre of each cupcake ready for filling.

Make the raspberry compote by reducing down the sugar, whiskey and raspberries in a small pan until the mixture is thick. Strain through a sieve to remove the seeds and taste, adding more sugar as you feel necessary. Once it is sufficiently thick (you want it to be the consistency of raspberry jam) then spoon a small amount of the mixture into the centre of each cupcake.

[Cheat: You could use raspberry jam instead of the compote if preferred  -just ensure you choose a good brand!]

Whip up the cream, icing sugar and whiskey together for the topping, ensuring that it is really thick and creamy. Pipe the cream onto the top of each cupcake, before decorating with freeze-dried raspberries and rolled oats.

Cuba: Cuba Libre Cupcakes

With summer just around the corner, cocktail season is coming, and one of the most common would no doubt be the Cuba Libre (colloquially known as a ‘Rum and Coke’ – rather more boring). This highball cocktail like many is of debatable origin, suggestions including being invented by expatriates avoiding prohibition in the 1920’s to Bacardi’s flawed account that it was invented during the  Spanish-American War when an American general ordered this drink in Havana. Seeing how much he enjoyed it, his soldiers ordered a round, toasting the newly-freed country by shouting ‘¡Por Cuba Libre!’ (Issues have been raised with his account as the introduction of Coca-Cola to Cuba happened 2 years after the other events, however it still remains the official account.)

Whatever the origin though the cupcake still remains one of the most popular drinks around. This cupcake pays homage to this drink and includes a chocolate and Coca-Cola cupcake, flavoured with a little rum. The cupcake is filled with a dark chocolate lime ganache and topped with a rum-flavoured buttercream. The cupcakes are then decorated with a Coca-Cola reduction and topped with a slice a lime and some lime zest.

The cake recipe is taken from Coconut and Lime blog, from here.

Cuba Libre Cupcakes

Ingredients:

The cupcakes:

• 8oz/225g plain flour
• 8oz/225g sugar
• 120ml Coca-Cola
• 8oz/225g butter
• 60ml milk
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons rum
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg

The Lime Ganache:

• 200g dark chocolate
• 200ml double cream
• zest of 1 lime

Rum Buttercream:

• 80g salted butter
• 275g icing sugar
• 10ml milk
• 10ml rum

Decoration:

• 12 slices of lime
• 30ml Coca-Cola
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• lime zest, to finish

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5 and line a 12-hole tin with cupcakes liners. Melt the butter, Coca-Cola and Rum in a small pan and bring to the boil, before removing from the heat and allowing to cool. Mix the milk and the lime juice in a cup and leave for about 10 minutes – this will split and look disgusting, however it is correct, so trust me! Sift together the remaining dry ingredients and mix briefly before beating in the cooled butter/Coca-Cola/rum mixture. Beat in the egg and the milk mixture and mix to form a thin batter. Fill the cupcake cases to about 2/3rds full, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes onto a wire baking rack and leave to cool completely.

Make the chocolate ganache by heating the cream to nearly boiling point, and pour over the dark chocolate, stirring until melted and combined. Add the lime zest and leave to cool. Remove the centre of the cooled cupcakes using either a cupcake corer or a sharp knife, and spoon a little ganache into the centre of each cake.

Make the buttercream by mixing the butter, icing sugar, milk and rum until light and fluffy – about 5 minutes with an electric mixture.  If it is a little thin, then add in a little more icing sugar. Transfer to the piping bag and pipe onto your cupcakes, ensuring the ganache-filled centre is covered.

Finally, reduce the Coca-Cola and sugar in the pan until it is thick and syrupy. Leave to cool and then drizzle over the top of your cupcake, before decorating with the slice of lime and the lime zest.

Enjoy, preferably set outside with an actual Cuba Libre.

Raspberry and Coconut Muffins

More summery muffins? Check. Raspberries and coconut. That’s right. One of my favourite combinations makes up these beautiful muffins – a coconut cake, filled with raspberry compote and topped with a raspberry buttercream. If you liked the coconut dream cake, you’ll love these!

Raspberry and Coconut Muffins

Ingredients:

Cake

• 8oz butter
• 8oz caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 4oz plain flour
• 4oz dessicated coconut
• 3 tsp baking powder

Filling:

• 2 punnets of raspberries
• 1 tbsp caster sugar

Buttercream Topping

• 160g butter
• 500g icing sugar
• 40ml milk
• Fresh raspberries, to decorate
• Dessicated coconut, to decorate
• Other decorations as required.

Instructions: Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5 and line a 12-hole cupcake tray with liners. Cream together the butter and sugar before beating in the eggs and vanilla essence. Stir in the baking powder, plain flour and desiccated coconut and mix until well combined. Spoon into the cupcake liners and bake for 30 minutes until form and golden brown. Remove, place on a wire rack and leave to cool. Make the raspberry compote by placing the raspberries and sugar in a pan, and gently cooking until thick and the raspberries have broken down. Leave the mixture to cool. Use a cupcake corer or sharp knife to make a small hole in the cupcake before filling with the raspberry compote (or jam), retaining half the mixture. Make the buttercream by beating the butter, sugar and milk until thick and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add in the reserved raspberry compote and beat until well combined. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle and pipe onto the cupcakes. Decorate with the raspberries, coconut and other decorations.

Apple and Vanilla Mini Muffins

As I type this, the sky outside is grey as steel, with no trace of this ‘supposed’ summer. I suppose this is what you get for living in the North of England, but still I can’t help but yearn for the sun that *should* be coming!

Last week though, the sun came out. The sky was blue and I didn’t have to have a cardigan and coat when walking to school. In this midst of this weather I wanted to make a cake that fitted the summer atmosphere, and these mini muffins fitted the bill. The size makes them easy to  eat in the hot weather, and the flavours are redolent of the heat of a British summer. A vanilla cake with chunks of apple, topped with a vanilla whipped cream topping, these muffins will fill that small gap when our summer finally arrives.

Apple and Vanilla Mini Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2oz butter
• 2oz caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2oz plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 0.5oz ground almonds
• 1 small apple, cut into tiny dice.
• 75g whipped cream
• 1/2 vanilla pod
• Flaked almonds, to decorate.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5 and line a 12-hole mini muffin tray with liners.

Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat thoroughly. Add the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and diced apple and mix until well combined. Add teaspoonfuls of the mixture to the cases and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, turning after 20 minutes to ensure they don’t burn on one side! Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod and add to the whipped cream. Whip until holding soft peaks before spooning into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle. Pipe a small amount onto each mini muffin and decorate with flaked almonds.

 

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

When I was younger, I used to go to orchestra on a Friday night, held up at the local high school (later to be mine). In between junior and intermediate orchestra, the parents association used to hold a tuck shop, selling chocolate bars and pick’n’mix sweets to hungry string players. This stall, formed of three school tables provided me and my brother with our weekly treats – we were given some money and were able to buy sweets for the following week. Now early on, I would choose white chocolate mice – something I still associate with being very small, but soon moved onto mint imperials. The reason? Quantity – you would get 10 for the price of 5! I was too young to completely understand the concept of bulk buying, but I knew I wanted as many sweets as I could get for my money! And thus began my affection for mint.

Fast forward a few (a lot) of years to Sixth Form college, and we discovered the local ‘Home Bargains’ store, particularly the confectionary section. It was here that I got introduced to Poppets (peppermint creams covered in dark chocolate) and it was here that my liking for mint developed into an obsession for mint chocolate. Even now, I cannot say ‘no’ to an After Eight, and woe betide the person who leaves a box in front of me…

These cupcakes are based on this favourite flavour combination and combine a dark, dense chocolate-peppermint cake, with a mint infused chocolate ganache and a mint-flavoured buttercream. Decorate with mint matchmakers (if they last long enough) and enjoy, after eight or indeed at any time.

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 4oz butter, softened
• 4oz caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4oz plain flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp peppermint extract (optional)

Chocolate Mint Ganache:

• 100ml double cream
• 10 mint leaves
• 100g dark chocolate

Chocolate Mint Frosting:

• 250g icing sugar
• 80g softened butter
• 20ml whole milk
• Peppermint extract
• A few drops of green food colouring
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/190°C/375°F and line a 12-hole cupcake tin with bun cases. Set aside for later.

To make the cakes, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, eating after each addition. Add the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and peppermint extract and beat until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the bun cases and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out clean and the tops are firm to the touch. Set aide to cool completely.

Whilst the cupcakes are cooling, make the chocolate mint ganache. Heat the cream and the mint leaves until the cream starts to boil. Immediately remove from the heat and take out the mint leaves, before pouring the hot cream over the broken dark chocolate. Stir until all the chocolate has melted and then leave to cool. Using a cupcake corer or a sharp knife, remove the centre of each cupcake and spoon a small amount of the chocolate ganache into each hole.

Make the buttercream icing by beating together the butter and icing sugar until thick and fluffy, adding the milk to bring the mixture together. The mixture will take about 5 minutes to become thick and fluffy – if you have a stand mixer this is very useful! At this point, divide the mixture into two halves. Add the cocoa powder to one portion of the buttercream and beat thoroughly to combine. To the second portion, add the peppermint essence and the green food colouring and beat thoroughly.

To make the two-tone icing bags, fill two icing bags, one with the mint buttercream and one with the chocolate buttercream. Cut about half and inch off the end of each, and place both bags into a third bag with a large star-shaped nozzle on the end. Try out the duo-bag on a spare cupcake, to ensure that it does not have any trapped air bubbles that may disrupt the flow, before using it to top your cupcakes. Decorate with chocolate decorations as wished

Estonia: Rhubarb, Rose and Cardamom Cupcakes

The development of a national cuisine is an ever-changing process. It is affected by many things, from global climate issues to historical events, all of which can drastically change the food that is eaten by a national people. Estonia is a clear example of this; the elimination of much of the culinary leaders during the USSR annexation of 1940 resulted in a country viewing food simply as a way of survival. Food was scarce, both the variety of foods available, but also the amount of food. The many restaurants were either shut down completely or reopened, providing Soviet cuisine. As a result, traditional Estonian food became less and less usual. Alongside this ran an influx of new culinary influences through the many displaced immigrants from other eastern Europen countries, who all played their part in adding a great amount of diversity to the existing culinary minds. After the annexation, Estonians took advantage of the diversity in ingredients, fusing traditional ideas with new concepts, brought in from countries all over Europe. The existing meat-and-potato based cuisine has been extended to include more uncommon fruits and vegetables and as a result to develop a tradition of food which is far more exciting than was previously available.

This recipe makes use of rhubarb, the lovely deep pink stems of which are seen in many Estonian gardens. A very popular cake in Estonia contains rhubarb and cardamom, so I combined these two flavours with hint of ginger and a dash of rosewater to create a cake which takes traditional Estonian flavours and brings them forward into a decidedly modern cupcake.

Rhubarb, Rose and Cardamon Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 8oz caster sugar
• 8oz butter
• 8oz plain flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 25 cardamon pods, seeds removed OR 1 ts ground cardamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 8 sticks of rhubarb
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 10ml cup water
• 1 tsp rosewater
• 80g butter
• 250g icing sugar
• 2 drops red food colouring
• decorations of your choice

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5, and line 2 12-hole bun tins with bun cases. Set aside for later.

Cream together the butter and sugar, before beating in the eggs. Add the flour, baking powder, vanilla, cardamon and ginger and mix thoroughly. Spoon into the bun cases and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until and inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove and leave to cool.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the  rhubarb filling. Cutthe sticks of rhubarb into small pieces and place in a small pan with the water and sugar. Cook on a medium heat until the rhubarb is falling apart and the mixture is thick, gloopy and sticky. Remove from the heat and strain 4 tablespoons of the mixture through a sieve to produce a pink syrup. Set this syrup aside for later. Leave the remainder of the compote to cool completely

Use a cupcake corer or a small knife to remove a small section from the middle of each cupcake. Fill this hole with the rhubarb compote made earlier. Set aside. Make the buttercream by beating the butter, icing sugar, rosewater and the rhubarb syrup until the mixture is thick and fluffy (about 5 minutes) Add a few drops of red food colouring to create a pink icing. Spoon this in the piping bag with a large star nozzle and pipe onto the top of the cupcake. Decorate with sugarpaste flowers or other decorations of your choice.

Italy: Rosemary and Olive Oil Cupcakes with Chestnut Frosting

Ok, I know that I have already completed a cake for Italy, but I couldn’t resist trying this combination, and my goodness, it works! Loosely based on the Tuscan speciality Castagnaccio, this cake combines the flavours of chestnut, rosemary and olive oil into an intriguingly-delicious flavoured cupcake. The original castagnaccio is a very traditional poor-mans dessert in Italy. Chestnuts have a history of being a crucial food source for the poorer communities of Italy, as the fact that they grew wild meant that anyone could collect and prepare these nuts. The earliest example of castagnaccio can be traced back to Roman times, when they would make a paste from chestnut flour, water and salt and top it with rosemary and pine nuts. Whilst no doubt practical for long marches, I am rather glad they have improved slightly since this point!

The cupcake base is a dense olive oil and rosemary cake, which is topped with a chestnut frosting. Decorated with a sprinkle of chocolate shavings and a sprig of rosemary, these cakes are beautifully rustic, yet classically delicious in their design. Eat these and dream of being in the beautiful tuscan towns, getting the sun that we are missing dreadfully in the grey cloudy country that is England.

Rosemary and Olive Oil Cupcakes with Chestnut Frosting

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 6oz/56g caster sugar
• 158ml olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 7.5 oz/225g plain flour
• 1 tsbp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 50g chestnut puree
• 100ml double cream
• 10g caster sugar

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C/Gas mark 3 and line a cupcake tin with liners. Beat the eggs until foamy and the gradually mix in the sugar. Slowly pour in the olive oil, beating constantly. Add the rosemary, flour, baking powder and salt and mix until well combined. Spoon into the cupcake cases and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until brown and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.

To make the frosting, whip the cream and sugar together until it is holding soft peaks. Add the chestnut puree and mix until well combined. Pipe onto the top of the cupcake and decorate with chocolate shavings and a sprig of fresh rosemary.