There is just one thing I really love to do for my close friends : Bake of course !

It’s something about seeing the smiles on their faces when they see the baked goods and a wider smile after they bit into it. Just makes me wanna bake more and continue sharing with them. Just to see the smiles once again.

I got inspired to create this cupcake cause Peggy has been raving about the lychee rose ice cream at Passionflower. And because she was going to get her results for her exams the end of last week, I decided at the very point she told me about the flavour lychee-rose that I was going to bake a cupcake for her with those flavours to celebrate her passing the unit! (:

and so I did!

It was a challenge. I was worried that the rose water would overpower the lychee and plus it was going to be my first time making a swiss meringue buttercream. So yes, I was nervous when I started measuring all the things needed to make this mini cuppie happen.

My buttercream almost split while making it! I almost gave up having an icing altogether. But decided to whip the buttercream over the hot water bath and it actually brought it together and got thicker! PHEW! I was super duper relieved. haha. Can you imagine? It won’t be a cupcake without the icing!! Baby actually said my pipping skills have improved! really made my day. (:

I am not that huge a fan of rose water (although I LOVE bandung haha) so I thought the flavour of the rose water was quite strong and overpowering the lychee taste! In fact, I can’t really taste the lychee until I bit into the lychee that was stuffed in the middle of the cupcake. haha. Will have to work on that the next time! (: But nonetheless, Peggy loved it! And so did baby and my classmate! So I was happy! hehe

Here’s the recipe that I adapted from Tartelette

Lychee-rose Cupcake

3/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp ground almonds
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
6 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp rosewater
12 whole lychees or 24 halves if big (I used canned ones and cause I made mini cupcakes, I cut them into quarters)

Steps :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a mini cupcake pan with baking liners. In a small bowl, combine the flours and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, on medium speed using an electric mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and rose water. Do not overbeat. Using a flexible spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.

4. Carefully spoon half the batter into the liners, place one lychee in the center of each and top with the remaining batter, leaving a 1/2-inch space to the top for the cupcake to rise. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely.

5. Once cooled, cut a cone in each cupcake and spoon in 1 teaspoon of the crushed raspberry. Replace the cone and spread or pipe on buttercream frosting.

Raspberry filling

1 cup raspberries, crushed

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp lychee juice
14 Tbsp unsalted butter, cool room temperature and cut into 10 pieces
1- 2 drops of food coloring (optional)

Steps :

1. Combine the sugar and egg whites in the stainless steel bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water making sure the bottom does not actually touch the water. Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (I just whisked by hand and cooked it until the sugar was completely dissolved and the top became foamy). Be careful not to curdle the egg whites, remove from heat if this starts happening.

2. Remove the bowl to your stand mixer and beat on high speed with the whisk attachment for at least 3 minutes, until the mixture holds glossy, marshmallow-esque peaks and the bowl is completely cool (Very important – the frosting’s consistency will be off otherwise).

3. With mixer on medium-low, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition (about 10 seconds between each addition). Increase speed to medium-high; continue beating until frosting appears thick, at least 3 minutes. (You’ll hear a distinct slapping sound and visibly see the buttercream go from soupy to a cohesive, pipeable consistency.)

4. Reduce speed to low, add the vanilla and food coloring (if using), and continue beating 1 minute to incorporate the additions and reduce air bubbles. If your buttercream looks like it’s going to split (like mine) just put it over the waterbath and keep beating it on low speed with ur beater and it will slowly thicken up and then take it off the waterbath and you’ll be fine! (:

I might also add a few drops of lychee essence to add more lychee flavour to the cupcake! Will update you once I’ve tried it! (: for now, ENJOY!