Eton Mess cupcakes

Lu's nan is finally home from hospital after being admitted during the hottest week of the year.  Everyone outside is sun-bathing and enjoying the weather, but she has been stuck inside on an unbearably hot ward.  She's been most upset about missing the start of the French Tennis Open, so I thought now she's home I'd make some cupcakes that celebrate the sunshine and the spirit of Wimbledon, for her to enjoy while catching up on the tennis and recovering from her first round of chemotherapy today.  These are inspired by Eton Mess and include diced strawberries, crushed meringue and a hint of rosewater in both the cake batter and the icing.

Ingredients

8 oz margarine

8 oz caster sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp strawberry essence

½ tsp rosewater

1 tsp red food colouring

8 oz self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 oz fresh strawberries, diced

2 ready-made meringue nests, crushed

For the icing

6 oz icing sugar

1 tbsp milk

1 tsp strawberry essence

½ tsp rosewater

½ tsp red food colouring

2 tbsp strawberry jam

2 oz margarine, softened

To decorate

2 oz fresh strawberries, diced

2 ready-made meringue nests, crushed

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.  Grease 24 silicon cupcake moulds and place on baking trays.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl or jug, beat the eggs thoroughly.
4. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture a little at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Beat in the strawberry essence, rose water and food colouring.
6. Sift in the flour and baking powder and beat until just combined.
7. Add the diced strawberries and crushed meringue and fold together with a metal spoon.
8. Divide the mixture between the prepared moulds and bake for about 15-20 mins until springy when gently touched and a cake tester comes out clean.
9. Remove from the moulds and leave to cool on to a wire cooling rack.
10. While the cakes are cooling, sift the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and add the milk, strawberry essence, rose water and food colouring.  Beat together.
11. Place the strawberry jam in a small saucepan and heat gently until runny.  Strain through a sieve into the icing sugar mixture and beat to combine.
12. Add the softened margarine and beat well until thick.  (Add more icing sugar if necessary.)
13. Once the cakes have cooled completely, place in paper cases and decorate each with the icing (either use a palette knife or a piping bag).
14. Decorate with diced strawberries and crushed meringue.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.