Bakewell Muffins

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 190°c (170°c Fan, Gas Mark 5) and line a 12 hole muffin tin with tulip muffin cases.

2. Place the ground almonds, golden caster sugar, flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl and stir until they are evenly incorporated. 

3. In a seperate bowl beat together the eggs, milk and vanilla extract then gradually pour this into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Beat the mixture together by hand using a whisk or wooden spoon until all of the ingredients have just blended together before adding the oil.

4. Grate the marzipan into the mixture then wash, dry and chop the cherries into quarters before folding into the mix. 

5. Carefully fill each muffin case 2/3 full with mixture and then place on a middle shelf in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and baked throughout.

   Top Tip: How to Tell if your Cake is Baked?

   How to Tell if your Cake is Baked?

   Find out more

   The Springy Centre

   The middle of the cake should feel a bit springy to the touch. As the cake cools it will continue to bake slightly from the residual heat, so taking it out at this point will ensure it doesn't over bake even when it's out of the oven. 

   Check the Sides

   Generally the sides of the cake will start to pull away from the sides of the cake tin. Although the edges of the cake might look a bit dry, they should still be a deep golden colour and not crisp and dark. 

   Use a Cake Tester

   We use cake testers all of the time at Baking Mad but you could use a tooth pick or a kebab skewer if you don't have a purpose made one. Simply pop the tester in to the middle of cake. It should come out clean if the cake is baked. If however, it comes out covered in batter (no matter how little), pop the cake back in the oven for a couple of minutes and keep checking with the tester until it's done. 

   Take the Temperature

   If you're really nervous about your cake baking properly, you could use a thermometer to test the internal temperature of the cake. Generally you should measure the temperature of the centre of the cake and it should read around 99ºC

   No-one wants a dry and crumbly cake after all that effort and hard work - so follow our top tips to make sure you know when to take your cake out of the oven for the delicious, moist cake you deserve. 

6. To decorate, mix together the icing sugar with a few drops of water to make a thick icing then gently flick your spoon forward and backwards over your muffin to create a drizzle effect. Sprinkle each muffin with a handful of flaked almonds and top with half a glace cherry.