Strawberry Jam Drop Surprise.

I first started baking muffins and cupcakes when I was living in Melbourne. Before that I never baked a thing because I was convinced I was hopeless and had no talent for the science. Everything I touched either came out deflated, overcooked (burnt) or under done. I hung up my oven mitts very early on. But the thing with Melbourne living is … the FOOD … lots of it!

Everywhere you went there was food staring at you from shop windows and from the various display shelves of cafes. Muffins were everywhere; you couldn’t escape them if you tried. They looked delicious, and tasted so.

So one day I thought, “How hard can it really be?”

I went out and picked up my first 12-hole muffin pan from Big-W, some ingredients (no, I did not buy cake-mix in a box) and trotted back home. I made a standard chocolate cupcake recipe and they turned out pretty well. I shocked even myself that day.

The first time I ever made cupcakes.

Ever since that fateful day, I must say I have been eager to push my limits, see how far I can go with cupcakes. I am not a trained baker, so on some days its a challenge. I used to make all my cakes either with the aid of a handheld whisk or an electric hand mixer, so I had to keep the batches small.

Today I am fortunate enough to have a Bosch stand mixer all thanks to my wonderful partner, R. Its not exactly a KitchenAid, but its compact and the motor is very quiet. More about my latest kitchen appliance in the Gadgets & Gizmoes page.

I tend to get food ideas at the oddest times, usually late at night when everyone else it preparing for bed. And when I get food ideas I usually run with it and I never know where its going to lead. This one such evening I suddenly had the craving for vanilla cake and strawberry jam – but I didn’t want to bake a whole cake. I enjoy little individual bites … so that’s where my Strawberry Jam Drop Surprise was born.

These are delightful vanilla cupcakes filled with strawberry preserve. The cake itself is not overly sweet as the jam offsets this.

So here is the recipe I kind of came up with on a whim. This recipe yields 12 – 18 cupcakes, depending on how full you fill the casings.

• 250 g plain all-purpose flour
• 4 tbsp self-raising cake flour (super fine)
• 130 g fine granulated white sugar
• 125 g unsalted butter at room temp
• 2 large eggs
• 200 mls whole milk
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

1. Heat oven to 180°C, rack in the middle shelf. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups.
2. Cream butter with sugar in a bowl with either a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer for 2 – 3 minutes. Then add the vanilla.
3. Add eggs (must be at room temp) one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture. Continue beating until mixture turns light and fluffy.
4. Sift dry ingredients in a bowl and add to the batter, alternating with the (milk + vinegar), finishing off with the flour. At this point be sure not to over mix the batter otherwise the gluten will develop and you will end up with a dense cake.
5. Spoon mixture into your prepared cups (I use an ice-cream scoop to avoid spills and to give me exact measures every single time) and then using a teaspoon, dollop strawberry preserve into the center of each cupcake and push it down into the batter. It helps if the preserve is cold and slightly more jelly in consistancy rather than at room temp. Bake for 20 – 25 mins.

You will end up with a wonderfully scented yellow cake with a gooey, bubbly center of jammy goodness. Turn out onto wire rack to cool. I like to tuck into these babies when they are still warm, but always be mindful of the jam center ~ they can be very hot!

For tea parties you may wish to decorate these cakes with whipping cream and fresh strawberries. As with all cakes, if not being eaten immediately, store in an air-tight container or in a ziplock bag. They’ll keep fresh for up to 3 days.