Fairy Cakes

Feb 4, 2022

Anyone remember these from your birthday parties when you were a tiddler? I think the last time I made some was probably as teenager on Sunday afternoons. I used to love that a fat pocket of sumptuous icing (the best part), sat right in the middle of these cakes – rather than perching prissily on the top. That way you got a gorgeous dollop of cream with every cakey mouthful.

These little heart throbs have gone down a storm with everyone who's scoffed them.  And they're so easy to replicate with low carb, low sugar ingredients. The mix just needs a touch more flavour adding, to compensate for the gentler sweetness. A slightly larger portion of vanilla paste, along with a little lemon zest travelling incognito, is just enough to do the job.  And what's more, Sunday afternoon is coming round.....

The recipe below makes 10-12 cakes

FOR THE CAKES
4 eggs
5 tbsp sweetener*
2 tsp vanilla paste
85g butter
225g almond flour
Zest of lemon
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
Paper cake cases.

TOPPING
150g soft cheese
60g softened butter
5 tsp milled sweetener*
1 tsp vanilla paste

*Natural sweetener options could include xylitol, erythritol, allulose. See Alternative Sweeteners page for more info. Each will have slightly different levels of sweetness. Adjust to taste.

Whisk the eggs, sweetener and vanilla paste.
Melt the butter in a pan and add to the mix.
Grate the lemon into the bowl.
In a separate bowl measure out the almond flour. Add the baking powder, salt and mix well.
Add to the cake batter and blend well
Pop the paper cake cases onto an oven proof tray. Spoon the mixture into the cases and smooth over the batter on the top.
Bake at Gas Mark 4 for 20-25 minutes or until a knife in the centre comes out clean.   Cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile mix all the icing ingredients together.
Once the cakes are completely cool, take a knife and cut a small round section from the top of each cake.  Lay the cake segment next to the cake.
Spoon a generous dollop of icing into each of the cake the craters you've made.
Cut the cake segment in half and put one on each side of the cream dollop - pushing into the cream a little as you do, so that it rises up into the butterfly shape you've made.
Store in the fridge.