Elderflower Cakes with Whipped Mascarpone Icing

These unashamedly girly cupcakes are classic domestic-goddess fare, and foraging-goddess fare, too, if you can track down some decorative blooms...

Preparation time :	25 minutes
Cooking time :	20 minutes
Total time :	45 minutes

Makes: 8

Ingredients

110g Unsalted butter, at room temperature
110g Caster sugar
50g Ground almonds
4 tbsp Elderflower cordial
2 Eggs, at room temperature
75g Self-raising flour

Decoration
200g Mascarpone
100ml Double cream
3 tbsp Elderflower cordial
90g Icing sugar
Fresh elderflowers, washed and dried

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/gas 4. Line eight holes of a muffin tin with paper cases. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and light. Beat in the almonds and 1 tbsp cordial, then the eggs, a little at a time. Add the flour and quickly fold in with a metal spoon.
2. Divide the mixture between the cases and bake for about 20 minutes in the centre of the oven, until pale golden. Pierce each hot cake a couple of times with a fine skewer and drizzle the remaining cordial over with a teaspoon; cool in the tin.
3. Meanwhile, make the icing. Whisk the Mascarpone, cream, cordial and icing sugar for half a minute or so, until thick. Don't overbeat. Swirl a dollop over each cooled cake and sprinkle with fresh blossoms.