Remembrance Day Cupcakes

What better way to pay your respects than with poppy seed cupcakes? Poppies have long been used as a symbol to commemorate the fallen on Remembrance Day, and these cupcakes are super easy to make.

If you’re not familiar with the history of this singular plant, poppies were the first flowers to grow in the devastated fields of Flanders after World War I. That’s why we wear these red flowers on our lapels on 11 November and lay poppy wreaths at war memorials. To make this recipe healthier, use Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain.

Difficulty: Medium

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Ingredients (serves four people)

For the cake:

• 200g flour
• 2 tablespoons of baking powder
• 200g of sugar
• 100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds
• ½ teaspoon of ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

For the icing:

• 200g of cold cream cheese
• 50ml of Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain
• 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon of milk
• 300g of icing sugar

Method

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).
2. While the oven is heating up, combine the flour, spices (ginger, cloves and cinnamon) and baking powder in a bowl. Add in the poppy seeds.
3. In a different bowl, beat the eggs and mix them with the sugar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain.
4. Combine the flour and egg mixtures. Fill a muffin tin with the batter, but only fill the cups halfway to leave room for the cupcakes to rise.
5. Bake in the oven for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
6. While the cupcakes are baking, we can prepare the icing.

For the icing:

1. Using an electric mixer, combine the extra virgin olive oil with the milk and icing sugar.
2. Add the cream cheese and poppy seeds to the mixture and combine until smooth.
3. Top the cupcakes with the icing using a piping bag.

Method

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).
2. While the oven is warming up, mix the flour, spices (ginger, cloves and cinnamon) and baking powder in a bowl. Add in the poppy seeds.
3. In a different bowl, beat the eggs and mix them with the sugar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain.
4. Combine the flour and egg mixtures. Fill a muffin tin with the batter, but only fill the cups halfway to leave room for the cupcakes to rise.
5. Bake in the oven for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
6. While the cupcakes are baking, let’s make the icing.

For the icing:

1. Using an electric whisk, combine the EExtra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain with the milk and icing sugar.
2. Add the cream cheese and poppy seeds to the mixture and mix until smooth. Blend well.
3. Top the baked cupcakes with the icing using a piping bag.

With only a few simple steps, we can make scrummy cupcakes to go with a nice cup of tea. What are you going to make to remember the fallen on Remembrance Day?