Iced Fairy Cakes
Iced fairy cakes are easy to prepare and always popular with children. Using ricotta cheese in the topping makes a lighter, fresher alternative to the more usual glacé icing. The cakes are best iced shortly before serving.
1⁄2 cup reduced-salt margarine
1⁄2 cup caster (superfine) sugar
2 eggs
1 cup white self-raising flour
1⁄4 cup whole-wheat self-raising flour
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
finely grated rind of 1⁄2 orange
30 g dried apricots, thinly sliced, to decorate
Orange Ricotta Icing
1 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1⁄2 cup icing sugar
finely grated rind of 1⁄2 orange
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 12 cup and a 6 cup cupcake pan or muffin pan with cupcake cups.
- Place the margarine, sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Sift the white and whole-wheat flours and the baking powder into the bowl. Add the orange rind and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy.
- Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cups. Bake for about 20 minutes or until just firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. (The fairy cakes can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days before being iced.)
- To make the icing, place the ricotta in a bowl and sift over the icing sugar. Add the orange rind and beat with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
- Spread a little icing over the top of each cake and decorate with a couple of dried apricot slices. Serve iced fairy cakes as soon as possible after icing.
cooking time 20 mins
makes 18 cakes
PER CAKE
139 calories
3 g protein
7 g total fat
2 g saturated fat
30 mg cholesterol
16 g total carbohydrate
11 g sugars
1 g fibre
128 mg sodium
Dried apricots are one of the richest fruit sources of iron, and they provide soluble fibre. Using a mixture of whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour increases the fibre content of these cakes without making them too heavy.
Source: Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart, Reader's Digest Canada
