These are just so cute and delicious! Kids of all ages will love this version of an old-fashioned favourite - and it's a nice change from cup cakes. These are best made in patty cake tins. You will need three of these for this mix, depending on size. Don't worry about how many this makes - you can halve the recipe if you wish- but you'll be surprised at how quickly these will disappear!
Makes 36
125g unsalted butter
½ cup castor sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 eggs
2 cups self raising flour, sifted
175ml milk
Desiccated coconut
300 ml whipped cream
For the Davidson's Plum Jelly
2 cups water
1 cup castor sugar
2 heaped tablespoons (10g) Davidson's Plum Superfruit Powder
15g gelatine leaf (or powder)
Make the jelly first by bringing to the boil the water and the sugar. Turn the heat down and simmer for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat . Let the sugar syrup cool for a few minutes and then add the Davidson's Plum Powder. This should give you a gorgeous pink coloured syrup. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the syrup into a large bowl and the remaining 1/2 cup into a small flat bowl.
Prepare 10g of the gelatine and add to the large bowl and let the jelly cool completely, to almost setting point.
Prepare 5 g of gelatine and add to the small bowl and set in the fridge until completely set and firm.
Preheat oven to 180C and lightly grease 3 patty cake tins.
Cream the butter and sugar until thick, ale and creamy. Add the vanilla essence and add the eggs, one at a time.
Using a spatula or a large spoon, gently fold in by hand a third of the self raising flour, followed by a third of the milk and repeat until all milk and flour is incorporated.
Spray the tray with oil and spoon in sufficient cake batter to come just to the top of the mould.
Bake for about 15 minutes until golden and cooked through. The little cakes should bounce back when a finger is placed gently on the top.
Cool in the tin for a minute before turning out on to a rack to cool completely.
When the cakes are completely cool and the jelly is just beginning to firm, douse each cake into he jelly liquid and then roll in the desiccated coconut until completely coated. The colour of the cakes through the coconut should be a pale pinkish colour. If the cakes are not coloured enough you can quickly 'double dip" the tops in the jelly and repeat the coconut step.
Whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
Cut a wide circle out of the top of each cake and reserve. Place a spoon of whipped cream in each hole made by the removal of the cake circle.
Cut the cake circles in half and place the straight sides back to back and upright in the cream to form butterfly wings.
Cut the set jelly (from the refrigerator) into very small squares. Place a square of jelly between the wings and serve. These cakes are best eaten the day that they're made, but will keep for up to 3 days if kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
TIP: Kids love red jelly and if you are concerned about making a commercial jelly with food colours added, this Davidson's Plum Jelly is a completely natural alternative. To make the jelly on it's own , just double the recipe.
If grown up jelly is more to your liking, replace the water with a dry white wine and serve as a stunning dessert with fresh fruit