. jAmmy dOdger cUpcakes . { cUpcakes with added cOokie cUteness } .

it's monday morning . it's a grey drizzly day . maybe you are still wishing it was the weekend ? maybe you are still wishing it was summer ? maybe you are mourning the end of National Cupcake Week ? maybe you are mourning the end of The Great British Bake Off as we know & love it ? fear not . whilst i may not be able to bring back the weekend . or . summer . or . the Bake Off back to BBC . i can bring you cupcakes . & . who can be sad when they're holding a cupcake ?

and these aren't just any old cupcakes . oh no . these are { my attempt } at creating a shOwstOpping cupcake for Bumpkin Betty's Baking Club challenge for September . after much deliberating about what to bake for this months Showstopper challenge once again the baking gOds looked down upon me & threw me a cupcake case sized clue in the shape of last weeks National Cupcake Week . in order to save myself from days weeks of further flavour deliberation an sOs message was dispatched to my sister who speedily replied with a suggestion of raspberry or lemon .

so how do you make a cupcake into a shOwstopping cupcake ? i'm still not sure i have the answer to that . but if the time it took to make these is anything to go by these are well & truly of the shOwstopping variety . and by the way . apron's off to those in the Bake Off tent working under those time constraints . i was baking these All Day Long ! though granted you don't see the Bake Off bakers faffing & styling their ingredients / batter / cupcakes / cookies to get the best instagram & blogging shot do you ?

taking my sister's suggestion of raspberry i decided on a simple vanilla cupcake with a hidden centre of homemade raspberry jam . a vanilla swiss buttercream . & . topped with a homemade jammy dodger . because what's better than a cupcake ?  a cupcake with a cookie on top . obviously !

 

making your own jam can seem scary . but it really isn't . & . it's super easy to make a small batch too . the roasting in the oven brings out all the juices & it really is worth taking the time to sieve those pips out too .

 

the homemade biscuits come together in no time at all though it's worth taking the time to chill the dough as instructed in the recipe . & . i also chilled it again when it had been cut into individual biscuits as i think it hold's it's shape a little better in the baking .

 

this was the first time i'd made this recipe . which is the { infamous } Magnolia Bakery's vanilla cupcake recipe . verdict . sO so sO good . this is now my go to cupcake recipe . { sorry hUmmingbird bAkery ! } . i baked mine in baking cups rather than cupcake cases as they're a little more sturdy and you don't need to bake using a baking tin . not to mention that they come in cute colours & patterns .

 

a final dusting of icing sugar . & . there you have it . 

& maybe we haven't solved the problem of mOnday mornings . rainy days . or . the demise of the Bake Off . but please tell me these cupcakes have cheered you up . just a little ?

thankyOu to Bumpkin Betty for another challenging challenge this month . & . as always if you fancy joining in with the baking then pop over to the Baking Club's facebook group . where you can see what all the other bakers have been baking for this month's challenge .

. have a chEery dAy .