Khanya Mzongwana, Author at Woolworths TASTE

Breakfast recipes

Bhisto with fried eggs

35 minutes

Avocado recipes

Pearl barley “tabbouleh” with green chilli, lime and celery vinaigrette

30 minutes

Beetroot recipes

Sweet beetroot pizza with butternut purée and goat’s cheese

25 minutes

Pizza recipes

Roasted red grape pizza

5 minutes

Fakeaway recipes

Spanish Margherita with fennel salad

15 minutes

Fakeaway recipes

Poached egg pizza with smashed peas, charred leeks and dill mayo

30 minutes

Chilli recipes

Pork meatball-and-kimchi pizza

20 minutes

Fakeaway recipes

The basic pizza base

10 minutes

Gin ‘n’ tonic cupcakes

Serves 12

Difficulty Easy

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cooking Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

175 g unsalted butter, softened
175 g caster sugar
3 free-range eggs
175 g self-raising flour
4 T tonic water
2 T gin

For the icing:

250 g cream cheese
500 g icing sugar
1 cucumber
4 T gin
1 lime, zested

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a 12-hole muffin pan with cupcake cases.
Cream the butter and caster sugar until light and creamy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is fully combined before adding the next. Sift the flour and fold in, take care not to overmix. Stir in the tonic water.
Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases, filling each one ¾ of the way. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the tin and prick using a fork. Brush liberally with the gin. Allow to cool.
To make the icing, soften the cream cheese with a whisk, add the icing sugar and whisk gently. Peel the cucumber and blend the skin to make a purée. Add the cucumber purée and gin and continue mixing until smooth and glossy. Pipe or roughly spoon the icing onto the cupcakes and decorate with lime zest.

Cook's note: This super-simple recipe was inspired by my love for the timeless and nuanced flavour of gin and how it turns a cupcake into a chic, party food.

Browse more cupcake recipes here.

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Recipes & Articles by Khanya Mzongwana

Khanya’s secret sweet fire sauce

Bhisto with fried eggs

Pearl barley “tabbouleh” with green chilli, lime and celery vinaigrette

Sweet beetroot pizza with butternut purée and goat’s cheese

Roasted red grape pizza

Spanish Margherita with fennel salad

Poached egg pizza with smashed peas, charred leeks and dill mayo

Pork meatball-and-kimchi pizza

The basic pizza base

Warm lentil salad with couscous and vegetables

Ultimate roast chicken with creamy leek-and-fennel sauce

Gin ‘n’ tonic cupcakes

Gin ‘n’ tonic cupcakes

Ingredients

Method