Snobbishness aside, the trendy kind of cupcake is too big to be eaten elegantly at parties, too sweet to be satisfyingly finished and has far too much icing – you're always left with a lump of the crumb-y toothache inducing stuff in your napkin. So time for a change. How about a return to the fairy (or butterfly) cake of school fêtes and Sunday teas? Not small enough to be a canapé but not so large it could constitute a small meal (a few delicious bites and it's gone), cute beyond anything and not so sweet it should have the number of a local dentist printed inside the bottom of the paper. It's along these lines I've been thinking for a special recipe I'm trying to concoct for a friend's hen night, or potentially wedding – and here's the first incarnation below. It's a mini Victoria Sponge with a catch: it's filled with créme patissiere and a raspberry reduction instead of buttercream and jam and the sponge is infused with rosewater for a tiny twist. I think they've turned out rather well – next time I'm making a few amends and after my second 'draft' I'll let you in on the recipe...
