Stolichny raisin cupcakes
Many people remember this cake from childhood pastry counters and school canteens; I still see it in small cafes. Stolichny is a fragrant raisin cake with a tender, moderately moist crumb. It is said to stay fresh for up to two weeks, although it never lasts that long in our house.
If for some reason there were no raisins at home. It's OK. Instead, you can add crushed nuts, dried apricots, candied fruits or chop a chocolate bar. Or you can add nothing.
For example, today I baked muffins with walnuts and dried apricots. I washed the nuts and roasted them in a frying pan, and then chopped them with a knife. The dried apricots were pre-soaked in warm water and then cut into pieces.
Set to preheat the oven to 200°C.
Beat softened margarine with sugar until fluffy.
Continuing to beat, add eggs one at a time.
Add flour, baking powder and vanillin. Knead into a thick dough. Here I already use a spoon or spatula. The mixer has difficulty turning such thick dough. At the very end, add the washed and dried raisins.
Place the dough into the molds. The cupcakes don't rise very much. Therefore, we fill the molds 2/3 full. Place in a hot oven. Switch the temperature to 170°C. The cupcakes are baked for 25 minutes. Check readiness with a wooden stick.
Remove the finished muffins from the molds and let cool completely.
Sprinkle the cooled cupcakes with powdered sugar.
For one large Stolichny cake, increase the baking time to 40-45 minutes. Use a ring pan with a central hole so the cake bakes through.