Blood Orange and Rose Water Fairy Cakes (Recipe Inspired by LITTLE DARLINGS)

I seriously think these Blood Orange and Rose Water Fairy Cakes are plucked straight from my childhood tea party dreams.

My latest read, Little Darlings, follows a woman whose babies are snatched away by fairies.

As soon as I finished the book, I started scouring the Internet for fairy-related recipes.

I quickly stumbled upon Fairy Cakes and immediately fell in love with these cupcake-like confections encased in icing and adorned with colorful sprinkles.

I say “cupcake-like” because, while they look like their larger-than-life American cousins, these Blood Orange and Rose Water Fairy Cakes are actually petite, dainty morsels that can be polished off in just two or three bites.

While most Fairy Cakes are vanilla-flavored, I decided to up the ante by adding beautiful blood orange zest (hello, citrus season!) and delicately floral rosewater to the cake batter.

Let me tell you: that was definitely the right thing to do!

The pale golden batter turns into tender sponge cake infused with bright, fresh citrus flavor, with just a hint of flowery fragrance. The rose water is so subtle that you don’t even really notice it until the end of each bite.

And, can we talk about the perfectly pink glaze? IT’S GORGEOUS. I’m not even going to pretend to be modest about how beautifully it turned out.

Aaaaand, guess what: there’s not a drop of artificial food coloring in it.

Ya heard me. That alluring shade of pink? All thanks to freshly squeezed blood orange juice. #NatureIsBeautiful

Blood Orange and Rose Water Fairy Cakes are a great baking project for kids; the ingredients are few, the baking time is nearly nil, and since the cakes are so small, they cool incredibly quickly for glazing.

This means these little cakes are ready for little mouths to gobble up in under 30 minutes.

However, I dare you to find an adult who’s not equally enchanted by these fairy cakes. Mainly because 1) they’re perfectly snack-sized for your 3pm-pick-me-up, and 2) SPRINKLES! You’re never too old for sprinkles.

Bake up a batch of Blood Orange and Rose Water Fairy Cakes for an impromptu tea party, as a fun after-(home)school treat, or just when you’re craving a little somethin’ sweet without a lot of fuss.

Just be sure you decorate them with plenty of sprinkles. Or else, the fairies might get you. 😉

Blood Orange and Rose Water Fairy Cakes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 12 small cakes

Ingredients

  

Cake Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup self-rising flour
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 blood orange, zested and juiced (keep separate)
• 1/4 tsp rose water

Blood Orange Glaze Ingredients

• ¾ + 1/8 cup confectioner's sugar
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed blood orange juice (see above)
• sprinkles for decoration

Instructions

 

PREP INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Line a 12-cavity cupcake tin with paper liners, or generously grease cupcake tin cavities.

BAKING INSTRUCTIONS

• In a medium-size bowl, use an electric handmixer to whip the softened butter until creamy.
• Zest the blood orange into the butter, then beat mixture until zest is incorporated. Wrap the zested orange in plastic wrap and set aside for later.
• Add the granulated sugar to the bowl and beat mixture until light and fluffy.
• Pour the lightly beaten eggs in slowly, then beat until mixture is light and creamy.
• Add the vanilla and rose water, then beat to incorporate them in the batter. Now, you can put the handmixer aside (you’re done with it).
• Gently fold the flour into the cake batter using a spatula or spoon.
• Add the 1 tbsp of milk and stir gently to combine.
• Scoop the batter evenly into the 12 cupcake cavities; each cavity should be only half-full.
• Bake the fairy cakes at 350F for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Let the fairy cakes rest in the cupcake tin for 10 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack to finish cooling. It won't take very long!

BLOOD ORANGE GLAZE INSTRUCTIONS

• Make the blood orange glaze while the cakes are baking.
• Remove the zested blood orange from the plastic wrap, then cut it in half.
• Juice one half of the orange, and rewrap the remaining half in plastic wrap for another use.
• Pour ¾ cup + 1/8 cup of confectioner’s sugar into a small bowl, then whisk in 2 tbsp of the freshly squeeze blood orange juice until you have a thick but spreadable pink glaze.
• Once fairy cakes are completely cooled, remove them from their paper liners (if you used them), then spoon a small amount of the blood orange glaze onto the top of each cake; it’s okay if it drips down the sides.
• Decorate immediately with sprinkles since the glaze hardens pretty quickly.
• Serve fairy cakes at room temperature.

Notes

*If you don't have self-rising flour at home, you can learn how to make it here.

Blood Orange and Rose Water Fairy Cakes recipe is adapted from BBC Food's Fairy Cakes recipes.