This summer Britain has a beautiful rich strawberry crop and right now is the best time to eat them. These little cakes can be made in any size, either bite-sized as in this recipe or larger like a cupcake turned inside-out. The strawberry perfectly complements the rich cocoa, red velvet and cream cheese, so encourage your customers to eat them in one bite to enjoy the flavours all together. This recipe is perfect for picnics or as canapés.

Mini Strawberry Red Velvet Bites

Bakes one sheet in a gastro tray

Makes approx 30

Ingredients

Unsalted butter230g

Caster sugar550g

Eggs4

Red food colour (liquid)6 tbsp

Cocoa55g

Marriages or other good plain flour670g

Buttermilk2 cups

Pinch of salt

Baking soda2 tsp

Cider vinegar2 tsp

Confectioner’s cases

Strawberries, cut in half1 punnet

Desiccated coconut

Method

1. Beat butter and sugar until very light (approx 5 mins).

2. Beat in the eggs one at a time until just incorporated.

3. Add food colouring, salt and cocoa to the mixture and beat to incorporate until smooth.

4. Add the flour to the mixture in two parts, on low speed, alternating with the buttermilk begin and end with the flour.

5. Add the vinegar to the baking soda it will fizz up and mix until all combined. Then add to the batter and fold in gently but thoroughly. Leave to stand for 3 mins.

6. Scrape into a greased, lined gastro tray and bake at 180C for 20 minutes or until done.

7. Cool completely and cut out rounds from the sheet with a 1.5-inch cutter.

Frosting ingredients

Unsalted butter50g

Cream cheese135g

A drop or two of vanilla essence

Icing sugar445g

A dab of pink food gel colour (optional)

Method

1. Beat the softened butter, add the cream cheese and blend together until smooth.

2. Add the vanilla and beat in the icing sugar gradually, until you get the right consistency.

Assembly

Pipe frosting between two rounds to stick them together, then pipe another dab on top and top with the halved strawberries and a pinch of desiccated coconut.