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Bakewell Muffins
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These delicious Bakewell Muffins are soft, fluffy, and packed full of the classic Bakewell flavour with cherries, almonds and more. Made with easy to buy ingredients they are packed full of flavour and a delicious twist on a classic!
Notes from The Patisserie
These muffins combine a lot of my favourite things together. Packed FULL of almonds, and stuffed with chunks of fresh cherries they are moist and light. With added crunchy flaked almonds on top and a simple icing drizzle they really are just delightful.
I love a traditional Bakewell tart, but sometimes I want to make something a little easier. I love the flavour profile as you know, but these have no pastry so it definitely saves time. These muffins can be ready to eat within the hour, and there is no complicated processes or decorations. Throw these together when you fancy and easy baking recipe with maximum reward.
Muffin ingredient notes and tips
Find the full recipe in the recipe card below, but here are some extra tips to make the BEST bakewell muffins, as well as some useful swaps:
- Butter and oil – in quite a few of my muffin recipes now I like to use a combination of butter and oil for flavour and texture. I’d recommend block butter at room temperature, and a flavourless oil such as vegetable or sunflower oil.
- Sugar – light brown soft sugar brings a flavour element with a natural light molasses to it, as well as a good texture. You can swap to caster sugar, but I find the muffins are more cake like in texture.
- Eggs – I use medium eggs for consistency in all of my bakes, but you can use two large
- Flour – I use self raising flour because of the natural raising agents, but you can use plain flour. You will need to add an extra teaspoon of baking powder, however
- Almonds – for flavour, and texture, ground almonds (or almond meal) works wonderfully in this batter
- Raising agents – a touch of baking powder to help combat the ground almonds – don’t substitute for bicarbonate of soda as it’s different.
- Salt – optional, but helps provide a balance of flavour. I like to use sea salt in my baking
- Buttermilk – the buttermilk adds moisture, and lightness. You can buy your own by adding 125 of any milk, and half a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to the milk. Mix it together and let it sit before using in the bake
Flavouring a Bakewell Muffin
As well as the key ingredients above for the main base of the muffin mixture, there are a few additional ingredients to help create that wonderful Bakewell theme…
- Fruit – I used fresh cherries, but you can substitute for raspberries really easily or a different berry. I destoned the cherries and chopped them up. You can also swap for glacé cherries, but this adds extra sweetness due to their nature
- Almonds – I use almond extract for an extract kick, but this is optional or swappable to vanilla as well. I like to sprinkle flaked almonds on top before baking, as they create a nice texture and natural decoration.
If you want to take it further, the decoration of a simple icing drizzle (feel free to also flavour with almond extract!) and an extra cherry finishes them off beautifully and is tasty.
FAQs
Can I use frozen fruit?
You can, but it may make the muffin mixture slightly mushy. The extra water content can sometimes cause issues!
Can I skip the ground almonds?
For sure! Use 250g total flour instead.
My icing is really runny, what happened?
Some icing sugar needs less water than others – it’s best to add it slowly and mix well before adding more. To thicken it again, you’d need to add more sugar.
What can I use instead of buttermilk?
Please don’t skip it – notes above on how to make your own if you don’t want to buy it!
My muffins are really dense, what happened?
This is nearly always due to over mixing. A batter like this needs as little mixing as possible!
Bakewell Muffin Recipe
Easy and delicious Bakewell Muffins with an easy to make cherry and almond muffin mixture, drizzled with icing and sprinkled with extra almonds
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Servings: 12 muffins
Ingredients
Muffin mix
- 75 g unsalted butter (melted)
- 75 ml vegetable oil (or other flavourless oil)
- 175 g light brown soft sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 150 g self raising flour
- 100 g ground almonds
- 0.5 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 125 ml buttermilk (see blog post on how to make your own)
- 250 g cherries (de-stoned + chopped)
- 60 g flaked almonds
Decoration
- 75 g icing sugar
- 1-2 tbsp water
- extra cherries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºc fan (200ºc regular) and prep 12 tulip cases
- Add the melted butter, oil, and sugar to a bowl and mix together
- Add the almond extract and eggs and mix again
- Add the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt and mix in until smooth
- Add the buttermilk and stir together
- Add the de-stoned and chopped cherries and stir through.
- Split between 12 tulip cases evenly
- Sprinkle on the flaked almonds
- Bake for 22-25 minutes until golden and leave to cool for 15 minutes
- Mix the icing sugar and water together to a thick paste
- Drizzle over the muffins, and decorate further with extra cherry if you want!
Notes
- The muffins are best in the first couple of days, but do last up to four days at room temp
- You can freeze the muffins for 3+ months
- I use these tulip cases
- I use this muffin tray
Storage & Freezing
These cupcakes are so delicious when warm and fresh out of the oven, they are definitely best on the day of baking. However, they do last for 4+ days, at room temperature. The fridge may dry them out.
These muffins can freeze for 3+ months – I would thaw them either in the fridge overnight, or on the side for a couple of hours.