Sweet Azuki Paste is very popular and it is used as a filling OR topping for many Japanese sweets. ‘Dorayaki’ and ‘Strawberry Daifuku Mochi’ and ‘An’ Doughnuts, the list would be endless. I love Sweet Azuki Paste but my husband doesn’t. When I baked these cupcakes, I expected he wouldn’t eat them. However, cupcakes disappeared very quickly as he ate a lot. He later confessed that he believed they were Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. Well… I believe these cupcakes taste Azuki, not Chocolate.


Makes

12 Cupcakes

Ingredients

125g Butter *softened
1/3 cup Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tablespoon Rum
1 & 1/2 cups Self-Raising Flour
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Walnuts
1/2 cup Milk
1 cup ‘Tsubu-an’ (Sweet Azuki Paste) *you can add more

Method
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 12-hole medium-size muffin tin with paper cases.
  2. Beat softened Butter and Sugar in a mixing bowl with a whisk until smooth. Add Eggs, one at a time, and beat well until creamy. Add Rum, Self-Raising Flour, Walnuts, and Milk, and use a spatula OR large metal spoon to mix.
  3. Add ‘Tsubu-an’ (Sweet Azuki Paste), and roughly but evenly combine. Spoon the mixture into paper cases.
  4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Leave in tins for 5 minutes before moving onto a wire rack to cool.