Six flavour pairings we’re trying this autumn
The combinations about to walk into our cupcake cabinet — and the two that didn’t survive the tasting table.
Every season we lock the kitchen for an afternoon and run a tasting table. Eight or nine pairings get baked into half-batches of cupcakes, and the five of us argue politely about which deserve a spot in the cabinet for the next eight weeks. Most do not make it. The ones that do tend to share something in common: they sound a little odd on paper, but they make sense the moment you taste them.
1. Pear & Brown Butter
Williams pears poached in a light syrup, folded into a brown-butter sponge, finished with a thin mascarpone cap. The brown butter does most of the work — it lends the sponge a nutty depth that lets the pear stay soft and almost floral. We tried it with cinnamon at first and decided the cinnamon was loud company.
2. Fig & Tahini
Roasted black mission figs spooned onto a tahini-streaked sponge, with a swiss meringue buttercream we whip a touch less than usual so it stays loose. The tahini smells like nothing baked in this kitchen before. It is in the cabinet for one month only.
3. Quince & Cardamom
Quince slow-roasted for ninety minutes until it turns deep ruby, layered into a cardamom-spiced sponge. A small amount of orange zest in the buttercream lifts the whole thing. This one needs to be eaten the day it is baked.
4. Hazelnut Praline & Espresso
A hazelnut-praline sponge with an espresso syrup brushed across the top. The buttercream is whipped with a tablespoon of cold-brew concentrate. It tastes like a 4pm pick-me-up that took itself seriously.
5. Apple & Salted Miso
Granny Smith apples sautéed in butter and a measured spoon of white miso, folded into a brown-sugar sponge. The miso disappears into the background and just makes the apple taste more like itself. This pairing surprised everyone at the table.
6. Black Sesame & Honey
A black-sesame paste swirled through the sponge, honey buttercream piped on top, finished with toasted black sesame seeds. It looks dramatic and tastes gentle — which is, generally, what we are looking for.
The two that didn’t make it
Olive & chocolate sounded brave on paper and tasted confused on the fork. Beetroot & ginger had a beautiful colour but a weirdly metallic finish that no amount of buttercream could mask. Maybe next year.
If you want to taste one before they cycle out, send us a note — we usually have at least three of these in the box at any given time through May and June.