1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a muffin tin* with cupcake paper liners* and set aside. Melt the butter and let it cool down again.

2. In a bowl mix flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl mix the sugar with the melted butter. Add yogurt, milk, egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fill each paper liner about 3/4 full and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool down on a wire rack.

3. Peel the prickly pears and cut them into pieces – be careful or you will end up with little spikes all over your hands. It’s best to wear disposable gloves when working with prickly pears. Puree the fruit flesh in a mixer and press through a sieve to get the puree without the seeds. Prick each cupcake several times with a toothpick and spread 1-2 teaspoons of the puree on each cupcake and let it soak in.

4. For the buttercream beat the butter on high until light and fluffy. Add the salt and vanilla extract and mix. Add the confectioners‘ sugar in three batches and mix first slowly and then on high speed until light and fluffy. Next, add 2-3 tablespoons of prickly pear puree to the frosting and mix until well combined and smooth. Add more puree until the frosting has the desired consistency. If it gets too soft, add some more confectioner’s sugar. Fill into a piping bag with a star tip. Place in the fridge until the rest is done.

5. Add the remaining puree to a saucepan, add the sugar and bring to a boil. Let boil while stirring constantly and reduce the puree to a thick glaze. Let it cool down a bit.

6. Pipe a swirl of buttercream onto each cupcake and drizzle it with some of the prickly pear glaze.