Valentines Hearts

It may have escaped your notice, but somehow I doubt it, that 2 months ago, it was St Valentine's day. In light of this, I decided to make some Valentine's themed cupcakes.


These were very simple to make, based on a normal vanilla fairy cake, and then just decorated especially.


Ingredients - makes about 18


100g (4 oz) margarine
125g (5 oz) caster sugar
150g (6 oz) self raising flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
0.5 tsp vanilla essensce


Icing


100g (4 oz) royal icing sugar
cold water
2 tbsp sieved strawberry jam
200g (8 oz) pink ready-roll icing

1. Preheat the oven to 190*C.
2. Either process all the cake ingredients together, or follow this step wise route: Cream the margarine and sugar together. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Then add the milk and vanilla essence. Finally fold in the flour.
3. Spoon the mixture into baking cases (1/2-2/3 full) and bake for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from oven a cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Icing - mix the water and royal icing sugar to make a thick paste that is still spreadable. The jam should be sieved through either muslin or a fine sieve will do.
6. While the cakes are cooling roll out the pink icing and cut the correct number of heart shapes out of the icing. The icing should be 0.5-1 cm thick. Spoon the white icing onto the cakes in a thin layer.
7. Place one heart in the centre of each cake. Spoon the jam into a piping bag, and pipe a line onto each heart, a few mm away from the edge.

These really do look like a special kind of cake, and are a nice little touch for valentines. Obivously you might not manage 18 between two people, so you could half the mixture. If you are feeling fancy, you can add a touch of rose water to the mix. Replace 1 tbsp of milk in the cake with it, and replace the water for the white icing to taste. It makes a good addition to the cake, and adds a bit more depth to it.


Hope you enjoy!


MMFC

Pina Colada Cupcakes

Ingredients - makes 12


25g (1 oz) grated creamed coconut (I used liquid creamed coconut, which worked ok)
125g (4 oz) butter
125g (4 oz) caster sugar
2 eggs
150g (5 oz) SR flour
0.5 tsp baking powder
75g (3 oz) dried pineapple


Icing


150ml (0.25 pt) double cream
3 tbsp white rum
Fresh pineapple wedges

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C, and line a 12 section bun tray with cases. Chop the dried pineapple. Cream the butter and sugar, and add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
2. Fold in the sifted flour and baking powder, creamed coconut and dried pineapple. Beat until light and creamy.
3. Divide the mixture amongst the cases and bake for 20 minutes or until risen and just firm to the touch. Cool on a wire rack.
4. Lightly whip the double cream with the rum and spoon over the cooled cakes. Decorate with a wedge of pineapple.

These cakes are a very special treat to anyone who enjoys pina colada (or coconut in general). It could probably be altered into quite a nice 8" birthday cake if desired. The creamed cocount (liquid) worked nicely, though I used a bit less than 1 oz. It kept the cakes nice and moist too, without an overpowering coconut taste. I added a bit of the creamed coconut to the icing too to add to the coconut flavour.

MMFC

Rippled Raspberry Cupcakes

I made these cakes the other day, using defrosted frozen raspberries. They tasted really really good. Very light and fluffy. The raspberry mix would probably have worked better if i'd swirled it round in the cakes, but as it was they were really really good.

Ingredients - makes 6 or 7 muffins, 12 cupcakes

125g (4 oz) butter
125g (4 oz) caster sugar plus 2 tsps
2 eggs
150g (5 oz) self raising flour
0.5 tsp baking powder
75g (3 oz) fresh raspberries (or defrosted frozen raspberries)
Icing sugar to dust

1. Line a 12 hole cupcake tin (or 6 hole muffin tin). Preheat the oven to 180*C.
2. Crush the raspberries with the 2 tsps of sugar so they are broken, but not a juicy mush.
3. Put the butter and sugar (minus the 2 tsps) in a bowl and beat until light and creamy.
4. Fold in the eggs, then the flour and baking powder. Half fill each case with the mixture. Spoon a small amount of the raspberry mush ontop of this. Then cover with the leftover mixture. Swirl the cakes gently with a spoon.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until risen and just firm. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar.

 

I think these work better as muffins than as cupcakes. The size is essential. Also, the raspberries are likely to go off very quickly, so don't make lots of these in one big go.

MMFC

Fluffy Coconut cupcakes

I decided on (/was told to make) these cakes as one of my housemates was going away for the weekend, and she can't stand coconut. Personally, I thought they were very nice, and have a new love for coconut. The icing was particularly good. I left out the coconut essence (because I couldn't be bothered to buy it) and so they had a much mroe subtle coconut taste, which I think is better. Also, They work quite well in normal size cases, even though the recipe suggests using mini-muffin cases.

Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes - makes 36 mini (18 normal size)

250g (9 oz) self-raising flour
45g (1.5 oz) dessicated coconut
230g (8.5 oz) caster sugar
250ml (9 fl oz) buttermilk [If you can't find buttermilk in the shops,take some normal milk (250ml) and add 1 tsp lemon juice to it, then let it sit for half an hour]
2 eggs
1 tsp coconut extract (can be omitted)
125g (4.5 oz) unsalted butter, melted


Icing

280g (10 oz) icing sugar
135g (4.75 oz) desiccated coconut
75g (2.5 oz) unsalted butter
0.5 tsp coconut extract (can be omitted)
2 tbsp hot water
lightly toasted desiccated coconut to decorate.

1. Combine the flour, coconut and sugar in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Combine the buttermilk, eggs, coconut extract and butter. Then pour into the well and mix until well combined.
2. Divide evenly amongst the cases and bake for 12 minutes at 180*C (15 minutes for normal sized ones) or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
3. Icing - Combine the icing sugar and coconut in a bowl, add the butter (softened), coconut extract and enough water to make a spreadable icing. Spread each cake with a thick layer, and then sprinkle toasted coconut on top (or dip the cakes into the coconut)

These cakes were really tasty! The coconut on top gave a good simple decoration too. Not too difficult to make either. I think they will be much better without the coconut extract, so they have a more subtle coconut taste. You can toast the desiccated coconut very easily on a baking sheet and under the grill for a few minutes. Just don't forget to shake it up a bit so they don't burn.


MMFC

Chocolate Strawberry cupcakes

There seems to be a bit of a chocolate theme with my baking recently, which I put down to the stress of this year at university and the need for some tasty chocolate treats. I have to apologise also for not putting up a post for the past 2 weeks or so, even though I've had one waiting to go for about that length of time... not only have BT broken our internet, my degree is taking over my life (for the first time in 3 years!).

Anyways, these cakes, although described as chocolate and strawberry are really chocolate cakes (and very good ones!). I forgot to take a proper photo of them, though I'm certain somone took one for me, just unsure who! When I find out I'll put it up with my next post.  If not I'll just HAVE to make them again!


Chocolate and Strawberry Cupcakes - makes 12 muffins (recipe courtesy of Hamlyn cupcakes book)

75g (3oz) cocoa powder
225ml (7.5 fl oz) boiling water
125g (4oz) butter
275g (9oz) light muscovado sugar
2 eggs
200g (7oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Whipped cream to serve

Icing

150ml (0.25 pt) double cream
4 tbsp icing sugar
4 tbsp water
275g (9oz) plain chocolate
12 fresh strawberries

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C. Put the cocoa powder and whisk in the water until smooth. Leave to cool.
2. Beat together the sugar and butter in another bowl until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Sift the flour in and gradually beat in. Then add the cocoa mixture.
3. Divide into cases (makes good normal cupcakes as well as muffins). Then bake for 25 minutes until risen and firm. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes before cooling on a wire rack.
4. Icing - Put the water, cream and icing sugar in a saucepan and bring just to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in 200g (7oz) of the chocolate. Leave to cool, stirring frequently until smooth and glossy.
5. Melt the remaining chocolate in a double boiler. Half-dip the strawberries in to coat them in chocolate. Leave to solidify (though ensure the chocolate is on non-stick surfaces)
6. Spread the icing on the top of the cakes. A nice touch if serving immeadiately is to remove the paper cases, swirl the icing down the sides a little bit with a palette knife. Then position the strawberries in the middle on top. Serve with the whipped cream if liked.

I found the icing was a little liquid for my liking, though it did solidify nicely when kept in the fridge. The cakes were sooooo tasty! I did have one or 2 accidents, in that I made them once but negelected to include the baking powder (I was half asleep in my defence) and so they were more like pancakes than cupcakes! Still tasted alright though.

 

Gin and Tonic cupcakes, mmmmm!

So I've been looking forward to making these for quite some time (well pretty much as long as I've known where the recipe was) as have certain other people (not mentioning any names, Sarah at EADS Astrium). I got the recipe off www.yumsugar.com (link - originally from Gorgeous Cakes by Annie Bell). Unfortunately, it's all american in measurement (cups.. EUGH), and I personally felt some of it needed altering... e.g. the icing - who wants cheese in cake icing?!.

Now this recipe is for a 'white cake' or more commonly referred to as 'Angel food cake' or 'Foam cake'. This means it has little, or no, fat in it, and uses egg whites (or similar) to provide the shape; like a meringue. Having never tried to make white cake before, I decided to do some test runs, to make sure I could make it perfect for when my dad took some to work for his beleagured colleages. Firstly, heres the recipe (with some conversions into proper measurements!):

Cake - makes 12
2 Medium Egg whites
pinch salt
0.25 tsp Cream of Tartar
0.5 cup Icing sugar (roughly 64g - I used 65g, get me!), sifted
0.25 cup Plain flour (32g, use 35g if you can't measure that accurately), sifted
1.5 tbsp Tonic water (I used Tonic water 'with a twist of Lime/Lemon' which added a good bit of lime/lemon flavour)


Icing - Original
0.5 cup Mascarpone (120g)
1 tbsp Gin (add more!!)
2 tbsp Glucose syrup
Green food colouring
Lime slices covered in sugar or Jellied lime


Icing - Mine
Enough Icing sugar to make a not-too-runny paste
25ml Gin (1 shot or 1 tbsp, 2 tsp)
roughyl 5ml (1 tsp) Lime Juice (or Lemon)

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 160*C. With an electric beater (essential, unless you like lots of hard work) beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until they are risen.
2. Beat in the sugar a few tbsp at a time, sprinkling it over the egg whites and beating for 20 sec after each addition (give it a quick stir first, so the sugar doesn't go everywhere! - also sifting not essential here)
3. FOLD in the flour (sifting important) with a metal spoon in 3 stages, then stir in the tonic water in the same way.
4. Bake for 15 mins or until lightly golden and still springy to the touch 
5. Remove and cool
6. Icing - Original Spoon the mascarpone into a bowl and beat in the gin, then syrup and tint the palest colour green. Pipe onto the cool cakes.
7. Decorate with jellied limes or lime slices covered in sugar; with a cocktail stick through them. Lime slices covered in sugar should be added just before serving otherwise the lime juice goes everywhere
8. Icing - Mine Put some icing sugar in a bowl (few oz), add the gin and mix until combined (paste, liquid or lumpy).
9. Add the lime juice to taste, and then add icing sugar and mix until it forms a spreadable paste. This should be just enough icing to cover 12 cakes.

First attempt - the cake was really really flat and chewy :(. I originally thought this was because i'd used the wrong type of flour, as the original recipe isn't particularly clear, hence why I tried again using Self Raising flour - Attempt 2. What it actually meant is that I'd cooked it too long (and as i discovered on attempt no. 3, had destroyed the egg white foam). I made the icing this time round too. I doubled the amount of gin in the mix (I like gin if you hadn't already realised). It did make the icing pretty runny, so I had to add icing sugar to compensate. It was ok as an icing, but the mild cheesiness wasn't for me, even if it was rather overpowered by gin.


Second attempt - this time I used self raising flour. Although the cakes were a bit lighter, and less chewy, they still didn't rise properly. They tasted nice though, here's a picture of what your cakes shouldn't look like.

So on my third attempt, my mother deigned to inform me that when making foam cake, as she called it, you needed to just fold in the flour, rather than whisk it in - you learn something new everyday! If you do whisk it in, it breaks down the egg white structure so the cakes just flatten. Hence these cakes came out brilliantly - they rose and everything! I decided to ice them with my own, home-designed icing annd lime slices. Here is the finished product:

(yes the icing is very pale green, I think my camera killed the colour!)

I hope you enjoy making these too, after all the kerfuffle I went through, they weren't particularly refreshing; but next time, they will be perfect! My next post should be from Durham :)


MMFC

In the beginning....

Hello!

Ever since i can remember, I've enjoyed baking. Be it cakes, cookies, biscuits, flapjacks (particularly flapjacks - so simple, so quick, so DELICIOUS and so moreish!). Having gone to university, and cooking for myself, this has become more of a hobby as I have much more time on my hands (even though I do one of the hardest and most time-consuming science degrees I still manage to have lots of free time, I don't understand how) and not a week goes by without some baking creation sitting on the table by the window for all the passers-by to gawk at :D

Recently I was given 3 recipe books ALL about cupcakes (aka fairy cakes). I haven't actually counted how many recipes this comes to overall, but i think its about 250... thats a lot of different cupcakes. I personally prefer recipes that don't involve a huge amount of preparation or are overly time-consuming, so cupcakes are perfect. Now i have to chose which ones of these recipes I want to try! A tough decision you might think? You'd be right.

Other than the fact that i don't like nuts in any form what-so-ever (apart from the slight taste of hazelnut in chocolate spread) and especially almonds (EUGH!) this cuts out, thankfully, A LOT of recipes. I ended up with a list of 154 recipes that I thought I might like to try at some point or another. I don't know how long this will take, and I imagine that this list will be continuely added to (it has already - Gin and Tonic cupcakes - my idea of HEAVEN!) but we shall see what happens along the way! I plan to take photos of my creations, and i might share the odd recipe that I think is REALLY good (though I'm not sure how copyright works on this front... who knows!) and hopefully some of you will get to actually try them... :D

MMFC