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

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.