Welcome Back!!

Sorry that there has been a severe lack of posts for a while...University definitely got the better of us! but as second year has finished there will be plenty of baking to be getting on with, especially as our parents can now buy the ingredients!

Even though there haven't been any posts lately, we've still been baking so we've got plenty of posts lined up! and with our collection of baking books growing, our 'to do' list is getting quite long!

So we hope you enjoy our new posts!

Thanks for reading

Olivia and Naomi xx

Marbled Cupcakes

 

Both Naomi and I have been wanting to make Marble Cupcakes for a while and since our exams and assignments were over we decided we would finally get round to making them. We really liked the idea of mixing vanilla and chocolate sponge together.

We made the sponge mix as instructed, they took a little longer to cook than suggested but we just put this down to our Uni ovens. When it came to the frosting we decided to pipe some of them using a duo-icing piping bag.  The ones we pipe did look quite good although we don't think the frosting was quite piping consistency as it was quite hard to pipe. For the rest of the cupcakes we decided to use a palette knife to spread the frosting.

Apart from them taking slightly longer to cook, everything else went well and they were quite straight-forward to make.  Overall the cupcakes were really nice, all of our housemates enjoyed them! The sponge was really light despite it being chocolate sponge and frosting and I think the vanilla and chocolate flavours went really well together

Recipe 
(Cake Days - Hummgbird Bakery)
Makes 12-16 cupcakes

For the chocolate and vanilla sponges:
80g (3oz) unsalted butter
280g (10oz) caster sugar
240g (8 1/2oz) plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
20g (3/4oz) cocoa powder
2 large eggs
240ml (8 1/2fl oz) milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

For the chocolate frosting:
200g (7oz) icing sugar
50g (13/4oz) cocoa powder
80g (3oz) unsalted butter
25ml (1fl oz) whole milk


For the vanilla frosting:
250g (9oz) icing sugar
80g (3oz) unsalted butter
25ml (1fl oz) whole milk
1/4 tsp vanilla essence

one or two 12-hole deep muffin tins

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and fill a muffin tin with muffin cases.
• First make the flavoured sponges, beginning with the chocolate one. Using a handheld electric whisk or freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together half each of the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt,along with the cocoa powder, on a low speed until they have the texture of fine breadcrumbs.
• Break the eggs into a jug, add the milk and whisk by hand, then pour half of this mixture into the second jug a set aside for the vanilla sponge.
• Take the first jug with the egg mixture, pour three-quarters of this mixture into the dry chocolate sponge ingredients and mix on a low speed to combine.  Increase the speed to medium and keep mixing until smooth and thick. Scrape down the side of the bowl, add the remaining milk mixture from the first jug and continue to beat on a medium speed until all the ingredients are mixed in and the batter is smooth.
• For the vanilla sponge, repeat step 2 with the remaining half of the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt, but this time no cocoa powder.  Take the second jug of the egg mixture, whisk in the vanilla essence, then repeat step 4, pouring into the dry vanilla sponge ingredients and mixing as described.
• Divide the chocolate batter between the muffin cases, filling each by about a third.  Top with the same amount of vanilla batter and use a teaspoon handle to swirl the two mixtures together. If any batter remains, use it to fill more cases in a seperate muffin tin.
• Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until well risen and springy to the touch. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before you frost them.
• To make the chocolate frosting, whisk the icing sugar with the cocoa powder and butter on a low speed in a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment, or using the electric whisk, until the mixture is sandy in consistency. Pour in the milk, still mixing on a low speed, then increase the speed to high and whisk the frosting until soft and fluffy.
• Repeat this step for the vanilla frosting, but omitting the cocoa powder and mixing the vanilla essence with the milk before adding it to the frosting.
• When the cupcakes have cooled, spread 1 tablespoon of each frosting on to each cake using a palette knife, then swirl the two for a marbled effect.

Thanks for reading,

Olivia xx

Snickerdoodles

Okay so I don't think Liv and I can maintain a blog at the same time as getting a degree aha, we're just not good at multi-tasking. When we woke up to snow on Friday (all be it quite a pitiful amount) as well as a text from uni saying our lectures were cancelled Liv and I thought we'd bake. We went to the Christmas section of Cake Days so it fitted in with the Winter weather outside of course and picked Snickerdoodles, these are a cinnamon based cookie. 

We put a bit more cinnamon in than the recipe originally suggests and I think that the outcome was just right. The biscuits are coated in a cinnamon sugar as well, so these aren't really for cinnamon haters. 

Recipe
(Cake Days - The Hummingbird Bakery)

For the Dough:
60g (2oz) unsalted butter
160g (5.5oz) caster sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
1 large egg
240g (8.5oz) plain flour
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/8 tsp salt 
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 

For the Coating:
1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

Method:

• Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are fully incorporated. 
• Sift together the remaining ingredients and add these to the creamed mixture in two or three batches. Mix well using the mixer or by hand until the dough forms a smooth ball. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with cling film and place in the fridge to chill and rest for approximately 40 minutes. 
• While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 170C (325F), Gas Mark 3, and line two to three baking sheets with baking parchment. 
• Next mix together the caster sugar and ground cinnamon for the coating in a small bowl. 
• Once the dough is ready, break off small, walnut-sized pieces of the dough and roll these in the cinnamon sugar, making sure each ball is completely coated. Place the dough balls on to the prepared baking sheets, allowing five or six cookies per sheet and arranging them 4-5cm apart to give them space to spread during cooking. 
• Pop in the oven and bake 10-13 minutes or until the cookies are a light golden colour. Allow to cool and set on the sheets for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack. 

Thanks for reading, 

Naomi ♥

Eggnog Cupcakes

As it was Christmas, I really wanted to try the Eggnog cupcakes in the Hummingbird Book and also thought it was a perfect opportunity to use my new snowflake cutters. I've never had Eggnogg before so I don't really know what it tastes like but I liked the sound of the rum and nutmeg used in these cupcakes.

The eggnog cupcakes use a plain sponge but put rum and nutmeg in the frosting to give the cake the eggnog flavour.  As usual the sponge was really nice and light and as it was plain sponge it allowed you to add lots of flavour to the frosting and it not be overpowering.  When I started baking, I realised I didn't have any rum essence, so I just used rum instead to give the cupcakes the flavour. The nutmeg and rum worked really well together and the nutmeg gave the frosting a really nice colour.

Nutmeg is quite a strong flavour so I would recommend to stick to the amounts that the book says to add as it's not for everyone's taste and adding too much would overpower the frosting.

For the snowflakes I used royal icing that I coloured blue as I didn't have any sugarpaste. I used the smallest of my snowflake cutters and was really pleased with how they came out. A few of them didn't quite come out as snowflakes as the edges are really delicate and sometimes hard to get out of the cutter but overall I was pleased with how they turned out.


Recipe 
(Cake Days - Hummgbird Bakery)
Makes 12-16 cupcakes

For the sponge:
80g (3oz) unsalted butter
280g (10oz) caster sugar
240g (8 1/2oz) plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
240ml (8 1/2fl oz) milk

For the frosting:
500 (1lb 2oz) icing sugar
160g (5 1/2oz) unsalted butter
2 tsp rum essence
1tsp freshly grated nutmeg
50ml (1 3/4fl oz) whole milk
Edible christmas themed shapes to decorate

one or two 12-hole deep muffin tins

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and fill a muffin tin with muffin cases.
• Using a handheld electric whisk or freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt on a low speed until they have the texture of fine breadcrumbs.
• Break the eggs into a jug, add the milk and whisk by hand, then pour three-quarters of this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix on a low speed to combine.  Increase the speed to medium and keep mixing until smooth and thick. Scrape down the side of the bowl, add the remaining milk mixture and continue to beat on a medium speed until all the ingredients are mixed in and the batter is smooth.
• Fill the paper cases two-thirds full with the batter.  If any remains, it can be used to full up to four more cases in a second muffin tin.  Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until risen and springy to the touch.   Leave in the tray for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before adding the frosting. 
• Using the electric whisk or a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment, whisk the icing sugar with the butter, rum essence and grated nutmeg on a low speed until no large lumps of butter are left and the mixture is crumbly.  Gradually add the milk, then increase the speed to high and whisk until light and fluffy.
• Once the cupcakes are cold to the touch, smooth the frosting on top of each cake using a palette knife and add a decorative swirl.  Decorate with shop bought edible Christmas themed shapes or make your own from sugarpaste.

Thanks for reading,

Olivia xx

Chocolate Baileys Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for my friend as part of our secret santa but have only just got round to posting about them. She loves Bailey's so I thought I'd incorporate it into some baked goods, a standard present from me (as well as giving her a bottle of it). The recipe is from 'Making Cupcakes with Lola' and I've been wanting to make them for a while. The sponge is chocolate with both whiskey and Bailey's added to it and on top is a Bailey's buttercream. After piping the icing onto the cakes I topped them off with a simple florist paste flower which I made using the large blossom cutter.

I was a little disappointed with myself for these cupcakes as I got carried away with Christmas T.V and over baked them slightly, however my friend was still very happy with them. The buttercream was really nice as it had just the right amount of Bailey's in it without it being overpowering or sickly.

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Year, hopefully Olivia and I can keep up with our baking this year but bare with us as we sometimes find it hard to balance both university work and baking. I got a lot of baking goodies for Christmas so I might write a post about those this week at some point.

Recipe 
(Making Cupcakes with Lola - Victoria Jossel & Romy Lewis)
Makes 12 regular or 24 tiny cupcakes

For the sponge:
100g (31/2 oz) milk chocolate, chopped
125g (1 stick) butter, cubed
220g (1 cup) plus 1 tbsp caster sugar
120ml (1/2 cup) Baileys
2 tbsp whiskey
1 egg
a pinch of salt
150g (1 cup) plus 3 tablespoons plain flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder

For the buttercream:
125g (1 stick) butter, cubed and soft
500g (3 2/3 cups) icing sugar
3 tbsp Bailey's
1 tbsp milk

muffin pan lined with 12 muffin cases or mini-cupcake pan lined with 24 mini cupcake cases

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Put the chocolate, butter, sugar, Baileys and Whiskey in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water. Heat, stirring, until the chocolate melts and you have a smooth, glossy mixture. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. 
• Now add the egg and salt and beat with an electric hand mixer. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into the bowl and beat until blended. 
• Divide the mixture between the muffin cases. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or a little less for tiny cupcakes. They should be well risen and a skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before decorating. 
• While the cupcakes are cooling down, make the Baileys buttercream. 
• Put the butter in a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until very soft and smooth. Sift half the sugar into the bowl, beating until incorporated. 
• Add the second half of the sugar and beat on a low speed. Slowly pour in the Baileys and milk and when they are all mixed in, beat for 3-5 minutes on a higher speed. 
• Spread the frosting over the cold cupcakes using a spatula, or spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle/tip and pipe it on top of the cupcakes. 

Thanks for reading,

Naomi ♥

Christmas Cake

Having a Christmas cake in my house is a yearly tradition and nowadays I volunteer to make and decorate it myself. This year I decided to keep it quite simple by covering it with marzipan and sugarpaste and then making a wreath pattern from some florist paste ivy leaves I made. The good thing about this cake is the fact that it lasts such a long time, being a fruit cake this means that it keeps much better than most others. 
You can also make mini fruit cake cupcakes which I now do regularly for my brother as his wife doesn't like fruit cake but he loves it, meaning that he wouldn't go through a whole cake making cupcakes a perfect gift. 

Hope you all have a lovely Christmas and over-eat and indulge just like i'll be doing!

Thanks for reading,

Naomi ♥ 

Rustic Mince Pies

After finishing the mound of assignments which I've had in recently I can eventually relax and start to engage in some mandatory Christmas activities such as of course baking mince pies. This time however I decided I wanted to make the mince pies slightly differently and when I found this recipe in my Jamie Magazine  I had to give it a go. I love mince pies, however sometimes I find that the traditional ones have a bit too much mince meat in for my liking and these ones eliminate that problem perfectly.

The pies are made out of two types of pastry, a soft puff pastry filling encased in crunchy filo pastry and not only do they taste good they are ridiculously easy to make as well, you can find the recipe here. Basically you spread the mince meat onto a sheet of rolled out puff pastry and add whatever flavours you want, I added lemon and orange zest, brandy and some dried cranberries, you then roll it up into a giant swiss roll and refrigerate it for half an hour. When you take it out the fridge you cut them into discs and place them into a filo pastry lined muffin dish and bake for 25 minutes. They might not be the prettiest looking mince pies however they taste amazing and are definitely a different take on the same old mince pie.

Thanks for reading,

Naomi ♥