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

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 ♥

Lola's Cupcakes

A while ago Olivia and I paid a visit to the Lola's Cupcakes bakery in Topshop Oxford Street, I have their book so have been wanting to check out their cakes myself for a while now. We both loved the fact that there were so many different flavours available, from peanut butter to fresh mango, the range of cakes really reflected their cookbook. The fact that the bakery is in the middle of one of Oxford Street busiest fashion shops does make the visit that little bit less personal as you can only take the cakes away really, which in a way puts even more pressure on the cakes themselves as they do not have anything to fall back on. 

Another thing that Olivia and I liked about the selection is that you can get either a standard sized cupcake or a mini one, allowing yourself to try various flavours without feeling like a pig. We got a mini coconut cupcake as well as a mini peanut butter one. The coconut cupcake is shown below. 

We enjoyed both the cakes however for different reasons, we found that the coconut cake lacked flavour however the texture was really good, and in reverse, the peanut butter cupcake tasted great but was a little bit dry, if you put both these benefits together then they would have a perfect cake.

Olivia and I would definitely go back to Lola's Cupcakes again as there are just so many exciting flavours we want to try, and maybe next time we will receive both a light and flavorsome cupcake, we'll let you know! 

Thanks for reading,

Naomi ♥

Boston Cream Cupcakes

The majority of our baking nowadays is due to housemates or family birthdays, this time it was Olivia's housemates birthday again and after looking through the book in the past he'd mentioned that he liked the look of the Boston Cream Cupcakes, so of course it was these we made. These cakes are actually much simpler than you may first expect from the title and the picture in the book. The sponge is a plain vanilla, then filled with vanilla custard and topped with a chocolate buttercream.

We only had limited time to make the cakes due to afternoon lectures and the flatmate getting home so it was definitely time for teamwork and multitasking! I made the custard whilst Olivia made the cakes, therefore once the cakes were cooked and cooled the custard was cold enough to put straight into the cakes. The end result was good, the sponge was a really nice texture and the vanilla custard balanced out the rich chocolate frosting well. All the house seemed to like them and especially the boy whose birthday it was so overall they were a success!

Also, you guys should check out this new website I found, Bakery Box, it's basically like a baking version of a graze box. You choose a recipe from a large selection and they send you the ingredients you need for it, it's perfect for beginner bakers and people who want to bake but don't have much time on their hands to do so! They have a blog and facebook page too  which are both on their website so check those out too! 

Recipe
(Cake Days - The Hummingbird Bakery)

Makes 12-16 cupcakes

For the sponge:
          80g (3oz) unsalted butter, softened
          280g (10oz) caster sugar
          240g (8.5oz) plain flour
          1 tbsp baking powder
          1/4 tsp salt
          240ml (8.5fl oz) whole milk
          2 large eggs
         1 tsp vanilla essence

For the filling:
          250ml (9fl oz) whole milk
          1/2 tsp vanilla essence
          2 large egg yolks
          50g (1 3/4oz) caster sugar
          1 tbsp plain flour
          1 tbsp cornflour

For the frosting:
          400g (14oz) icing sugar
          100g (3.5oz) cocoa powder
          160g (5.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
          80ml (3fl oz) whole milk
          Finely grated dark chocolate, to decorate

one or two 12-hole deep muffin tins
piping bag (optional)

Method:

•  Preheat the oven to 190C (375F), Gas Mark 5, and line a muffin tin with muffin cases
• Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the butte, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt on a low speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Place the remaining ingredients in a jug 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, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.Add the remaining milk mixture and beat until combined and smooth.
• Spoon the batter into the paper cases, filling them by two-thirds. Any remaining batter can be spooned into more cases in another tin. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until well risen and springy to the touch, then leave to cool completely. 
• While the cupcakes are cooking, make the filling. Pour the milk and vanilla essence into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining ingredients together by and in a bowl until smooth and well combined. 
• Once the milk is boiling, remove from the heat and pour 4-5 tablespoons into the egg-yolk mixture to loosen, then return this mixture to the pan of hot milk, stirring to incorporate. 
• Return the pan to the heat and bring to the boil, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Boil for at least 1 minute to ensure the flour is properly cooked. Once thickened, tip the custard into a bowl and cover with cling film to prevent a skin forming, then leave to cool completely for 30-40 minutes. 
• To make the frosting, use the electric whisk or freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment to slowly beat together the icing sugar, cocoa powder and butter until sandy in texture. Gradually pour in the milk, then increase the speed to high and whisk until soft and fluffy. 
• Using a sharp knife, make a hole in the centre of each cupcake about 2cm (3/4in) in diameter and 3cm (11/4in) deep, reserving the scooped out pieces of sponge. Pipe or spoon the custard into the hole in each cake, then replace the sponge lid, trimming it if necessary to ensure the top i fairly level. Divide the chocolate frosting between the cupcakes, smooth the tops with a palette knife and add a swirl. Sprinkle with grated chocolate to decorate. 

Thanks for reading,

Naomi ♥

Cookie Monster Cupcakes

I saw these cupcakes quite a while back and have wanted to make them ever since, so I thought they would make a perfect accompaniment to my brother's birthday cake. It may have been his 18 but these are so cute and everyone loves the cookie monster!

I've seen quite a few different ways of making these but I used a blue frosting and then dyed some desiccated coconut blue for the topping.  I really liked the texture that the coconut made, although my brother doesn't like coconut so I made some with blue sugar strands, they didn't look quite as good but they still did the job.  I used white chocolate buttons for the eyes and piped on melted milk chocolate to make the pupils, although you can also use icing. I then just cut a small hole for the cookie to go into!

They are a bit more time consuming than a regular cupcake but I think they are definitely worth it as they look really cute. Everyone liked them as well so they were clearly a hit.

The cupcakes are classic chocolate sponge, which doesn't go great with buttercream icing, but my brother really likes chocolate cake so I improvised!

I would definitely recommend giving these a go though, they're fairly simple but are pretty impressive.

Thanks for reading,

Olivia x x

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

I love the flavour combination of chocolate and orange and those two combined in cakes is just too good. I made these cupcakes after seeing the recipe on one of my favourite cake blogs, 'Sweethearts Cakes and Bakes'. The recipe stood out to me and the cakes all looked perfect so I thought i'd give it a go, although I still need to make the chocolate orange cupcakes in the hummingbird book so when I do I can compare them. 

The cake mixture is flavoured with orange essence and cocoa powder and they are topped with  chocolate orange ganache. Yet again though, this means that the cakes have to be stored in the fridge which really ruins the texture of the them, so leave them out for around an hour before hand. I had some sugarpaste flowers left from the birthday cake Olivia and I made a few days before, so I decided that instead of throwing them away I'd put them on the cakes to make them look that bit prettier. I was really happy with how the cupcakes turned out, although I look forward to making the hummingbird ones and seeing which, if any, I prefer. 

The recipe for these cakes can be found here, I really recommend giving them a go. All the cakes on Sweethearts Cakes and Bakes look amazing and i'm excited to try some more, especially the mint chocolate ones.

Thanks for reading,

Naomi ♥

Espresso Cupcakes

Okay, I know Olivia and I have been awful at posting recently, we're just trying to get used to blogging whilst at University (it's actually surprisingly hard). Also, apologies for the lack of photo's for this post.

Anyway, let's get on with it. After telling my housemates that i'm going to be baking a lot this year, I thought it was about time I actually started doing this. Olivia and I decided we were going to make the Espresso cupcakes from the Hummingbird book, we both love coffee cake and thought the idea of an espresso one would be a bit more interesting, and being students they seemed quite a cheap option. However, we may have taken the student route a bit too far as we definitely picked the cheapest espresso powder in the shop, which didn't turn out the best way texture wise. Although, this could also be due to our slight lack of coffee knowledge. The coffee didn't dissolve in the milk the way we wanted it too, meaning that it was slightly gritty (which you can see in the photo). However, they tasted really good and all the flat seemed to like them! The icing was quite a strong coffee taste, we think this might be to do with getting the wrong type of coffee. Therefore, if we did make them again we'd probably invest a bit more money and knowledge into buying the right espresso.

Recipe
(Cake Days - The Hummingbird Bakery)

Makes 12-16 Cupcakes

For the sponge:
          240ml (8.5fl oz) milk
          20g (3/4oz) instant espresso powder
          80g (3oz) unsalted butter, softened
          280g (10oz) caster sugar
          240g (8.5oz) plain flour
          1 tbsp baking powder
          1/4 tsp salt
          2 large eggs

For the frosting:
          50ml (11/3fl oz) whole milk
          16g (1/2oz) instant espresso powder
          500g (1lb 2oz) icing sugar
          160g (5.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
          36-48 chocolate-coated coffee beans, to decorate

One of two 12-hole deep muffin tins

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 190C (375F), Gas Mark 5 and fill a muffin tin with muffin cases. 
• Lightly warm the milk, without boiling it, and dissolve the espresso powder in it. Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt on a low speed until they are like fine breadcrumbs in consistency. 
• Pour the coffee-flavoured milk into the jug, add the eggs and whisk by hand until combined. Pour three-quarters of this milk mixture int the dry ingredients and mix together on a low speed, then increase the speed to medium and keep beating until smooth and thick. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then pour in the rest of the milk mixture and continue to beat on a medium speed until everything is mixed together and you have a smooth batter.
• Divide this between the muffin cases, filling each case by two-thirds. If any batter remains, use this to fill up to four more cases in a separate tin. Bake int he oven for 18-20 minutes or until risen and springy to the touch. Leave in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before adding the frosting. 
• As before, slightly warm the milk and dissolve the espresso powder in it. Set aside to cool completely before using.
• Using the electric whisk or freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment, set on a low speed, whisk the icing sugar with the butter until they are fully combined and the mixture is sandy in consistency. Slowly start to add the coffee-flavoured milk, then, once mixed in, increase the speed to high and whisk until light and fluffy.
• Place spoonfuls of frosting on to the cold cupcakes, smoothing the tops with a palette knife and swirling to finish. Decorate each cake with three chocolate-coated coffee beans.

Thanks for reading,

Naomi ♥

Vanilla Cupcakes

I recently bought a new piping head and haven't done just piped cupcakes in quite a while so I decided that I would practice piping roses using buttercream icing. The piping head I used for the roses is #104 which can also be used for bows, petals etc...

I used the Hummingbird Bakery recipe for vanilla cupcakes and then piped the vanilla icing on top.  The cakes themselves were really light and moist and had a nice hint of vanilla.  I really like classic sponge and this was definitely a recipe I would use again. I particuarly like using milk with the butter in the icing to make it more creamy and a bit less sickly.

As I wanted to pipe roses I decided to use pink and white icing as I thought these colours go really nice together and went really nicely with some pink and white cupcake cases I have. As the whole point was to practice flowers most of the cupcakes used roses, however I tried them in different ways and the ones that didn't use roses I piped hearts to stay along the theme. To pipe buttercream roses a pin is usually recommended, however, I decided just I'd pipe them straight onto the cupcakes, which I think looked just as nice.

I'm really pleased with how they turned out and I really like the colours together. I like piping and would definitely try out some other designs in the future or even make these ones again for a special occasion e.g. valentines day, anniversarys etc...

Recipe
(Cake Days - The Hummingbird Bakery)

Makes 12-16

For the sponge:
80g unsalted butter, softened
280g caster sugar
240g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
240ml milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the vanilla frosting:
500g icing sugar
160g unsalted butter
50ml milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
Food colouring (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190C (325F), Gas Mark 5 and line a muffin tin.

Using a handheld whisk slowly beat together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt until the ingredients resemble fine breadcrumbs.

Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla extract together in a jug, then slowly pour about half into the flour mixture, beat to combine and turn the mixer up to high speed to get rid of any lumps.

Turn the mixer down to a slower speed and slowly pour in the remaining milk mixture. Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.

Spoon the mixture into muffin cases until two thirds full. Pop in the oven and bake for 18-20 mins, until the sponges feel springy. Leave to cool.

To make the frosting whisk the icing sugar with the butter on a low speed until fully combined. Add the vanilla essence to the milk and pour into the butter and icing sugar while mixing on a low speed until light and fluffy.

If you want to add food colouring, add a few drops to the icing, being careful not to add too much and alter the taste.  Wait until the cakes are fully cooled to add the frosting.

Thanks for reading,

Olivia x x

Baby Shower Cupcakes

A friend recently asked me to make some cupcakes for her sister-in-law's baby shower and I of course immediately agreed. This was my first paid order and it's also good experience, as well as being a lot of fun. 

I was only making 20 cupcakes so the task wan't too daunting, we decided on 10 chocolate cakes and 10 lemon, keeping the flavours simple, so we could please as many people as possible. After doing some online research and talking to my friend about her ideas we agreed on the 10 chocolate cupcakes having a babies face on them and the 10 lemon cakes being topped with lemon butter icing and baby themed icing figurines. They know that the baby is a boy which also made the process slightly easier as it meant we could have a definite colour scheme. 

Lemon Cupcakes 

Chocolate Cupcakes

For the icing shapes on top of the lemon cupcakes I used modelling paste and various food colour pastes. I made them a couple of days in advance so that they could dry out properly. The faces on the chocolate cupcakes were just made out of sugar paste and they were very easy to do as the design is simple but at the same time, effective. 

I was really happy with the outcome of both sets of cupcakes and so was my friend and apparently everyone at the shower, so overall my first order was a success!

Thanks for reading,

Naomi ♥

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

 The plain peanut butter cup cupcake

The cupcake with the additional 'Reese's Pieces'

Firstly, sorry for the lack of posts over the past week, both Olivia and I were away for a bit, however we both have a few posts for the near future. 

I've recently acquired a new love for 'Reese's Peanut Butter Cups' thanks to a friend introducing them to me (although I'm sure this introduction will in no way benefit my health). Since becoming slightly addicted to them I've wanted to incorporate them into baking somehow and after browsing 'Pinterest' I decided I'd start with some simple cupcakes. The actual cake is just a chocolate sponge (I used the Hummingbird Bakery recipe) however I put a peanut butter cup at the bottom of each cupcake case. I then halved the cake mixture and in one half I put some 'Reese's Pieces' and left the other half plain. 

The cakes turned out light and fluffy and the peanut butter cup at the bottom went slightly soft which was really good. The cakes with the Reese's pieces in them were my favorites I think, (yes, I ate two) as the crunchy candy bits add a different texture to the cakes, the recipe below is therefore for this version. The cakes have a slightly salty taste to them from the peanut butter but I really like this aspect as it means they aren't too sickly. Making these cakes may be the start of a lot of peanut butter baking, I want to make peanut butter cup cheesecake brownies next, another calorific treat. 

Recipe

Makes 10

For the cakes:
          100g plain flour
          20g cocoa powder
          140g caster sugar
          1.5 teaspoons baking powder
          pinch of salt
          40g unsalted butter, softened
          120ml milk
          1 egg
          1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
          10 Reese's peanut butter cups
          1 packet of Reese's pieces

For the frosting:
          250g icing sugar
          60g unsalted butter
          25ml milk
          25g smooth peanut butter (the amount depends on personal taste)
          Reese's pieces of peanut butter cups to decorate

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 170C (325F), Gas Mark 3.
• Put the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on a slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. 
• Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla extract together in a jug, then slowly pour about half into the flour mixture, beat to combine and turn the mixer up to high speed to get rid of any lumps. 
• Turn the mixer down to a slower speed and slowly pour in the remaining milk mixture. Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.
• Mix in the packet of 'Reese's Pieces' until evenly dispersed.
• Place a peanut butter cup in the bottom of each cupcake case.
• Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tins slightly before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
• For the frosting, beat the icing sugar and butter together with a freestanding electric mixer with paddle attachment or handheld electric whisk until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. 
• Pour the milk into the mixture and continue to beat until the icing becomes light and fluffy. Mix the peanut butter into the icing by hand, taste it to see whether to add more peanut butter. 
• Once the cakes are cool, pipe the icing onto the cakes accordingly and decorate how you wish.

Thanks for reading,

Naomi ♥

Caramel Cupcakes

Sorry for the slight lack of posting this week, we've both been pretty busy but don't worry we have a few posts coming up. I did however get time do make these caramel cupcakes from the Hummingbird book. The actual cake is quite sweet due to the caramel you put in the sponge but it's not too overpowering and it makes the cakes really moist which is always good. There is caramel in the icing as well so overall it's a pretty sugar based cake, but my sweet tooth definitely doesn't mind that. I decided to decorate them in a variety of ways, copying the book a bit and putting my own touch on it too. I really love the look of the piped caramel into hearts and dots, I think they look really neat and generally pretty cute.
Overall these cakes were a great success and were eaten quickly in my house so they are definitely ones to make again, or for anyone that hasn't made them, I'd highly recommend it! 

Recipe
(Cake Days - The Hummingbird Bakery)

Makes 12-16 cupcakes

For the Sponge:
          80g (3oz) unsalted butter, softened
          280g (10oz) caster sugar
          240g (8.5oz) plain flour
          1 tbsp baking powder
             1/4 tsp vanilla essence 
          2 large eggs
          150g (5.5oz) tinned caramel or dulce de leche

For the frosting:
          500g (1lb 2oz) icing sugar
          160g (5.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
          50ml (13/4fl oz) whole milk
          100g (3.5 oz) tinned caramel or dulce de leche, plus extra to decorate (optional)

one or two 12-hole deep muffin tins

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 190C (375F), Gas Mark 5, and line a muffin tin with cases.
• Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, whisk together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt on a low speed until crumb-like in consistency. 
• Place the milk and vanilla essence with the eggs and whisk by hand until combined. Pour three-quarters of this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix together on a slow speed, then increase the speed to medium and keep beating until smooth and thick. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the remaining milk mixture and the tinned caramel, and continue to mix until all the ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth. 
• Divide the batter between the muffin cases, filling each by two-thirds. Any remaining batter can be used to fill one to four more cases in  a separate tin. Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until well risen and springy to the touch. Leave to cool for a while in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool down fully while you make the frosting.
• Using the electric whisk or freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the icing sugar with the butter on a low speed until combined and still powdery in texture. Slowly mix in the milk, and once it is incorporated, increase the speed to high and whisk until light and fluffy. Add the caramel and beat well.
• Spoon the frosting on to the cupcakes once they have cooled, smoothing it on with a palette knife and swirling the frosting. If you want to decorate the cakes, spoon some tinned caramel or dulce de leche into a piping bag with a small nozzle and pipe on to the cakes in little hearts, or whatever shape takes your fancy.

Thanks for reading,

Naomi ♥

Tiramisu Cupcakes

I love tiramisu, so after seeing this recipe in the Hummingbird book I had to make them.  They have a classic sponge base which you then soak in soaking syrup and top with a flavoured frosting.  The recipe says to use Kahlúa, which is a rum-based coffee liqueur, however, I didn't have any Kahlúa so I mixed together some Rum and Tia Maria which actually worked really well.  You mix the alcohol with strong coffee, so I made like espresso coffee to make sure it was really strong.

The cupcakes were quite simple to make but they tasted really good. Tiramisu is a really light dessert and these cupcakes were equally as light.  Due to the soaking syrup they were slightly more moist than normal cupcakes and made the cupcake cases go slightly soggy, however I put them in the fridge for a bit to firm up and they stayed in shape really well. Like Naomi said earlier though, these are also cupcakes that annoyingly should be kept in the fridge due to the mascarpone cheese and double cream frosting. Despite this, they still taste really good and would definitely be made again.


Recipe
(Cake Days - The Hummingbird Bakery)

Makes 12-16 cupcakes

For the sponge: 
          80g (3oz) unsalted butter, softened
          280g (10oz) caster sugar
          240g (8.5oz) plain flour
          1/4 tsp salt
          1 tbsp baking powder
          2 large eggs
          240ml (8.5fl oz) whole milk
          1/2 tsp vanilla essence

For the soaking syrup:
          250ml (9fl oz) strong coffee
          75ml (2.5fl oz) Kahlua
          3tbsp caster sugar

For the filling and frosting:
          400g (14oz) mascarponne cheese
          50ml (13/4fl oz) Kahlua
          300ml (10.5fl oz) double cream
          30g (1oz) icing sugar
          Cocoa powder, for dusting

one of two 12-hole deep muffin tins 

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 190C (375F), Gas Mark 5, and line a muffin tin with muffin cases.
• Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, flour, salt and baking powder on a low speed until the ingredients are well incorporated and have the texture of fine breadcrumbs.
• Break the eggs into a jug, then add the milk and vanilla essence and mix together by hand. With the electric whisk or mixer running on a low speed, slowly pour three-quarters of the wet ingredients into the flour and butter mixture. Once everything has been mixed together, scrape down the sides of the bowl to pick up any ingredients that were missed, then add the rest of the milk mixture and mix the batter again, now on a medium speed, until it is smooth and even.
• Divide the batter between the paper cases, filling them up to two-thirds. If any batter is left over, use it to fill up to four more cases in a second tin. Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until well risen and springy to the touch. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin, then place on a wire rack to cool completely while you make the soaking syrup. 
• Pour the coffee and Kahlua into a saucepan and stir in the sugar. Place the pan on the hob and bring to the boil, allowing the liquid to reduce by about half, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting. Using the electric whisk, beat the mascarpone and Kahlua until smooth. Pour the cream into a separate bowl, add the icing sugar and whip into soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture, making sure it is evenly mixed in. 
• When the cupcakes have cooled, use a sharp knife to cut a piece out of each sponge - about 2cm (3/4in) in diameter and 3cm (11/4in) long - and set aside. Pour approximately 1 teaspoon of the soaking syrup over each cut-out piece of sponge and pour another teaspoonful into the hollow of each cupcake. 
• Fill each hollow to about halfway with the mascarpone cream, then place the cut-out pieces of sponge back on top of the hole, covering the filling and, if necessary, trimming the sponge pieces to fit. Lastly, frost the cupcakes with the remaining mascarpone cream and dust lightly with cocoa powder. 

Thanks for reading

Olivia x x

Rocky Road Cupcakes

This cupcake recipe isn't from the Hummingbird book, but a friend and I really wanted to make them so I put the Hummingbird challenge on hold. These cakes are from the 'Making Cupcakes with Lola' book, which contains recipes from Lola's cupcakes, a cake business with various stores around London including one inside Topshop Oxford Street. All the cakes in the book look perfect, and vary from your standard flavours, with options such as Toffee Apple (which I want to try ASAP), maybe Olivia and I can bake our way through the Lola book when we eventually finish the Hummingbird one aha. 

I love rocky roads and I love cake, so when I came across the rocky road cupcake it was an immediate baking must. The sponge is a marbled vanilla and chocolate mix, which is then topped with a standard chocolate buttercream. That's not where it ends however, the next bit is the part where your inner child can be released, where the cupcake truly takes on its 'rocky road' title. The piling of marshmallows, almonds and chocolate chips allows complete creativity and then topping it with melted chocolate really does make it a cupcake dream. I was happy with how they turned out as they don't look too dissimilar to the ones in the book and they taste pretty good too! 


Recipe
(Making Cupcakes with Lola - Victoria Jossel & Romy Lewis)

Makes 12 cupcakes

For the sponge: 
          130g/1 cup self-raising flour
          100g/3/4 cup plain/all-purpose flour
          1 teaspoon baking powder
             1/4 teaspoon salt
          130g/1 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter, cubed and soft
          200g/1 cup (caster) sugar
             1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
          2 eggs
          120ml/1/2 cup milk
          1 tablespoon cocoa powder
          3 tablespoons flaked/slivered almonds
          25g/1/3 cup white mini marshmallows 
          40g/1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
          store bought chocolate sauce, to drizzle (or just melt chocolate as I did)

For the buttercream:
          135g/1 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter, cubed and soft
          410g3 cups icing/confectioners sugar
          45g/1/3 cup cocoa powder
          6 tablespoons milk 

muffin pan lined with 12 muffin cases

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4
• Sift together the flours, baking powder and salt in a bowl
• Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy. Stop occasionally to scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Slowly add the sifted dry ingredients in alternate batches with the milk ad beat no low speed until combined. 
• Transfer half the mixture to another bowl and stir in the cocoa powder. 
• Scoop 1 tablespoon of the vanilla mixture into each muffin case, followed by 1 tablespoon of the chocolate mixture. Repeat until you have used up all the mixture. 
• Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
• While the cupcakes are cooling down, make the chocolate buttercream. 
• Put the butter in a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until very soft and smooth. Sift half the sugar and half the cocoa powder into the bowl, beating until incorporated. Add the second half of the sugar and cocoa and beat on low speed. 
• Slowly pour in the milk and when it is mixed in, beat for 3-5 minutes on a higher speed. 
• Spread the frosting over the cold cupcakes using a spatula. Cover with the almonds, mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. Finish by drizzling with chocolate sauce  (or melted chocolate). 

Thankies for reading,

Naomi ♥