My sister has wanted me to make these cupcakes for a while and i'd recently bought some mini silicone cupcake cases so I thought i'd give them a go. I've made Strawberry Daiquiri cocktails before and really like them so I was looking forward to tasting these.
I think they are really interesting cupcakes as you have the soaked strawberries at the bottom of each case which adds texture to the overall cake as well as giving the strawberry flavour. You make up a classic sponge batter and then pour a small amount of the rum liquid over each cupake which gives them more flavour and makes them quite moist.
They are really light and taste really good and although they are quite sweet the small size of them means that they're not too much. They're also great because you can alter them to your taste, for example, if you wanted them more alcoholic you can add more rum and vice versa. Lastly, they look really cute, although most mini things do. I would make these again and would recommend them as well, they're perfect for Summer gatherings especially.
Recipe
(Cake Days - The Hummingbird Bakery)
Makes 24-30 mini cupcakes
For the Sponge:
100ml (3.5 fl oz) white rum
170g (6oz) caster sugar
150g (5.5oz) strawberries
40g (1.5 oz) unsalted butter, softened
120g (4oz) plain flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
120ml (4fl oz) whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
For the Frosting:
80g (3oz) unsalted butter, softened
250g (9oz) icing sugar
1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
4 tsp whole milk
sliced strawberries, sprinkles or edible glitter to decorate.
One or two 24-hole mini muffin tins
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 170C (325F), Gas Mark 3, and fill a muffin tin with mini muffin cases.
- Add the rum and 30g (1oz) of the sugar to a small saucepan and bring to the boil, allowing it to reduce by about half, then set aside to cool slightly. Hull and chop the strawberries into small pieces, then soak in the rum and sugar reduction for 30-40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, using a freestanding electric whisk with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, slowly mix together the butter, flour, remaining sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix until the ingredients have come together and resemble fine breadcrumbs.
- In a jug whisk the egg, milk and vanilla essence together. With the mixer or electric whisk still running on a low speed, gradually pout the liquid mixture into the flour and butter and mix thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl every now and then.
- Drain the strawberries from the rum reduction, reserving the liquid and place a few small pieces of strawberry in each cupcake case. Spoon the cake batter on top, filling each case by two-thirds. Any remaining batter can be spooned into one to six more paper cases in a second mini muffin tin.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cupcakes are a light-golden brown colour and bounce back when lightly pressed. While they are still warm, spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of the rum reduction over each cake, then leave to cool completely before frosting.
- Using the freestanding electric mixer or electric whisk, set on a low speed beat together the butter, icing sugar and lime zest until combined and crumb-like in texture, then mix together the milk and 4 teaspoons of the reserved rum reduction in a jug. Pour the milk and rum into the butter and icing sugar mixture, still mixing on a slow speed. When all the liquid has become incorporated, increase the speed to high and beat the frosting until soft and fluffy.
- Smooth the frosting on to the cupcakes using a palette knife. Thee cupcakes can be topped with fresh chopped strawberries, or for a celebratory touch, a scattering of sprinkles or edible glitter.
Thanks for reading,
Olivia xx
I wanted to make a really nice yet simple summer dessert for a weekend BBQ. Looking through the Hummingbird Book I came across a Peach and Raspberry tart that I thought sounded perfect. I didn't have time to go to the shops so I made do with the ingredients that I had in the house which is another reason why this recipe was perfect. I didn't have any peaches in the house but I did have an abundance of summer fruits that I thought would work just as well on the tart.
I started by making the pastry base and then whilst that was cooling I made the filling. The tart is really quite simple to make, however, as the different components need to set for a certain amount of time you would need to allow about 4 hours altogether before you could eat it or maybe do some the night before and finish it off in the morning.
It is a really nice, light dessert that is perfect for summer BBQ's and looks quite impressive despite it's simplicity. I would definitely make this tart again!
Why not try a different topping? It's such a versatile tart that you could alter the fruit topping without too much trouble making it perfect for individual different tarts to suit people tastes. I also did a Strawberry and Kiwi tart which tasted just as good!
Top Tip: For pastry you need to 'blind bake' it, for this baking beans are required. However, if you don't have baking beans something else heavy will do just as well, for example you could use ordinary rice that you have around the house.
Recipe
(Cake Days - The Hummingbird Bakery)
Serves 8-10
For the Pastry:
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened
225g (8oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
80g (3oz) caster sugar
1 large egg
For the Filling:
500ml (18fl oz) whole milk
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
5 egg yolks
200g (7oz) caster sugar
20g (3/4oz) plain flour
20g (3/4oz) cornflour
150ml (5.5fl oz) double cream
For the Topping:
Fruit of choice however the book uses 4 peaches and 100g (3.5oz) raspberries
30g (1oz) caster sugar, for sprinkling
Handful of fresh mint leaves
Method:
- Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and flour on a low speed until it has a crumb-like consistency. Add the sugar, then the egg, mixing gently to incorporate. Alternatively, rub the butter and flour with your fingertips, then stir in the sugar and egg. When a dough forms, remove from the bowl and knead gently on a floured work surface to bring it together. Cover in cling film and place in the fridge to rest for 20-30 minutes.
- Once rested, roll out the pastry on a lightly loured surface to about 5mm (1/4 in) thick, and large enough to fit your tart in. Gently press the pastry down into the base and sides of the tin and cut away any overhang. Prick the base several times and put the tart case in the fridge to rest for 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 170C (325F), Gas Mark 3. Once the tart base has rested, line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans, then place in the oven and bake 'blind' for 12 minutes. Carefully remove the beans and paper and bake the pastry for another 15 minutes or until cooked through and lightly golden in colour. Set aside to cool.
- While the pastry is baking, make the filling. Bring the milk and vanilla essence to the boil in a saucepan. In a bowl, mix together the egg yolks, sugar, flour and cornflour to a thick paste. If it is too dry to come together, add 1 tablespoon of the hot milk to loosen it up.
- When the milk has come to the boil, remove from the heat and add 4-5 tablespoons to the bowl of paste, stirring until the paste becomes a thick liquid. Pour this into the pan of milk and set over a low heat. Stirring constantly, bring to the boil and allow to thicken - boil for at least 1 minute to fully cook the flour. Pour this custard on to a baking tray to cool, covering straight away with cling film so that it doesn't develop a skin. Allow the custard to cool completely for 30-40 minutes.
- Whip the double cream, either by hand or using a hand-held electric whisk, until soft peaks form. Scrape the cooled custard into another bowl, stirring to break it up and until the texture is completely smooth. Fold the whipped cream into the custard, then pour into the cooked tart case and place in the fridge to set for 1-2 hours.
- When the custard cream has set, arrange the sliced peaches and raspberries on top, sprinkle with sugar and scatter with mint leaves. Once the fruit has been added, the pie is best-eaten straight away.
Thanks for reading,
Olivia x x
With the return of The Great British Bake Off I decided to make a classic British cake, in my mind Victoria Sponge cakes, although so basic, are one of life's great pleasures. A moist, light sponge sandwiched with freshly whipped cream and berries or jam is such a Summer combination and no serious tea and cake session should be without it.
I got my basic recipe from 'Jamie' magazine, the jubilee issue, so it's full of lovely cake recipes which I'd love to try in the future. However I wanted to jazz up the basic recipe a bit so I put a bit of elder flower cordial in when I was whipping the cream. I'm aware that the elder flower season has been and gone but I had some cordial in the house so thought I'd give it a go. The cake itself turned out well, however you couldn't taste the elder flower as much as I would have liked unfortunately, maybe i'll add more another time, or a less concentrated syrup.
Did anyone else watch the bake off tonight? I think I've got a favourite already, hello James!
Recipe
(Georgie Socratous - Jamie Magazine)
Serves 14
Ultimate Victoria Sandwich:
225g unsalted butter cubed and softened, plus extra to grease
225g white caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs, beaten
225g self-raising flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
A splash of milk
200ml double cream
250g fresh strawberries
1 tbsp elder flower cordial
1 1/2 tbsp icing sugar plus extra to dust
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line the bases of 2 round 20cm sandwich tins. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until pale and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually mix the beaten eggs into the creamed and sugar. Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt with a large metal spoon just incorporated (don't overmix).
- Stir in a splash of milk to loosen the batter, then evenly divide it between the 2 cake tins. Bake the cakes in the oven for 22-25 minutes, until golden and cooked through. (To test, insert a skewer into the middle of a cake; it's ready when the skewer comes out clean.) Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to col completely.
- Hull and roughly slice the fresh strawberries. Pour the cream into a large bowl and whisk until you have soft peaks. Sift in the icing sugar and gently fold through, stir through the elder flower cordial and taste.
- Place one of your cakes on your chosen plate or cake stand and spread over the cream, but not right to the edges or it will spill later. Scatter the strawberries and top with the second cake.
- Dust with icing sugar and decorate with extra strawberries, if you like.
Thanks for reading,
Naomi ♥
