Did someone say cake? Well National Cupcake Week, which runs from 15th to 21st September 2104 to be exact! How wonderful, a week to celebrate and acceptably eat cupcakes! We’re so in here at So Darling! and we have found some of the best decorations, tips and weird and wonderful flavours that are truly irresistible!!….
Cake Décor are the new UK experts in Cake Decorating, offereing a fantastic and innovative new range of products that are perfect for decorating show stopping cupcakes.
Products include:
Two Colour Stripes cupcake frosting – Two delicious flavours of frosting in the one tube. Each tube has a nozzle attached allowing you to frost perfect stripes straight from the tube.
Choco Writers - Patisserie-style chocolate decorating straight from the tube. Simply heat up your Choco Writer tube in hot water, snip the nozzle and decorate!
Perfect Swirls cupcake frostings – Delicious flavoured frosting, ready-to-use straight from the tube. Each tube has a nozzle attached allowing you to frost perfect swirls every time.
The Cake Décor website and social media also provides more information, hints and tips! http://mycakedecor.co.uk/
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Blondies
The Blondie Is Our Dark Chocolate Brownie’s Long Lost Cousin. This Version Flicks All The Right Switches – Crunchy Peanutty Pieces Are Paired With Our Milk And White Chocolates With Just A Hint Of Salt To Cut Through The Richness. Try Them As Part Of A Sundae, Cut Into Squares And Layered Up With Ice Cream, Chocolate Sauce And Salted, Roasted Peanuts For A Truly Decadent Dessert. Made by melting the delicious chocolate from Green and Black’s.
Ingredients
100g Green & Black’s Milk Cooking Chocolate
100g Green & Black’s White Cooking Chocolate
100 G Unsalted Butter , Softened
150 G Crunchy Peanut Butter
175 G Fairtrade Soft Light Brown Sugar
3 Large Free-Range Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
A Pinch Of Salt
125 G Plain Flour
Preparation Method
Preheat Your Oven To 170ºc/Gas Mark 3.
Line The Bottom Of A 20cm X 20cm Tin With Greaseproof Paper.
Cream Together The Softened Butter And Peanut Butter In A Large Bowl Followed By The Sugar, Then Beat In The Eggs, Vanilla And Salt. Add The Flour And Mix Thoroughly, Then Add The Chocolate And Fold In. Pour Into The Prepared Tin And Bake For 35-40 Minutes Or Until Golden Brown.
Allow To Cool In The Tin. Remove And Cut Into 16 Squares.
Nutrition Information
As You Might Expect From Green & Black’s, This Recipe Is Indulgent And Should Be Enjoyed As A Treat.
vivaperu.co.uk
This fab cupcake using South American purple corn!! It tastes super sweet and has a really more-ish flavour… especially with the pineapple in the base!
Chicha morada is a traditional, cold Peruvian drink made from purple corn and flavoured with pineapple and spices. It’s got a rich and unusual flavour and is really refreshing for long hot days in the Andes. I wondered how it would work as part of a dessert, and so these cupcakes were born. The pineapple chunks in the chicha morada cupcakes were a last-minute addition that worked brilliantly – making them moist and more-ish! Both the base and the icing have a sweet, almost bubble-gum like flavour that will be popular with kids and adults alike.
Makes 12 medium-sized cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
150g self-raising flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
A pinch of salt
170g granulated sugar
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
120ml milk
2 tablespoons chicha morada mix
150g drained pineapple chunks, cut into small pieces
For the frosting:
1 tsp chicha morada mix dissolved in a tablespoon of water
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
170g icing sugar
Step-by-step instructions:
Preheat the oven to 175c and line a muffin tray with 12 muffin cases.
In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
Dissolve the chicha morada mix in the milk, stirring well.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil and egg until smooth. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and chicha milk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of milk, beating until smooth. Stir in the pineapple.
Scoop batter into prepared muffin trays. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.
Let cool in the pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let the muffins cool completely on rack. Set aside whilst you make the frosting.Now it’s time to make the frosting. You will need the butter to be soft so if it’s not, give it a short blast in the microwave to soften. Then, in a clean, big bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until it attains a fluffy texturLower the speed and slowly add icing sugar while beating constantly until it is mixed well.
Now it’s time to make the frosting. You will need the butter to be soft so if it’s not, give it a short blast in the microwave to soften. Then, in a clean, big bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until it attains a fluffy texture.
Lower the speed and slowly add icing sugar while beating constantly until it is mixed well.
Pour in the chicha morada concentrate. Blend it into an even mixture until it becomes dense and creamy.
Spread it or pipe it on top of the cupcakes. You can top with fresh, sliced or whole strawberries for added yumminess if you like!
Sweet Potato and Cinnamon Muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins
2 eggs
180g sugar
250g cooked sweet potato, mashed
80ml vegetable oil
50ml water
200g self raising flour
¾tsp ground cinnamon
For the butter icing
50g sweet potato jam or any other jam
80g butter (soft but not melted)
300/400g icing sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 180° C and line a muffin tin with paper cases.
In a large bowl beat the eggs with the sugar. Add the oil and water and mix well.
Sieve the flour and cinnamon together before adding to the egg mixture. Fold everything together before adding the sweet potatoes.
Pour into the muffin case filling them about 3/4 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until muffins are cooked.
Place the butter and jam in a large bowl (you can use a food processor if you prefer) and slowly add the sugar a little at the time mixing continuously.
Carry on adding sugar till your preferred consistency has been reached. Pipe the cream onto the cold muffins and enjoy.
Cherry and Almond Cup Cakes
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
115g (4 oz) Flora Buttery
115g (4 oz) castor sugar
2 eggs, medium
100g (3 1⁄2 oz) self-raising flour
15g (1⁄2 oz) ground almonds
1⁄2 teaspoon almond essence
55g (2 oz) fresh, canned or frozen cherries, roughly chopped
Icing
55g (2 oz) Flora Buttery
225g icing sugar, sieved
1⁄2 teaspoon almond essence
Fresh, canned or frozen cherries to decorate
1. Preheat oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, Gas mark 4.
2. Weigh your eggs. Note the weight and measure the same amount of Flora, sugar and flour. Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon 2 – 3 minutes until well mixed. Place dessertspoons of the mixture in 10-12 paper cases or greased bun tins.
3. Bake for around 20 minutes until soft and springy to touch. Cool on a wire tray.
4. Mix icing ingredients together and then spread or pipe over the cakes. Decorate
with cherries.
Golden Syrup Cupcakes
Time to prepare: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
75g butter, softened
50g Tate & Lyle Fairtrade Caster Sugar
2 level tbsp Lyle’s Golden Syrup
1 large egg, beaten
150g self raising flour, sifted
1tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
Buttercream:
250g Tate & Lyle Fairtrade Icing Sugar
75g unsalted butter
2 level tbsp
Lyle’s Golden Syrup
2 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
Method:
1. Place 12 paper bun cake cases in a twelve hole bun tin. Heat the oven to 180C/160Cfan/gas 4.
2. Put the butter, Tate & Lyle Fairtrade Caster sugar, Lyle’s Golden Syrup, egg, flour, milk and vanilla into a bowl and beat together until well mixed and smooth. Divide between the paper cases and bake for 15 minutes or until well risen and golden.
3. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
4. To make the buttercream, make sure the butter is soft then put into a large bowl with the Tate & Lyle Fairtrade Icing sugar, Lyle’s Golden Syrup, milk and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a nozzle and pipe onto the cold cakes, decorate as wished.
Tip:
To make larger cupcakes, use 8 cupcake cases and bake the cake for 2-3 minutes longer.
You may wish to colour the buttercream, divide between two or three bowls and carefully add food colouring.
Decorate as wished, but fresh fruits always look good.
Can also use Lyle’s Golden Syrup Maple Flavour.
This recipe was made using Lyle’s Golden Syrup. For further delicious recipes visit lylesgoldensyrup.
com
Sarah Plumb at The Delightful Tea Bake School in Great Wakering, Essex, offers her superb cake decorating tips.
“The phenomenon that is the cupcake has enjoyed surprising longevity in the world of ‘fashion’ baking – there have been several contenders for its buttercream crown but few upstarts have managed to topple its might or popularity. The portability, ease and infinite possibilities that these little sponges offer make them universally appealing. However, I have a few ways to update and keep cupcakes from becoming too run of the mill.
Secret centres – there are a few ways to conceal a little surprise inside the sponge that add an extra layer of deliciousness and interest. For example, adding a mini flavoured meringue to the centre, after baking, adds a little crunch and sweetness. Using fillings, again once the cupcakes are baked, such as freshly made lemon curd or chocolate ganache. This can work well if you flavour your sponge with a natural essence; this way you can create classic flavours like key lime pie, or more contemporary ones like salted caramel.
I really like the idea of creating mini classic bakes in cupcake form – not anything that new but very effective. A favourite is Black Forest gateau, using a chocolate sponge, a chocolate ganache centre spiked with a little kirsch, a fresh cream swirl, topped with kirsch-soaked cherry gilded with a little edible glitter or sugar sand. Also great is my lemon meringue pie version, with a blowtorched meringue top and hidden zingy lemon curd centre.
Adding a cheeky sweetie to the centre also works well, such as a Rolo or Malteser, with a little buttercream piped in too.
I highly recommend using a cupcake plunger, as they make getting the centres out quick, easy and you’ll achieve a uniform result. You can keep the centres for cake pops too, just freeze them until needed. KitchenCraft stock an inexpensive one, which I swear by.
Swap cupcake cases for baking cups sometimes – they have a cute look and make a change from regular paper cases.
Don’t add milk to your buttercream icing! It’ll shorten the life of the buttercream drastically; just using butter and icing sugar means the icing will last, wrapped in parchment, labelled and refrigerated, for as long as the life of your packs of butter. When you want to use it, just allow to return to room temperature, then whip up to revive.
Adding the icing sugar slowly to the butter, which is nice and soft, allows the sugar to absorb and will prevent a horrible grainy mouth feel. This is one time that I can safely say that a stand mixer comes into its own.”
For more wonderful tips, visit www.delightfultea.co.uk
Squires Kitchen Bake School 5
£5.99
Squires Kitchen has been the UK’s leading cake decoration specialist for nearly 30 years and students come from all over the world to learn to create, bake and decorate with us. The projects in this magazine give you a taste of the wide variety of skills you can come and learn from our tutors here at Squires Kitchen International School, many of whom are published authors and masters in their specialist areas. It is amazing to think that we have over 320 years of combined teaching experience to draw on, all under one roof. In this issue you will find more than 40 original recipes and guides for all occasions, from afternoon tea treats to spectacular centrepieces. Whether you are looking for perfect pâtisserie, cakes for special diets, tips for working with chocolate, or sweet and savoury ways to use yeast for delicious results, you have come to the right place. Pick your own favourites from our selection of treats inspired by fruit, vegetables and flowers, and brighten everyone’s day whatever the weather with a rainbow-themed dessert table. All of the step-by-step guides are tried and tested by professional chefs so you can be sure your bakes will be a cut above the rest. And we don’t just cover baking; you will also find plenty of food styling tips and decorative techniques including piping with royal icing, painting chocolate moulds and making beautiful sugarcraft flowers. Find out what you could learn at Squires Kitchen International School at www.squires-school.co.uk.
Surprise Inside Cupcakes
For the Cupcakes:
Dr. Oetker Edible Wafer Cupcake Cases
65 g Margarine (2 ½ oz) softened
65 g Caster Sugar (2 ½ oz)
5 ml Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Extract (1 tsp)
Large Egg , beaten
75 g Self-Raising Flour (3 oz)
To Decorate:
Dr. Oetker Rainbow Popping Candy
Dr. Oetker Vanilla Easy Swirl Cupcake Icing
Surprise Inside Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan, Gas Mark 4). Arrange the Edible Wafer Cupcake Cases spaced apart on a baking tray.
Put the margarine, sugar, Vanilla Extract and egg in a bowl. Sift the flour on top and then beat all the ingredients together using an electric whisk until well blended.
Divide the mixture between the Edible Wafer Cupcake Cases. Smooth the tops and bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes until risen, lightly golden and just firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To decorate, using a small spoon, scoop out a piece of sponge from the centre of each cake and fill with Rainbow Popping Candy. Replace the scooped out cake on top, trimming if necessary, to snugly fit the top of the cake again.
Follow the directions on the can of Easy Swirl. Starting in the middle of a cake, pipe the icing round in an anti-clockwise direction to cover the top of the cake then continue piping round to form a swirl on top.
Just before serving, sprinkle the cakes with a few more pieces of Rainbow Popping Candy. Your cakes are now ready to serve and enjoy!
Good Luck with your Surprise Inside Cupcakes Recipe
Beetroot & Vanilla Cup Cakes with Rose Butter Icing
Makes 12 cupcakes
Preparation time: 45 minutes, plus
drying time
Cooking time: 20 minutes
You’ll need:
For the cupcakes:
175g caster sugar
175g unsalted butter
3 large eggs, separated
175g self raising flour
175g plain cooked (vacuum packed) beetroot, drained (hold a few drops of juice back to use as colouring) and
pureed
1 tbsp vanilla extract
For the icing:
300g Icing sugar
150g unsalted butter, slightly softened
a few drops rose flower water, to taste
a few drops beetroot juice, to colour
For the crystallized rose petals:
3 organic pink roses, separated into petals
1 egg white
Caster sugar (a sprinkling)
What to do:
1. Make the crystallized rose petals the day before you want to serve the cupcakes. They will keep in an airtight box for a few weeks. Lay out a piece of silicon-coated baking paper on a tray. Pick through the petals and choose the 12 loveliest looking ones and lay them on the tray. Brush gently with egg white and sprinkle all over with caster sugar. Allow to dry in a warm place for 8 hours before using.
2. When you are ready to make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 180 ̊C/Gas Mark 4.
3. Blend together the sugar and butter until light and creamy. Add the egg yolks, flour, pureed beetroot and vanilla and beat until smooth.
4. In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites until fairly stiff. Take a large spoon of egg white
and beat into the cupcake mixture to loosen it a little. Then, using a large metal spoon fold the remaining egg whites gently through the mix, taking care not to over beat.
5. Spoon the mixture into 12 cupcake cases and bake in the oven for around 20 minutes, or until the cakes are firm to the touch. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
6. To make the icing, beat the icing sugar and butter together, either in a food mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon. Add a few drops of rose flower water to taste, and a few drops of beetroot juice to colour the icing.
7. Spread generously or pipe over the cooled cupcakes and top each with a rose petal.
Gingerbread cupcakes
waitrose.com
Preparation time:30 minutes
Cooking time:25 minutes
Total time:55 minutes
Makes: 8
Ingredients
75g butter, softened
100g golden caster sugar
100ml black treacle (about 160g)
1 large Waitrose British Blacktail Free Range Egg and 1 large egg yolk
180g plain flour
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground nutmeg
100ml hot semi skimmed milk
1 tsp baking powder
FOR THE ICING
100g butter, softened
200g full fat soft cheese
1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting
400g golden icing sugar, sieved
2 tbsp semi skimmed milk
8 mini gingerbread men
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4. Prepare a 12-hole muffin tray and line with 8 Waitrose Cooks’ Homebaking Tulip Wrap muffin cases.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the treacle, followed by the egg and egg yolk, and beat the mixture until well combined.
3. Sift the flour with the spices, add to the mixture and continue to beat until smooth. Mix the hot milk with the baking powder, add to the mixture and beat until combined.
4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cases and place in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, until the cupcakes are springy to touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before icing.
5. For the icing: beat together the butter, soft cheese, cinnamon and icing sugar. Add the milk and beat until light and fluffy. Spoon this icing into a Waitrose Cooks’ Homebaking Piping Bag, cut off the end so you have a wide nozzle and use to pipe the cooled cakes. Top with a gingerbread man and serve with a dusting of cinnamon.