Double Choc Chip Cupcakes

These are really quick and easy to make as they are done all in one in the food processor and are a hit with the kids (and mum)!!!

Recipe

Makes 12

Ingredients

125g caster sugar

125g butter/margarine, softened

100g self raising flour
35g cocoa

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp warm water

50g milk chocolate chips

50g white chocolate chips

• Preheat the oven to 180C or gas mark 4. Line a bun tray with paper cases.
• Put all ingrdients, except the chocolate chips into a food processor and mix well.
• Stir in the chocolate chips and the divide mixture evenly between the paper cases.
• Bake for about 15 minutes. Leave in the tray for about five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Vanilla Whoopie Pies

These Whoopie Pies are a the new baking sensation. They originated in America in the Amish community where the women made them for their husband's/children's lunch boxes. When they opened the box they would shout 'Whoopie' at the nice suprise. Today they are sold all over America and have taken off in the UK too. They are normally filled with a marshmallow cream but as I am a vegetarian that rules the mashmallows out so I used vanilla buttercream.

Recipe

Makes 20

Ingredients

75g unsalted butter

150g caster sugar

125g soured cream

25ml cold milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

275g plain flour

200g icing sugar

sugar balls or sprinkles to decorate

For the marshmallow cream

100g white marshmallows

50ml milk

125g very soft unsalted butter

1. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
2. Melt the 75g of butter and set aside. Using an electric hand mixer, whisk the egg until light and fluffy. Beat in the sugar, a third at a time, until thick and glossy.
3. Beat in the melted butter, soured cream, milk and vanilla. Sift the bicarboante of soda and flour into the bowl and beat until smooth. Using a wide piping nozzle (this gives a neater shape) or spoon, pipe or spoon the mixture on to the tray in small walnut sized balls, 3-4 cm apart. You may need to bake in batches.
4. Bake for 13-14 minutes until almost evenly golden on top. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then trasfer to a cooling rack and bake the remaining mixture.
5. For the cream, heat the marshmallows and milk in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring until smooth, then cool. Beat the butter until creamy and soft then gradually beat into the marshmallow until smooth.
6. Sandwich the two whoopie cakes together with the marshmallow cream.
7. For the icing, mix the icing sugar with 2-3 tbsp cold water. Spread a little on each whoopie. Decorate with the sprinkles and leave to set. Once iced and filled they only last about 1/2 a day.

Carrot & Orange Cupcakes

This is a new recipe which I tried at the weekend and passed the taste test by friends, family and work colleagues. They are really moist and for the icing I used low fat cream cheese so they don't feel quite so naughty.

 

Recipe

Makes 12

Ingredients

115g butter, softened or soft margarine

115g soft light brown sugar

Juice and finely grated rind of 1 small orange

2 large eggs, lightly beaten 

175g carrots, grated

25g walnuts, roughly chopped

125g plain flour 

1 tsp ground mixed spice

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Icing

75g low fat cream cheese

40g butter, at room temperature

35g icing sugar

Walnuts to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Place the butter, sugar and orange rind in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs.
3. Squeeze any excess liquid from the carrots and add to the mixture with the walnuts and orange juice. Stir until well mixed.
4. Sift in the flour, mixed spice and baking powder and fold in. Spoon mixture into the paper cases.
5. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until risen, firm to the touch and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
6. To make the icing, place the cream cheese and butter in a bowl and sift in the icing sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Pipe icing on top of cakes and decorate with a walnut.

Miniature Christmas Cakes

I made these last Christmas for the first time to give as gifts and they were a great hit. For the moulds I used Silverwood mini round cake pan set, size 5cm or 2 inch. They are a little pricey so shop round a bit for the best cost. Nearer Christmas I will decorate them with marzipan and icing and add it to the blog.


www.alansilverwood.co.uk/id53.html

Recipe
Makes 16 mini or 18cm/7inch round cake


Ingredients
175g sultanas
175g currants
175g raisins
75g chopped peel
25ml/ 1 1/2 tbsp brandy
175g plain flour
40g ground almonds
3.5ml/ 3/4 tsp mixed spice
175g butter
175g soft brown sugar
3 eggs
15ml/ 1tbsp black treacle or molasses
2.5 ml/ 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
75g glace cherries
40g chopped almonds
3/4 lemon, rind and juice

1. Soak the sultanas, currants, raisins and chopped peel in brandy overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 150C or gas mark 2. Grease and line cake tins or tin.
3. Sieve the flour, ground almonds and spice into a bowl. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light, fluffy and pale. Do not over beat.
4. Lightly mix together the eggs, treacle and vanilla. Beat into the creamed mixture a little at a time adding a spoonful of flour after each addition.
5. Rinse the cherries and chop. Add to the fruit with the chopped almonds, lemon rind and juice and a small amount of flour. Fold the remaining flour into the creamed mixture, followed by the dried fruit. Add extra brandy or milk or necessary.
6. Spoon into cake tins or tin and level the top. Place a container of water in the oven to help keep the cake moist. If making one larger cake then tie a double layer of brown paper or newspaper around the outside of the tin to protect it during cooking.
7. Bake for about 1 hour for miniature cakes until a skewer comes out clean. For a larger cake bake for 1 hour and then reduce the oven temperature to 120C or gas mark 1/2 for a further 2 hours and again test with a skewer.
8. Allow to cool in the tin before removing. Prick the surface with a cocktail stick or skewer and drizzle over some brandy.
9. Store the cakes in greaseproof paper in an air tight container and in a cool place. Feed once a week with brandy. Leave to age for at least a month to allow the flavour to mature.

Feed the cakes about once a week with warm brandy for a least a month, then you can decorate them. Spread the cakes with an apricot glaze then place on your cake board. Roll out the marzipan, cover and trim to size then brush with a little brandy. Then roll out your icing and again cover and trim to size. You can now use your imagination and decorate as you wish. I used two different sized snowlakes in contrasting colours, finished off with a silver or blue ball. As most of them were for presents, I gift wrapped them with cellophane and ribbon. These are the finished articles.

Traditional Chocolate Brownie

I love this brownie recipe as they are nut free and more chewy than some of the other cake versions.

Recipe
Makes 12

200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
175g unsalted butter
325g caster sugar
130g plain flour
3 eggs
Icing sugar, to decorate

• Preheat the oven to 170c or Gas Mark 3. Line and grease a 33 x 23 x 5 cm baking tray.
• Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water not letting the base of the bowl touch the water. Leave until melted and smooth.
• Remove from the heat. Add the sugar and stir until well incorporated. Add the flour until well mixed. Finally, stir in the eggs and mix until thick and smooth.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until flaky on the top but still soft in the centre. Be careful not to overcook, otherwise the edges will become hard and crunchy. Cut into squares in the tin then leave to cool completely before dusting with icing sugar.

K1,P1 (Knit 1, Purl 1)

My friend Daisy commissioned me to make her 40th birthday cake. She is a knitting fiend and crochets wonderful bags and shawls so it was an obvious choice to do a wool themed cake.

This is how I achieved the finished article:

For the base, I sandwiched together a Madeira cake with raspberry jam and vanilla butter cream. The cake was then covered in butter cream.

The cake was covered in white ready roll icing and smoothed over with a smoother.

I covered the cake board with a thin layer of butter cream and then put the rolled out pink ready icing on the top and sides. I trimmed off the excess icing and using butter cream, secured the ribbon trim in place. The cake was placed on top of the cake board.

For the wool cake, I used a ball tin to bake two hemispheres which were spread with butter cream and jam.












The two halves were sandwiched together to make a sphere for the ball of wool.

I coated the ball cake with butter cream ready for the icing.

I then covered the ball with rolled out pink icing. Using a craft gun with a circle pattern disc I squeezed out the icing into long worms and stuck them to the cake with sugar glue. I continued until the ball was covered.

Once the ball of wool was finished I placed it on top of the base cake and secured it with a wooden dowel. For extra effect I used real knitting needles in it.

I made a selection of flowers out of icing and again used butter cream to stick them around the edge of the base cake.

I made some vanilla cupcakes and decorated them with piped butter cream and miniature balls of wool which I hand made out of ready roll icing. The cup cakes were then placed around the cake.

The finished article!!

Halloween Cupcakes

These cupcakes are great for Halloween. You can choose any colour icing and decorations to make them as 'scary' as you want.

Recipe
Makes 12

Ingredients

100g butter, softened 

225g caster sugar
100ml milk
210g plain flour
2tsp baking powder
3 eggs
2tsp vanilla extract

Buttercream
125g butter, softened
250g icing sugar, sifted
1tbsp milk
Food colouring of your choice
Halloween decorations

1. Preheat the oven to 180c or Gas mark 4.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar.
3. Add all the rest of the ingredients and mix well until fluffy.
4. Spoon mixture into paper cases and bake for 18-20 minutes until risen and golden. Leave to cool before decorating.
5. Put butter, icing sugar and milk into a mixer and beat until well mixed. Add the food colouring of your choice and mix again until fluffy. Pipe or spread onto the cupcakes and then top with your Halloween decorations.

Jammy Buns

These buns were made by my 7 year old son with just a little help from me weighing out the ingredients. They can be made by hand but I cheat and use the food processor for the breadcrumb stage!

Recipe
Makes 8


Ingredients
175g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
75g butter, chilled and diced
75g soft brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 large egg
8 tsp jam

1. Preheat the oven to 220/Gas 7. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
2. Beat the vanilla essence and egg together and stir into the flour mixture to form a stiff dough. Spoon the dough onto the baking tray to make eight rough mounds.
3. Press your thumb into the middle of each mound to make a dip, then spoon a teaspoon of the jam into each.
4. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack and serve.

These buns may be served warm but be careful not to eat them staight from the oven as the jam will burn.

Vampire Bat Chocolate Cake

As it's half term and Halloween is approaching, I thought this would be a good one for both kids and adults. It's quite easy to make and the kids enjoy decorating it.

 

Recipe
Serves 8

Ingredients
100g soft margarine

75g caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
100g self-raising flour
4 tbsp drinking chocolate powder

Decoration
125ml double cream
4 tbsp strawberry jam
55g milk chocolate, melted

• Preheat oven to 170c or gas mark 3. Grease and line the base of 2 x 18cm cake tins with baking paper.
• Whisk together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk in the beaten eggs a little at a time. 
• Sift in the flour and drinking chocolate powder and fold in using a metal spoon.
• Divide between the cake tins, level and bake for 20-25 minutes, until risen. Turn out onto a cooling rack.
• For the wings, head and ears use a 6cm plain cutter to cut out 3 circles from the edge down the centre of one cake. Whip the cream. Put the strawberry jam in a bowl and stir until softened. Sandwich 2 of the circles with some jam and cream to make the head. Spread the rest of the jam over the sponge; add the rest of the cream. Place head and wings on the other sponge. Halve the final circle for the ears.
• Spread the melted chocolate over the wings, ears and head. Drag lines on the wings with a skewer. Use jam for the eyes and cream for the nose and mouth.

Coffee Cake

This is a lovely coffee cake which could also be decorated with walnuts or coffee beans.

Recipe

Makes 12-16 slices

Ingredients

2 tbsp instant coffee granules

450g unsalted butter, at room temperature

450g caster sugar

8 eggs

450g plain flour

2 tbsp baking powder

2 tsp cocoa powder, plus extra to decorate

Decoration

250g icing sugar, sifted

80g unsalted butter, at room temperature

25ml whole milk

a couple of drops of vanilla extract

60g dark chocolate shavings

• Grease a 25cm ring mould and dust with flour.
• Make the coffee essence. Put the instant coffee granules and 170ml water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Boil until reduced by half and leave to cool completely. Set aside a tablespoon of the essence to use in the frosting.
• Preheat the oven to 170c or gas mark 3.
• Put the butter, sugar and cold coffee essence in a freestanding electric mixer or a hand held electric whisk. Beat until all ingredients are well incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the flour, baking powder and mix well until everything is combined and the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared ring mould and smooth over with a palette knife. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the sponge feels firm to touch. Leave the cake to cool slightly in the mould before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
• Make the icing. Beat the icing sugar and butter together until well mixed. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture a little at a time. Stir in the reserved tbsp of coffee essence until well mixed.
• When the cake is cold, put on a serving plate, cover the top with the frosting and dust with a light sprinkling of cocoa powder. Decorate with the chocolate shavings.

Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins

One of my lemon and poppy seed muffins that was made for an event on Facebook to show friends what you have baked. They have turned out to be a hit with the family and friends. The recipe I used was finished off with glace icing which works very well but for the above picture I used lemon buttercream icing. 

Recipe
Makes 12 muffins 


Ingredients
150g butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
Rind & juice of 2 to 3 lemons
125g sour cream
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp poppy seeds

Glace Icing
Juice and rind of 1 lemon
Icing sugar

• Preheat oven to 160c or gas mark 3
• Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.
• Cream together butter and sugar until well mixed. Stir in the remaining ingredients until just combined. I found that I needed to use three lemons to give the right consistency.
• Spoon into the paper cases and bake for 15-20 minutes

• When cool, top with the icing made from the rind and juice of 1 lemon with sufficient icing sugar to make a smooth paste. Sprinkle on a few poppy seeds for decoration.

Lemon Buttercream
250g icing sugar, sifted

80g unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tbsp grated lemon zest

25ml whole milk

• Beat together the icing sugar, butter and lemon zest by hand or in a food processor until well mixed.
• Slowly pour in the milk and then beat until well incorporated and is light and fluffy. The longer it is beaten, the fluffier it becomes, at least 5 minutes.