Red Velvet Cupcakes

The growing trend at the moment for wedding cakes is a red velvet cake, whether it be a large cake or cupcakes. This recipe is from The Hummingbird Bakery who have found this to be one of their best-selling cakes. To keep them topical I have decorated them with a Royal Wedding theme.

 

   

Recipe

Makes 12

Ingredients

60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150g caster sugar
1 egg
10g cocoa powder
20ml red food colouring (preferably Dr. Oetker's as red food colourings vary in strength)
½tsp vanilla extract
120ml buttermilk
150g plain flour
½tsp salt
½tsp bicarbonate of soda
1½tsp white wine vinegar


Buttercream
125g butter, softened
250g icing sugar, sifted
1tbsp milk

½tsp vanilla extract

Sprinkles and decorations of your choice

• Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3 and line a 12 hole cake tin with paper cases.
• Put the butter and the sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed. Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a thick, dark paste. Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and coloured (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Turn the mixer down to slow speed and slowly pour in half the buttermilk. Beat until well mixed, then add half the flour, and beat until everything is well incorporated. Repeat this process until all the buttermilk and flour have been added. Scrape down the side of the bowl again. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.
• 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. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before icing.
• Put butter, icing sugar, vanilla extract and milk into an electric mixer and beat until well mixed. Continue beating for a couple more minutes until fluffy. Decorate with sprinkles.

Chocolate and Strawberry Birthday Cake

It was my birthday on Friday and this was the cake I made for myself. For the main cake, I used a foolproof recipe that my mum has made for years (that's why its all in imperial measurements). Its really easy to make, looks impressive and tastes delicious!!

Recipe

Ingredients
6 oz caster sugar
6 oz butter or margarine
4 oz self raising flour
2 oz cocoa powder
3 medium eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp warm water

Chocolate Buttercream 
250g  unsalted butter at room temperature
500g icing sugar
100g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, melted and cooled slightly


Decoration
2 boxes of chocolate fingers, 1 white and 1 milk chocolate
2 Punnets of strawberries or any fruit of your choice

• Preheat oven to 170C or gas mark 3 and grease and line two 7 inch sandwich tins.
• Put all of the ingredients in a food processor or food mixer and mix very well until combined.
• Divide mixture between the two tins and spread evenly. I always weigh each tin to make sure I have an equal quantity in each one. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top springs back once touched. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely before icing.
• In an electric mixer, cream together the butter and icing sugar. Stir in the cooled, melted chocolate and mix well.
• In an electric mixer, cream together the butter and icing sugar and then add the cooled melted chocolate. Mix until all the chocolate is incorporated.
• Using some of the buttercream, sandwich together the cakes with a nice thick layer. Then using the rest of the buttercream cover the sides and the top of the cake. Stick the chocolate fingers round the edge and alternate between the white and milk chocolate.
• Pile your strawberries or other fruit on the top of the cake.

Simnel Muffins

This is a slight variation on the traditional Easter Simnel cake. Instead of the top being covered with marzipan, there is a layer of marzipan inside each cake.

Recipe

Makes 12

Ingredients
250g mixed dried fruit
Grated zest and juice of 1 medium orange (reserve 2tbsp juice for the icing)
175g butter, softened
175g golden caster sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
300g self-raising flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
5 tbsp milk
100g marzipan, cut into 12 pieces


Decoration
200g icing sugar
2 tbsp orange juice
Mini eggs

• Put the dried fruit in a bowl and add the orange juice and zest and leave to soak for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 180C or gas mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin paper cases.
• Beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, spices and milk until light and fluffy. This will take about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the fruit and mix well.
• Spoon the mixture to half fill the paper cases. Roll each piece of marzipan into a ball and flatten with your thumb. Put one in each of the muffin cases and then spoon the rest of the mixture on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before icing.
• Beat together the icing sugar and orange juice until well mixed. Drizzle over each muffin and decorate with mini eggs.

Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake

I made this for Mother's Day last weekend as I had both families round for lunch. It went down very well. It is a baked cheesecake that has a chocolate brownie bottom instead of a more traditional biscuit crumb base.

 

Recipe 

Serves 12

Ingredients

Base

115g unsalted butter

115g plain chocolate

200g caster sugar

2 eggs, beaten

50ml milk

115g plain flour

Topping

500g soft cheese

125g caster sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla essence

125ml natural yoghurt

Few squares of plain chocolate, melted to drizzle

Handful of fresh raspberries

• Preheat the oven to 180C or gas mark 4. Lightly grease and flour a 23cm loose bottomed tin.
• Melt the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring often, until smooth. Remove from the heat and beat in the sugar.
• Add the eggs and milk, beating well. Stir in the flour, mixing just until blended. Spoon into the prepared tin and spread evenly.
• Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce temperature to 160C or gas mark 3.
• For the topping, beat together the cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla essence until well blended. Stir in the yoghurt, then pour over the brownie base. Bake for a further 34-55 minutes or until the centre is almost set.
• Chill overnight in the fridge before removing from the tin. Drizzle with the melted chocolate and decorate with fresh raspberries.

Mother's Day Cupcakes

This year for Mother's Day I wanted to try making my mom and my mother-in-law a gift box of cupcakes. I had had some new cutters I wanted to try out but also I wanted to have a go at using texture mats and two tone buttercream. For a first attempt, I was really pleased with the result and so were the mums.