Chocolate Cupcakes

The list of toppings for these little cupcakes are endless, I made cappuccino ones, vanilla ones (which are pictured), you could nutella them and put chocolate frosting on them, I think I may go make another batch so I can actually do that right now! So whatever tickles your fancy , do it! These are super versatile :)




100g butter, 150g caster sugar, 2 eggs, 1tsp vanilla , 125ml milk, 25g cocoa, 2tsp baking powder and 175g plain flour

Preheat the oven to 180C and pop 12 really cute cupcake cases in a tin.. right your set!

With a handheld beater beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, and beat in the eggs one by one until well mixed. Beat in the vanilla and milk. Then lightly stir in the cocoa, baking powder and flour until just mixed. Spoon into the cupcake cases (about 2 thirds full) and bake for 18mins. Pop onto a wire rack to cool and get super imaginative with the toppings!!

Oaty Banana Muffins

Perfect for a breakfast on the go or just if you want something sweet with a nice cuppa! These are done in no time and they freeze well if you want half the batch for a week or so later :) Banana bread meets oat and raisin cookies... whats not to like !

Topping:
30g rolled oats
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tbsp butter (melted)

Muffins:
2 bananas (skin pretty brown and ripe)
1 large egg
180ml buttermilk
130g flour
100g oats(quick will do)
165g packed brown sugar
1tsp baking soda
2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
75g raisins

Preheat the oven to 200C

For the Topping:
Combine the oats, cinnamon, brown sugar and
melted butter in a small bowl and set aside.


For the Muffins:
In a small blender, whizz the bananas egg and buttermilk until smooth and well combined.
In a large bowl combine the flour, oats, sugar, soda, baking powder , salt and cinnamon. Pour in the banana milky mixture and stir until only just combined. Don't overmix! Stir in the raisins and spoon into baking cases until quite full. Sprinkle with the topping and bake for 20minutes, they will be done when a skewer inserted into the muffin comes out clean.

Raspberry Frangipane Bars

These are to die for! Almondy and with a tart kick of raspberry all on a buttery biscuit base, I've already had 3!! Must step away..... but sure one more won't hurt will it ? :D

For the Biscuit:
150g plain flour
60g icing sugar
145g butter (cold)
1tsp water

Raspberry Jam Layer ( I just used good quality store bought)

Frangipane Layer
150g butter (soft)
150g icing sugar
2eggs + 1yolk
1tsp almond extract
1tbsp spiced rum
150g ground almonds(whizzed again in a food processor)
250g raspberries (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180C and grease an 8x8 square tin
For the Biscuit: In a food processor, pulse the flour and sugar till fine and mixed. Pop in the butter and process until a dough starts to come together, put in the tsp of water and give it one last whizz and tip the dough into a greased tin. Use a palette knife to spread the dough into an even layer and place in the fridge to firm up. Bake for 15minutes until just golden.

While the biscuit is hot spread a good layer of raspberry jam over it completely.

For the frangipane: Beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, and beat in the eggs one by one and then the yolk. Mix in the rum and almond extract until well combined. Stir in the almond flour with a wooden spoon and then spread over the jam layer. I then pushed raspberries into the frangipane before baking, but at this time of year they can be a bit expensive so they are totally optional but make for a lovely moist and tangy cake.

Bake the Cake for 20 mins and then I had to put foil to cover the cake as it browns quickly. Bake for a further 10mins until firm to touch and a skewer put into the frangipane later comes out clean. Cool in the tin and cut into 16 little squares of happiness!

Like your Momma used to make !

Fairy Cakes with Raspberry Jam and Coconut (or pineapple buttercream and coconut)

These are plain and simple goodness, boil the kettle or get yourself a freezing cold glass of milk and tuck in. Made in an old school mixing bowl with a wooden spoon just to keep it authentic, these are therepeutic to make as they bring you back to your childhood :) !

Ingredients :
125g caster sugar, 125g soft butter, 2 eggs, 1tsp vanilla extract, 150g plain flour, 1/4(quarter)tsp baking powder and a dash of milk

Beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy and beat in the eggs one by one until well incorporated. Stir the vanilla through. Sieve in the flour and baking powder and stir in until just mixed. Spoon into 12 cupcake cases and bake @190C for 10 minutes. Have a look they may need another minute!

Cool on a rack and spread with raspberry jam and roll in a bowl of dessicated coconut.... Soooo Good!

Alternatively beat the hell out of 80g icing sugar, 40g butter, and a good dash of pineapple juice until super smooth and creamy. Spread this on 6 of the cupcakes instead and continue rolling in a bowl o coconut.... Fun! :D

Cupcake Mania!

So as it's been a while since I posted regularly, I've decided to put up a few cupcake pics instead of doing loads of posts on them ... Here goes!

Comment away if you want any tips and tricks on how to do anything you see in any post! :D

Brownies!!

Check this brownie recipe out! Its dark, sweet, squidgy but with bite, heartwarming goodness!! These brownies are like your favourite person in the world giving you the biggest hug, they make you so happy and put a smile on your face that lasts until the next one :D

Awesome Brownie Recipe
3eggs, 275g light soft brown sugar, 185g butter, 185g good dark chocolate, 50g milk chocolate, 50g white chocolate, 40g cocoa powder, 85g plain flour

Line a 20cm square tin with baking parchment and preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Melt the butter and dark chocolate over a bain marie (pot of simmering water with a bowl on top)
While that's cooling, whisk the eggs and sugar for 5-8 minutes until it resembles a milkshake, and the figure 8 stays on top. Chop up the milk and white chocolate into nice bite size chips. When cooled pour the chocolate mixture into the eggs and sugar and using a spatula fold the mixture in, trying to keep as much air in as possible. Sift in the cocoa and flour and fold that in too but don't overmix and then stir in the chocolate chips. Tip into the prepared tin and level out with the spatula. Pop in the oven and hey presto in 25-30 minutes** you have absolute happiness.... well..... they have to cool in the tin completely but it wont be long I promise!!!

So pop them on the wire rack in the tin, potter around for a while, boil the kettle and cut these bad boys up into 16squares. Awesome with a couple of raspberries and whipped cream... Yummo!

**after 25mins they should have a nice crisp top and barely wobble in the middle. If its still a bit too wobbly give it another 4-5mins.

 

adapted from BBCGoodFood.

Back to Square One!

It has been a looooong time! A lot of things have happened in between the last post and now, birthdays, christenings, not to mention weddings and just lots of random celebrations! Of course everyone needs cake and I have been baking mad as usual :) I'm certainly getting better and have learned not to have too many melt downs! But they still definitely happen. Well, anyway, I'm gonna blog a hell of a lot more, upload loads of pictures and hopefully inspire bakers out there to always continue on as the result is always worth it, even though you may want to throw some efforts right in the bin!

Baby Guinness Cake!

To clarify things this is not made with guinness! After a crazy night out last Friday night at the Relaunch of Upstairs at The Roundy , I decided to make a cake in honour of the shot we were drinking for the whole night :) I must have had 12 of the things and I was working haha. The shot is Tia Maria with a Bailey's head on it, so I made a Coffee cake with Bailey's Buttercream Icing... preeeetty good if I say so myself :)

6oz butter, 6oz caster sugar, 3 eggs, 1tsp vanilla, 2tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 3tbsp warm water, 7oz self raise flour, 2tbsp cocoa

Dissolve the coffee and leave to cool. Beat the butter vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift in the flour & cocoa and pour in the coffee mix, then beat gently in. Transfer to a greased and lined tin (20cm) and bake @ 180C for 20-25mins

Ice with Baileys Buttercream
200g soft butter, 100g icing sugar, tsp baileys and tbsp cream/milk.
Beat all ingredients together well, until smooth and no sugar lumps