Showing posts with label cupcake. Show all posts

Mini Orange Cakes with a Vanilla Buttercream Swirl


Since moving to England 3 years ago I have definitely moved onto the tea drinking bandwagon. Part of that tea drinking bandwagon is cake. Sounds awful I know. No, not every tea needs to be accompanied with cake. With that in mind, tea and cake go together like cookies and milk. These mini orange cakes are perfect for afternoon tea. Their smaller size makes them feel a bit less naughty. I would suggest pairing these beauties with Early Grey or Lady Grey as these teas have lovely citrus notes. A breakfast tea is perfectly acceptable. Or the only acceptable tea for cake if you ask my boyfriend. I guess he is English, but I'm stick with my Early Grey. 

Ingredients 

Cake 

175g softened butter
140g caster sugar
2 medium eggs 
140g flour 
50g of ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract 
zest of 2 oranges, 1/2 an orange for the cake, 1 1/2 for dipping 
juice of 2 oranges 
100g granulated sugar 

Buttercream 

110g of butter
190g of icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1 1/2 tbsp of cream 
  1. Cream the butter to add lots of air. It should turn a light shade of yellow. 
  2. Slowly add the icing sugar until it has fully combined with the icing sugar. 
  3. Add the vanilla and 1 tbsp of cream, whisk together. 
  4. Add more cream depending on the consistency. To pipe on the cake, you need firm peaks.
Baking Time!

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C or 160C fan. 
  2. Line a pan (approximately 20x20cm) with parchment paper. 
  3. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and light.
  4. Add the eggs, vanilla, zest and 1/2 an orange's juice. Most likely the mix will curdle but do not be alarmed! 
  5. Add the baking powder, flour and almonds. 
  6. Whisk together on a high speed for about 5 minutes until the mixture is full of air. The mixture should no longer be curdled now that the dry ingredients have been added. 
  7. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25-35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. 
  8. Let the cake cool and then remove it from the pan. 
  9. Cut off the edges of the cake and the cut into 16 small squares. 
  10. Apply some orange juice to the top and sides of the cake either by dipping very carefully or using pastry brush. 
  11. Then sprinkle or dip the cakes into the granulated sugar. 
  12. Finally pipe on the buttercream frosting and add some orange peal for garnish. 
buttercream cake cupcake
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Bananas Foster Cupcakes


I made these cupcakes for my sister's coming home party and they were a big hit. I knew I wanted a caramel frosting as that is my sister's favourite topping, but I could not think of what to pair it with. Then I thought of bananas foster and came up this combination. I think it's a real winner! Hope you give it a try.

      Prep Time             Cook Time              Serves      
20 min 18-25 min 12
Ingredients 

Banana Cupcakes 

100g of unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs 
175g of sugar 
225g of flour
2 tsp of baking powder 
3 tbsp of greek yoghurt
3 medium-sized, very ripe bananas 

Caramel Frosting 

200g of softened, light brown sugar
60ml of milk 
225g of butter
250g of icing sugar 

Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a cupcake tin. 
  2. Cream together the butter and sugar. They should be well incorporated into a pale yellow mixture. 
  3. Whisk or beat in one egg at a time. 
  4. Mash the bananas, whisk or beat them in as well. 
  5. Spoon in the greek yoghurt, combine well. 
  6. Finally, sieve in the flour and baking powder. Combine in or whisk. 
  7. Bake in the oven for 18-25 minutes. Use a fork to check for readiness. The top of the cakes should not be brown but have a spongy texture when touched. 
  8. Set aside to cool. 
  9. For the frosting, melt the butter on a medium/low heat. Add the brown sugar.
  10. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 2 minutes, stir constantly. 
  11. Then, let the caramel cool to lukewarm before adding the icing sugar. Set aside about 2 tbsp of the caramel for drizzling. 
  12. Mix the icing sugar in increments. The right amount should produce a frosting that can hold a peak. 
  13. Once the cupcakes have cooled, frost them with the frosting. 
  14. Drizzle the remaining caramel on top. 
banana banana cupcakes bananas foster
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Zesty Lemon Cupcakes


These cupcakes are definitely packed full of lemon with baked in lemon zest, a lemon juice frosting and a lemon curd filling! If you are a fan of lemon, these lemon cupcakes should be right up your alley. Based on yesterday's dinner they were a hit. I hope you give these a try :) 

      Prep Time             Cook Time              Serves      
20 min 15-20 min 12
Ingredients 

Cupcakes 

125g of softened, unsalted butter 
125g of plain flour 
125g of sugar
2 tbsp of greek yoghurt 
2 large eggs 
zest of one lemon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
approximately 12 heaped tsp of lemon curd

Frosting 

125g of softened, unsalted butter
250g of icing or powdered sugar 
juice of 1 lemon 

Preparation 

Cupcakes
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C or 160C fan. 
  2. Cream together the butter and sugar on a high speed. It should be light and fluffy, whisk for about 2-3 minutes. 
  3. Add the eggs one at a time and the lemon zest and combine until it forms a wet, yellow batter. 
  4. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in three intervals. Alternate the with yoghurt.  
  5. Scoop into a lined cupcake tin. 
  6. Using your finger or a small spoon make a small dip in the centre of the batter. 
  7. Add one heaped tsp of lemon curd into each cupcake. See the bottom photo for a visual aid. 
  8. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until well risen but not browned. A knife of fork should come out clean. 
  9. Let the cupcakes cool for about 30 minutes
Frosting
  1. Cream the butter until it is light and fluffy, on a high speed. It should be a few shades lighter yellow than the original butter. 
  2. Add half the icing sugar, a little bit at a time until it is well incorporated with the butter.
  3. Pour in the lemon juice and the rest of the icing sugar. 
  4. Whisk on high until you can form firm peaks with the frosting and the whisk leaves a trail. 
  5. If you feel the frosting is too runny, add some more icing sugar and whisk again. 
  6. This should make a liberal amount of frosting for 12-15 cupcakes. 
cupcake cupcakemuffin cupcakes
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White Chocolate and Raspberry Cupcakes


These cupcakes are surprisingly not too sweet as the fresh raspberries really cut through the sweetness. I would say they are best served with a hot of cup tea. I hope you enjoy this decadent recipe :) 

Ingredients 

For the Cupcakes 

150g of flour
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda
a pinch of salt
4 tbsp of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
80g of white chocolate
1 large punnet of raspberries
a sprinkle of coconut (optional)

For the White Chocolate Frosting 

 150g of white chocolate
100g of butter, unsalted and room temperature
250g of icing sugar
1 tablespoon of milk



 Preparation 

 Cupcakes 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C or 160C fan. 
  2. Cream together the butter and sugar on a high speed. It should be light and fluffy, whisk for about 2-3 minutes. 
  3. Add one egg and combine well until it forms a wet, yellow batter. 
  4. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in three intervals. Alternate the with milk. 
  5. Grate, shave or cut the white chocolate into small pieces. 
  6. Fold in the white chocolate using a spatula. 
  7. Scoop into a lined cupcake tin. 
  8. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until well risen but not browned. 
  9. Let the cupcakes cool for about 30 minutes. Then scoop out the middle using a cupcake corer or a spoon. 
  10. Fill the cupcakes with the raspberries and then pipe on the frosting. 
  11. Sprinkle on the coconut flakes as soon as you pipe on the frosting. 
  12. Enjoy! 
White Chocolate Frosting 
  1. Cream together the icing sugar and butter on a high speed. It should take about 2-3 minutes and the final mixture should be a lighter shade than the original butter. 
  2. Melt the chocolate at 30 second increments until fully melted. Let it cool slightly.
  3. Add the chocolate into the butter/icing and whisk together. 
  4. If needed add the milk. The whisk should form a trail in the frosting. If you take out the whisk a soft peak should be formed on it. 
cupcake cupcakes delicious
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Chai Spiced Cupcakes


These cupcakes are a delicious treat and a great dessert for any chai lover! Chai is one of my favourite hot drinks. Before I started drinking coffee it was the only think I ordered at Starbucks. Since then I have even tried making my own homemade chai. I can safely say homemade is best. However, store bought chai mix is great for these cupcakes. If you are making your own chai, make sure to use the tea before you add the milk. If you need to convert these measurements into US units click this link. It provides conversions for pretty much any ingredient you will need as well as the baking temperature. The base of this recipe is from Natasha's Kitchen . The addition of the baking soda and greek yoghurt makes these cupcakes super light and fluffy.

 Ingredients 

 Cupcakes:

170g of flour
200g caster sugar
85g of softened butter (cut into small cubes)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
245g of greek yoghurt
1 tbsp of cinnamon
1 tbsp of cardamon

Frosting:

120 ml of boiling water
2 chai capsules or teabags
170g unsalted butter
375g of icing sugar
1/8 tsp of salt
200g of cream cheese, softened

 Baking Time!
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C. 
  2. Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar). 
  3. Add the softened butter and whisk together for about 3-4 minutes or until the butter has been fully incorporated and the mix looks like small crumbs. 
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (vanilla, eggs and greek yoghurt) until smooth on a medium speed. 
  5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. 
  6. Add the cinnamon and cardamom; fold in until well incorporated. 
  7. Bake in the oven for 18-25 minutes. Check using a toothpick to make sure they have baked all the way through. 
  8. Let cool on a cooling rack. They need to be at room temperature before you frost them. 
Frosting 
  1. For the chai mixture boil 120 ml of water. 
  2. Add the boiled water into a cup with two chai capsules or two chai tea bags. 
  3. If you are using the capsules make sure to stir and dissolve the powder. 
  4. Allow the mixture to cool before adding it to the frosting. 
  1. Cream the butter until it is light and fluffy, on a high speed. It should be a few shades lighter yellow. 
  2. Add the cream cheese and combine with the butter. 
  3. Add the icing sugar, a little bit at a time until it is well incorporated with the butter and cream cheese. 
  4. Whisk on high until you can form peaks with the frosting and the whisk leaves a trail. 
  5. Pour in the cooled chai into the frosting and incorporate on a slow speed. 
  6. If you feel the chai has made the frosting too runny, you can add a little more icing sugar until you regain the the right consistency. 
  7. This should make a liberal amount of frosting for 15 cupcakes or a perfect amount for a large cake. Any left over frosting can be kept in the fridge or freezer. 

Makes 15 cupcakes. Approximate prep time: 30 minutes. Approximate baking time: 18-25 minutes. 


baking chai chai cupcakes
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Banana and Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

I absolutely love cupcakes. They are much simpler to make than a cake. Plus it comes in individual serving sizes, which means no sharing! Banana and chocolate chip is a classic flavour combination, and for a lighter option these cupcakes are great without the frosting. Bearing that in mind, cream cheese frosting is a delicious accompaniment. These recipe can also be baked in a loaf tin for a classic banana bread. You can frost bread too; don't worry.

 Ingredients
2 bananas
1 1/2 dl sugar
1 egg
50g melted butter
2 tsp of baking powder
4 tbsp of cream
2 1/4 dl of milk
1 tsp of vanilla essence, sugar or extract
150g (or more!) of chocolate chips, optional

Frosting Ingredients 
This frosting is based on this recipe, and it makes a great cream cheese frosting. 

110g of unsalted butter, at room temperature
110g of cream cheese, at room temperature 
250g of icing sugar
1tsp of vanilla essence or extract 

Baking Time!

  1. Preheat the oven to 175C. 
  2. Mush two bananas with a fork and then mix them with the sugar. 
  3. Add one pre-mixed egg. 
  4. Pour in the melted butter and cream. 
  5. Add 2 1/4 dl of flour with the vanilla and baking powder. Mix well at a low speed. 
  6. Finally, add the chocolate chips. Make sure to mix some flour with the chips prior to adding them to mix to prevent sinkage. 
  7. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. 
  8. A knife show come clean out of the cupcakes when they are finished. 
Frosting 
  1. Cream together the butter and cream cheese. 
  2. Use a medium speed on a standing mixture or high on a hand mixer for about 5 minutes. 
  3. The finished produced should be smooth, airy and a lighter colour than the original mixture. 
  4. Slowly add the icing sugar to prevent spillage. 
  5. When you have finished the frosting should be thick and be able to hold a peak. 

NB: This recipe can also be used make a delicious banana bread or muffins. For banana bread simply add the mixture to a bread tin and bake for approx. 40 minutes. For muffins simply leave off the frosting. 
baking banana banana bread
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