Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

110g unsalted butter, room temperature
110g caster sugar
3 eggs
110g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
12 flat based ice cream cones
chocolate flakes

For the frosting:
225g unsalted butter, room temperature
450g icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180'c/Gas Mark 4 and wrap a 12 hole muffin tin in foil.  Put a hole in each muffin hole and place an ice cream cone in each one (this will stop them falling over in the oven.)

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, beat in the eggs one at a time, until well incorporated.  Sift the flour and baking powder and add this a third at a time, folding well inbetween, then add the vanilla extract.

Spoon the mixture into the cones,filling to just below the top of the cone and place in the oven for about 20 minutes so they are springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Place on a wire rack and leave to cool.

To make the frosting beat the butter so it is pale and creamy then add the icing sugar and vanilla.

Using a piping bag and a Wilton 1M tip pipe the icing onto the cake, add a chocolate flake (you may need to cut them down) and decorate with sprinkles/raspberry sauce etc.

 

Valentines Day Cupcakes

For the vanilla cupcakes:
190g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
60g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
90ml milk


For the frosting:
90g butter, softened
175g icing sugar
1 tbsp milk
3 drops vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180'c/Gas Mark 4 and line a 6 hole muffin pan with cupcake liners. 

Sift together the flour and baking powder then in a seperate bowl mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition, then beat in the vanilla.  Using a large metal spoon fold in the flour mixture then the milk.

Fill each baking cup with the batter and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.  Leave the cupcakes in the tins for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting beat the butter until light and fluffy, then stir in the icing sugar and beat until smooth, adding the milk and vanilla extract.


I made my own decorations by rolling coloured icing and cutting out the love hearts and letters with cutters, then leaving to dry out.

Beth's 15th Birthday Party Cupcakes

For the vanilla cupcakes:
190g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
60g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
90ml milk


For the frosting:
90g butter, softened
175g icing sugar
1 tbsp milk
3 drops vanilla extract


Preheat the oven to 180'c/Gas Mark 4 and line a 6 hole muffin pan with cupcake liners. 


Sift together the flour and baking powder then in a seperate bowl mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition, then beat in the vanilla.  Using a large metal spoon fold in the flour mixture then the milk.

Fill each baking cup with the batter and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.  Leave the cupcakes in the tins for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


For the frosting beat the butter until light and fluffy, then stir in the icing sugar and beat until smooth, adding the milk and vanilla extract.


I then used gerbera plunge cutters and lustre dust to make the decorations and a flower cutter :)

 

Chocolate and Coconut Cupcakes

150g firmly packed brown sugar
25g cocoa powder
75g self raising flour
75g plain flour
25g dessicated coconut
125g butter, melted
1 egg
80ml milk

For the chocolate buttercream:
70g butter
1 tbsp milk
120g icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted

Preheat the oven to 160'c and line a 6 hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Sift the sugar, cocoa and flours in a large bowl, then stir in the coconut, butter, milk and egg.  Divide the mixture between the cupcake liners and bake for 35 minutes.  Stand in the tins for 5 minutes then put on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the buttercream beat the  butter, milk, icing sugar and cocoa powder in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then frost each cupcake.

 

Cherry and Blueberry Pie Style Cupcakes

For the vanilla cupcakes:
190g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
60g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
90ml milk

For the frosting:
90g butter, softened
175g icing sugar
1 tbsp milk
3 drops vanilla extract

big bag of chocolate M and M's for decoration - blue and red picked out

Preheat the oven to 180'c/Gas Mark 4 and line a 6 hole muffin pan with cupcake liners. 

Sift together the flour and baking powder then in a seperate bowl mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition, then beat in the vanilla.  Using a large metal spoon fold in the flour mixture then the milk.

Fill each baking cup with the batter and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.  Leave the cupcakes in the tins for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting beat the butter until light and fluffy, then stir in the icing sugar and beat until smooth, adding the milk and vanilla extract.  I then bit by bit started adding sifted cocoa powder until I was happy with the colour.

I then put a thin layer of buttercream on the top of each cupcake and placed the M and M's, M side down on top, leaving about a 1.5cm gap all around the edge.  I then using a writing tip piping nozzle made the lattice pattern across each cake then piped a crust around the edges.

 

Cookies and Cream Fudge Brownies

165g butter, plus extra for greasing
200g dark chocolate, grated or finely chopped
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
165 light soft brown sugar
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
pinch of salt
154g pack oreos, broken into quarters
icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180'c/Gas Mark 4 and grease and line a 20cm square baking tin.

Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat, when melted take off the heat and add the chocolate, leave to stand for a few minutes and then stir together.

Whist the eggs, yolks and vanilla in a large bowl until light and fluffy.  Add the sugar in two additions, whisking in between each.  Pour it around the side of the egg mix and keep whisking until the mixture becomes stiffer.  Once the egg mixture is ready pour the chocolate into it, again around the sides.

Add the flour, cocoa, salt and a third of the biscuits and stir until fully combined, then pour into the prepared tin.  Scatter over the remaining biscuits and press them in slightly.  Bake in the preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes, the middle should be gooey.  Leave to cool in the tin (the top will sink and crack a little.)

Pull the brownies out and cut into squares, dust with icing sugar.

 

Orange and Honey Cupcakes

225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
largh pinch ground cloves
large pinch grated nutmeg
175g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
4 tbsp honey
grated rind of 2 oranges
4 eggs

For the frosting:
200ml double cream
3 tsp honey
2 oranges, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 190'c/Gas Mark 5 and line a 14 hole muffin tin with cupcake papers.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and set aside.  In another bowl add the butter and caster sugar and whisk until light and creamy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.  Then using a metal spoon fold in the flour mixture.

Fill each baking cup and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch, a skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean when they are cooked.  Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting whisk the cream until it holds its shape, then fold in the honey.  Pipe swirls of the honey cream on top of each cupcake then decorate with a twisted orange slice.

 

Cherry Streusel Cake

175g self raising flour
100g butter, at room temperature
75g caster sugar
50g ground almonds
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp almond essence
425g can stoned black cherries
25g flaked almonds

Preheat the oven to 180'c/Gas Mark 4 and line a 20cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper.

Put the flour in a large mixing bowl, then cut the butter into pieces and add to the flour.  Rub the flour and butter together to resemble crumbs, then stir in the sugar and the ground almonds.  Weigh 75g of the mixture for the topping and leave to one side for later.

Add the eggs, milk and almond essence to the remainder of the mixture and mix together until smooth.  Spoon the cake mixture into the lined tin and smooth over.  Tip the cherries into a sieve and drain away the liquid then spoon the cherries on top of the cake mixture.  Sprinkle over the reserved crumbs and then the flaked almonds.


Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until it is well risen and the top is a pale golden colour.  Leave the cake to cool in the tin then loosen the sides and lift out.  Cut into 16 squares and serve.

 

Carrot Cake with Nuts

225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground mixed spice
150ml sunflower oil
4 eggs
175g soft light brown sugar
175g grated carrot
50g walnut pieces, roughly chopped
2 tbsp orange juice

For the frosting:
280g soft cream cheese
4 tbsp icing sugar
shredded zest of 2 oranges (for decoration)

Preheat the oven to 180'c/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice.  Put the oil, brown sugar and eggs in a large bowl and whisk then add the flour mixture.  Squeeze any liquid from the carrots then fold into the mixture with the walnuts and orange juice.

Fill each cupcake liner with the batter and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch, a skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean when the cakes are cooked.  Leave in the pan to cool for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the topping put the cream cheese and icing sugar in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.  If you find the mixture is not sweet or thick enough keep adding icing sugar until you are happy.

When the cupcakes are cooled completely frost and decorate with orange zest, chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

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Battenburg Cake

For the almond sponge:
175g very soft butter
175g golden caster sugar
140g self raising flour
50g ground almonds
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 medium eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

For the pink sponge:
175g very soft butter
175g golden caster sugar
140g self raising flour
50g ground almonds
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pink food colouring

To assemble:
200g apricot jam
2 x 500g blocks white marzipan

Preheat the oven to 180'c/Gas Mark 4 and line the bases and sides of a 20cm square cake tin with baking parchment.  

To make the almond sponge put the butter, sugar, flour, ground almonds, baking powder, eggs, vanilla and almond extract in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until the mixture comes together smoothly.  Scrape into the tin ensuring you spread it into the corners and bake for 25 - 30 minutes (a skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean when it is cooked.)  Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the pink sponge line the tin as before and mix together all the ingredients for the pink sponge, then scrape into the tin and bake and cool as before.

To assemble:
Heat the jam in a small pan until runny then sieve, barely trim two opposite edges from the almond sponge then well trim a third edge.  Roughly measure the height of the sponge then from the well trimmed edge use a ruler to help you cut 4 slices the same width as the height of the sponge.  Repeat with the pink sponge.

Take 2 almond slices and 2 pink slices and trim so they are all the same length.  Roll out one marzipan block on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar to just over 20cm wide, the keep rolling lengthways until the marzipan is roughly 0.5cm thick.  Brush all over with the apricot jam then lay a pink and almond slice side by side brushing jam inbetween to stick the sponges and leaving 4cm clear marzipan at the end.  Brush more jam on top of the sponges then sandwich another pink and almond slice on top, alternating colours.  Trip the marzipan to the length of the cake.

Carefully lift up the marzipan and smooth over the cake with your hands (trim if necessary.)  Then assemble the second battenberg cake the same way.

 

Churros with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

For the churros:
50g caster sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
125g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp olive oil
250ml freshly boiled water
approximately 500ml corn/vegetable oil (for deep-frying)

For the chocolate sauce:
100g good quality dark chocolate
25g milk chocolate
1 tbsp golden syrup
150ml double cream

Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a wide, shallow dish for shaking your churros in later.

Melt all the chocolate ingredients in a saucepan gently and once the chocolate starts to melt, stir everything together and take off the heat and leave in a warm place.

To make the churros put the flour in a bowl and stir in the baking powder, then beat in the olive oil and boiling water.  Keep mixing until you have a warm, sticky dough and leave to rest for 10 minutes or as long as it takes for the oil to heat up.

Heat the oil for frying in a small saucepan it should come about a third of the way up the pan.  When you think it's hot toss in a cube of bread and if it sizzles and browns in 30 seconds, the oil is hot enough.

When you are ready fill a piping bag with the churro dough (I used a 1M Wilton nozzle.)  Squeeze short lengths about 4 - 5cm of dough into the hot oil snipping them off with a pair of scissors as you go.

Cook about 3 or 4 at a time and once they turn a rich golden brown take them out with a slotted spoon then place into a bowl in the oven at 100'c/Gas Mark 1/4 to keep them warm.  Allow them to rest for 5 - 10 minutes in the oven to set inside.

Toss all the hot churros into the sugar and cinnamon and shake them about to get a good covering before serving.

Once you have finished making the churros pour the chocolate sauce into individual pots and dunk away.

 

Chocolate, Almond and Pear Tart

To make the almond pastry:
225g plain flour
a pinch of salt
85g ground almonds
170g unsalted butter
85g icing sugar
1 egg
2 - 3 drops vanilla extract
1 tbsp cocoa powder

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz until the dough just comes together.

Roll the pastry into a ball trying to handle it as little as possible, then lay on a baking sheet and roll out to flatten a little, cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out and roll over a flan tin then press into the bottom and sides of the tin, then place a sheet of greaseproof paper over the top and fill with baking beans/dried beans and blind bake in a preheated 180'c/Gas Mark 4 oven for 25 minutes, then remove the beans and greaseproof paper and bake for a further 5 minutes.

To make the filling:
55g plain flour
85g ground almonds
115g golden caster sugar
115g butter, softened
4 large eggs
250g plain chocolate melted and cooled for 10 minutes
2 tbsp Amaretto liqueur (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 x 400g tin of pear halves
creme fraiche to serve (optional)


Preheat the oven to 200'c/Gas Mark 6.


Place the flour, ground almonds, sugar, butter, eggs, chocolate, amaretto (if using) and vanilla extract in a food processor and blend until it has combined to form a batter.  Pour the batter into the tart case and lay the pears on top pushing them down firmly as you go.


Put the tart in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the tart looks firm on top and the pears are surrounded by a gooey chocolate.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool, serve warm or cold with creme fraiche.

 

Reese's Peanut Butter Cupcakes

170g softened butter
170g golden caster sugar
3 large eggs
170g self raising flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
3 - 4 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 Reese's peanut butter cups, chopped into small pieces
3 Reese's peanut butter cups to decorate 

For the frosting:
200g smooth peanut butter
170g icing sugar
150ml full fat cream cheese


Preheat the oven to 170'c/Gas Mark 3 and line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.  


Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk for around 5 minutes or until pale and creamy.  Whisk in the eggs, one at a time until combined.  The mixture may curdle a little but will be fine when you add the flour.


Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and stir.  Loosen the mixture by adding 3 tbsp milk and the vanilla extract.  The mixture should fall off a spoon easily, add more milk if it is too thick.  Stir in the chopped peanut butter cups.


Divide the mixture between the cupcake liners using an ice cream scoop for perfect sized cupcakes, then bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until golden and cooked through.  A skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean if they are cooked.


Leave the cakes to cool for 10 minutes in the tins then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.  


To make the frosting beat the peanut butter with the icing sugar and cream cheese for a few minutes or until smooth and creamy.  Mix for a good few minutes and then put in a piping bag and frost the cakes.  I used a 1M Wilton tip and a disposable piping bag.

Decorate with the chopped peanut butter cups.