Baby Shower Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

280g self raising flour
200g caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sunflower oil
4 tbsp melted butter or margarine
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (I managed to get Daim bar chips so I used those)

Preheat the oven to 175'c and line a 12 hole muffin tin with liners. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients then add the eggs, milk, oil, melted butter, syrup and lemon juice and mix with a fork. Fold in the vanilla extract and the chocolate chips.

Spoon evenly into the muffin liners (I usually get about 18 muffins out of this mix) and bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes.

I also made Vanilla Cupcakes

140g butter, softened or soft margarine
140g caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
200g self raising flour

Preheat the oven to 190'c/Gas Mark 5 and line a 12 hole muffin tin (again this mix usually makes about 18.)

Place the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, then beat in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the eggs then sift in the flour and fold into the mixture. Spoon into the liners.

Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then pipe with buttercream.

Baby Blue Buttercream

225g butter, softened
1 tbsp cream or milk
250g icing sugar
blue food colouring

Place the butter and cream in a bowl and beat together, then gradually sift in the icing sugar and beat until smooth, then add a few drops of food colouring at a time until you reach the desired colour.

Coconut Cookies

100g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
1 large egg
100g plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
100g dessicated coconut
glace cherries, for decoration (cut in half)

Preheat the oven to 180'c/Gas Mark 4 and line a baking sheet.

Using an electric whisk cream the sugar and butter together until pale and fluffy.  Add the egg and mix well, then sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, then add the coconut and mix well.

Using your hands roll the dough into walnut size pieces and place on a baking tray then slightly flatten gently using the back of your hand.  Place half a cherry on top of each biscuit and transfer to the oven for 10 - 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

 

Snickerdoodles

125g butter, softened
110g caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g plain flour
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 180'c/Gas Mark 4.  Using an electric whisk cream the butter until soft, add 110g caster sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.

Sift in the flour, nutmeg, baking powder and salt then gently mix together to form a dough.

Mix together the tbsp of caster sugar and cinnamon in a seperate bowl.  Using your hands roll the dough into walnut sized balls (it should make about 25) then roll in the cinnamon mix and place on a lined baking tray (you will need to do 2 batches.)  Space them out by about 3cm and flatten them down with the palm of your hand.

Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until they feel firm around the edges.  Allow to stand for 2 minutes on the baking tray then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

 

Carrot Cake Muffins

175g brown muscovado sugar
100g wholemeal self raising flour
100g self raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp mixed spice
zest 1 orange
2 eggs
150ml sunflower oil
200g carrots, grated
orange sprinkles, to decorate

For the icing: 
100g butter, softened
300g soft cheese
100g icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract

Pre heat the oven to 180'c/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tin with cases.  In a large mixing bowl mix together the sugar, flours, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice and orange zest.  Whisk together the eggs and oil then stir into the dry ingredients, with the grated cafrrot.  Divide the mixture between the cases and bake for 20 - 22 minutes until a skewer poked in the middle comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

To make the icing beat the butter until really soft then beat in the soft cheese, icing sugar and vanilla.  Using a palette knife or cutlery knife swirl the icing on top of the cakes then sprinkle with decorations.

Pineapple Upside-down Cake

For the topping:
50g softened butter
50g light soft brown sugar
7 pineapple rings in syrup, drained (reserve syrup)
7 glace cherries

For the cake: 
100g softened butter
100g golden caster sugar
100g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 180'c/Gas Mark 4.  For the topping beat together the butter and sugar until creamy, spread over the base and a quarter of the way up the sides of a 20cm round cake tin.  Arrange pineapple rings in the bottom of the cake tin and place a glace cherry in the middle of each one.

Place all the cake ingredients in a bowl along with 2 tbsp of the pineapple syrup and using an electric whisk beat to a soft consistency.  Spoon into the tin on top of the pineapple and smooth it out so it's level.  Bake for 35 minutes, leave to stand for 5 minutes then turn out onto a plate.

 

Raspberry Cheesecake Brownie

For the brownies:
200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
200g unsalted butter
250g icing sugar
3 eggs
110g plain flour

For the cheesecake:
400g cream cheese
150g icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

For the cream topping:
300ml whipping cream
100g icing sugar
150g raspberries, plus extra to decorate

Preheat the oven to 170'c/Gas Mark 3.

For the brownie melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.  Cream the butter and sugar using an electric whisk and one at a time add the eggs mixing well and scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl after each addition.  Gradually beat in the flour and mix until smooth.  Pour the mixture into a 33cm x 32cm x 5cm baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, and smooth over.

For the cheesecake mix the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and beat until smooth and thick.  Add one egg at a time scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl after each addition be careful not to overmix.  Spoon on top of the brownie mixture and smooth over, bake in the preheated oven for 30 - 40 minutes or until the cheesecake is firm to the touch and light and golden around the edges.

Leave to cool completely then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight if possible.

For the cream topping beat the cream, sugar and raspberries until firm but not stiff.  Turn the brownie out onto a board and turn the cheesecake side up.  Spread the topping over evenly and decorate with fresh raspberries.

 

Raspberry and Almond Traybake

250g self raising flour
50g ground almonds
200g butter, diced
280g golden granulated sugar
50g dessicated coconut
2 medium eggs
350 - 450g fresh or frozen raspberries

Preheat the oven to 180'c/Gas Mark 4, and butter and line an oblong cake tin.  Tip the flour, ground almonds, butter and sugar into a food processor and mix until the butter is evenly distributed - or rub together by hand.  Remove 85g of the mix and stir in the coconut, then set aside.  Add the eggs to the remaining mixture in the food processor and mix quickly (or mix with a wooden spoon) it doesn't need to be very smooth.

Spread this mixture over the base of the tin then scatter half the raspberries over the top.  Sprinkle the coconut mixture over the top and bake for 45 minutes.  Dot the remaining raspberries over the surface and cook for a further 15 minutes until firm to the touch.  Cool in the tin and cut into slices.