Fireworks Cupcakes

 

So this was my other Guy Fawkes' inspired cupcake idea.  Yes, I was supposed to do these last week but was so worn out on the Monday that I could not find the energy for them.  So they've been left to today, ready for the fiancé to take to Dundee tomorrow.

The idea is quite a simple one.  They are vanilla cupcakes, topped with blue icing, with drawn firework decoration on top, plus some edible silver balls for a bit of sparkle.  The secret is that in the middle of the cakes is some popping candy.  It's also been sprinkled onto the icing too.  So when you bite into the cake, you get a tingling, popping sensation in your mouth!  It is quite fun and amusing.

They taste rather yummy, if I say so myself, and, as I said, the popping candy adds a nice tingle to everything.  The only thing I'm disappointed with is the decoration.  Mainly the colour of the blue icing.  No matter how much blue I added to it, I couldn't make it dark navy coloured.  Even adding black didn't help (seriously, Morrisons food colouring sucks).  So I got stuck with light blue, meaning the fireworks didn't stand out very well.  Not that they look that good anyway.  Drawing fireworks is hard!  I like some designs more than others.  I dislike the spiral ones and the ones shooting up from an edge look the best.

Recipe - makes 12

Note: The 'poppy-ness' of the candy does deteriorate after being in contact with the cakes for a while, so these are best eaten on the day they are made and as fresh as possible. 

Cakes

• 170g/6oz butter
• 170g/6oz caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 170g/6oz self-raising flour
• 6 x 10g packets popping candy in flavour of choice (I used strawberry)

Icing

• 225g/8oz royal icing sugar
• 20ml/0.7fl.oz water
• Blue food colouring
• Edible silver balls
• Coloured writing icing
• 1 x 10g packet poppy candy 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tray with cases (preferably dark blue ones).
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy.
3. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and then gradually add to the sugar butter, beating after each addition until well incorporated.
4. Mix in the vanilla extract.
5. Add the flour and fold into the mixture.
6. Fill the paper cases and then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until risen, golden and springy to the touch.
7. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
8. Pour the 6 packets of popping candy into a small bowl, ready to use.
9. When the cakes have cooled, use a small knife or an apple core to cut out a hole that reaches about halfway into the cakes.
10. Fill each hole with about 1/2 teaspoon popping candy and then replace the sponge cores.
11. Make the icing by mixing the icing sugar, water and blue food colouring together.  You want quite a stiff icing that holds its shape.
12. Use a spoon to spread the icing on top of each cake.
13. Use the writing icing to draw firework patterns on top of the blue and then add silver balls for a little sparkle.
14. Sprinkle the last packet of popping candy over the top of the cakes.

 

Blueberry and Cranberry Cinnamon Biscuits

So today I got up two hours earlier than usual, since the fiancé was off for his introductory CBT lesson today and since I had work later I wanted to spend any time I could with him whilst he was home.  I could have gone back to bed after he left but figured I'd be productive and tidy up the flat.  That was finished by 8:45am.  Thus I needed something else to occupy myself and, after dismissing sitting down and playing on my DS, I thought I should bake.

I have to say, I do love my Cookie Jar book.  So many great ideas and it only cost be £2.99 at the Works.  Such a bargain!  Anyway, these were something I had picked out for the fiancé because they contained a lot of things he likes.  And since he finished all the gingerbread, I thought I'd make these for him for his sweet fix.

He loves them!  He's eaten a number of them already.  

The only complaint I have about the recipe is the cooking time.  When I kept them in for the recommended time, they didn't cook all the way through and they had to go back in the oven, flipped over, to finish them off.  If I just left them in longer than the cooking time, without flipping, they burnt on the base.  Quite frustrating.  I don't know if it is my oven.  Or if I'm not flattening them enough, since the recipe only said to flatten them slightly, even though the image in the book is quite flat and they don't spread out much in the oven.  So I'm going to be suggesting some trial and error in the recipe write-up.

Recipe - adapted from Cookie Jar

Makes about 30

• 225g/8oz butter
• 140g/5oz caster sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 280g/10oz plain flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 55g/2oz dried blueberries
• 55g/2oz dried cranberries

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5 and line 2-3 baking sheets with greaseproof paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.
3. Lightly beat the egg yolk and add to the sugar butter, along with the vanilla extract and mix in.
4. Sift together the flour, cinnamon and salt and add to the mixture, followed by the blueberries and cranberries.  Stir together until thoroughly combined.
5. Scoop tablespoons of the mixture up and roll into balls.  Space the balls well apart on the trays.  I got about 12 on mine.  Flatten each ball.
6. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
7. Remove and leave to cool on the tray for 5-10 minutes.  If biscuits still feel soft, they are not cooked all the way through.  In this case, use a palette knife to carefully flip them over on the tray and bake for another 5-10 minutes.  Again, leave to cool on tray for 5-10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Bonfire Parkin Cupcakes

I've had a couple of Guy Fawkes' Night inspired cupcakes in mind for a couple of weeks.  Admittedly, since November 5th was over a week ago, I'm a bit late on getting them made, but never mind.  There shall be one set for this week and another for next week.

So this week's cakes are inspired by bonfires.  The cupcakes are made using a recipe for parkin cake, which is apparently a traditional cake for eating on Guy Fawkes'.  I only found that out recently but thought, why not?  They are quite gingery, so would have quite a warm flavour, if that makes sense.  The fire is a two-tone buttercream, with the orange being orange flavoured, and the yellow being lemon.  If I had not been feeling so tired, I was considering making little biscuit 'Guys' to sit on the fire.

Since I read that parkin tastes better after it has had time mature, I actually made the cakes last Wednesday (so almost a week ago) and them kept them wrapped in a tin until Monday.  Then I added the buttercream. 

Since having them taste tested, I get the impression parkin is an acquired taste.  The fiancé doesn't know what to make of them, but he clearly doesn't like them that much because he's not keen to eat them.  He also said they taste a bit like liquorice, which I found odd since they're meant to be gingery.  Oh well.

Recipe:
Makes about 14

It is recommended making the cake part a few days before you want to serve them so they can mature.

Cake - adapted from Cake Decorating Magazine issue 31

• 175g/6oz plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 275g/9.7oz fine oatmeal
• 175g/6oz black treacle
• 150g/5.3oz butter 
• 110g/3.9oz dark brown sugar
• 150ml/5.3fl.oz milk
• 1 egg

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and put 14 muffin cases into muffin tins.
2. Sift together the flour, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the oatmeal and mix together with a balloon whisk.  Set aside.
4. Put the treacle, butter, sugar and milk into a small saucepan.
5. Place over a very low heat on the stove to melt them together.  Do not allow the mixture to boil. 
6. Once melted, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before adding the egg and beating it in with a metal spoon.
7. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and beat until well incorporated.
8. Divide the mixture across the cases, making sure not to overfill them.
9. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the cakes are dark brown and firm to the touch.  A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.
10. Leave in the tin to cool for about 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
11. When completely cooled, put in a cake tin lined with greaseproof paper and allow to mature for at least two days.

 Lemon and Orange Buttercream

• 140g/5oz butter
• 280g/10oz icing sugar
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 1 tsp orange extract
• Yellow and orange food colouring

1. Put the butter and icing sugar into a medium bowl and beat together until smooth and creamy.
2. Divide the buttercream in half and put one half in a separate bowl.
3. Add the lemon extract and yellow food colouring to one bowl, and the orange extract and orange food colouring to the other.  Mix.
4. Fit a piping bag with a large star nozzle and fill with alternating tablespoons of yellow and orange buttercream.
5. Pipe large swirls on top of each cake to look like flames.

White Chocolate Cupcakes

So yesterday I went to Edinburgh to see my friend Jess, having not seen her for about 6 months.  Having made her biscuits last time, I wanted to bring cakes this time.  Especially as I have cake boxes and ribbon and tags for presenting them in now.  I knew she liked the look of the vanilla fudge cupcakes, so I made 6 of those.  But I also decided to make some white chocolate cupcakes too, for a little variety.  So I found a recipe I thought looked pretty good, except it was for a layer cake rather than cupcakes.  I adapted it.

I admit, I am reluctant to actually call these white chocolate cupcakes.  I don't think the cakes taste particularly white chocolate like, despite the 85g of it incorporated into the mix.  This may be because of the water that the chocolate was melted in.  Maybe it watered down the taste, I don't know.  However, combined with the buttercream it does taste wonderfully creamy and white chocolatey, according to the fiancé.  The buttercream is my own creation, not the one from the original recipe.  I did make a batch of that one but it tasted horrible.  It didn't taste of white chocolate, it tasted of flour.  Not nice.  So I made my own.  It was much better and tastes sooooo good, even if I say so myself.

The opinion from my friend?  "Your cupcakes are like edible heaven."

Recipe: 
Makes about 10


Cakes - adapted from Allrecipe.co.uk

• 155g/5.5oz plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 85g/3oz white chocolate, chopped
• 60ml/2fl.oz hot water
• 110g/3.8oz butter, softened
• 150g/5.2oz caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 125ml/4.4fl.oz buttermilk
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin cases.
2. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt together.
3. Melt the chocolate and water in a glass bowl placed over a simmering pan of water.  Set aside to cool.
4. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy.  
5. Add the egg and beat well until fully incorporated.
6. Gradually add the flour and buttermilk alternately to the mixture, stirring after each addition.
7. Add the cooled chocolate mix and vanilla extract and stir in.
8. Spoon into the cases.
9. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the cakes are risen, slightly springy and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
10. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

White Chocolate Buttercream:

• 85g/3oz butter
• 170g/6oz icing sugar
• 100g/3.5oz white chocolate, plus a bit extra for grating
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl placed over a pan of simmering water.
2. Cream together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
3. Add the melted white chocolate and mix in.
4. Put into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe small swirls in the centre of each cake.
5. Grate white chocolate over the top of each cake.

Poison Caramel Apple Cupcakes

So here is the final batch of cakes I made for Halloween.  Inspired by a traditional Halloween sweet: caramel apples.  They are an apple and cinnamon sponge, with a caramel centre, a thin layer of caramel on top and then a layer of fondant painted to look like an apple.  I admit, I wasn't sure if anyone would like them, especially as the topping ended up being quite gooey and a bit messy.  But everyone who has eaten one really enjoyed them.  Of the ones I made for the trick-or-treaters, these are the fiancé's favourite.

The sponge for these cakes came from an American recipe, which was all measured in cups.  I also did my measuring in cups this time around because I was tired and did not want to convert them all. I will convert in the write-up though.

Recipe - adapted from Group Recipes

Makes about 15

• 2-3 Granny Smith apples 
• 260g/9oz plain flour
• 100g/3.5oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 170g/6oz oil (I used rapeseed)
• 60ml/2fl.oz apple juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 x 397g tin Carnation Caramel
• 200g/7oz ready-to-roll icing
• Red and green food colouring
• Icing sugar 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole and a 6 hole cake tin with 15 cupcake cases.
2. Rinse and core the apples, put on a baking tray and put in the oven to cook until soft.  This takes about 30 minutes.
3. Remove, allow to cool and then peel off the skin.  Do not turn off the oven.
4. Put the remains in a bowl and mash them into a pulp with a fork.  Leave to one side to cool.
5. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix together.
6. Break the eggs in a separate bowl and beat.  Add the oil, apple juice, vanilla extract and cooled apple pulp and mix together.
7. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until everything comes together in a smooth batter.  
8. Spoon into the cases, trying to spread the mixture evenly.
9. Bake for about 20 minutes, until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
10. Leave on a wire rack to cool.
11. Once cool, use an apple corer or a knife to make a hole in the centre of the cakes.  Be sure to keep the cores.
12. Open the tin of caramel and put 3 tablespoonfuls into a small bowl.  Mix until smooth and runny.
13. Fill the holes with the runny caramel and then remove the top of each core and use them to plug up the cakes.
14. Using a knife or small spoon, spread a thin layer of caramel from the tin (where it won't be runny) over the top of each cake.
15. Reserve a small part of the fondant icing for making leaves and stems.  Use the red food colouring to colour the rest of the fondant red.  The addition of colour will make it sticky so knead it in icing sugar to stop this from occurring.
16. Break off some fondant and roll in out into a square that is bigger than one the cakes.
17. Drape the fondant over the top and smooth down to the edge of the cake.
18. Press your finger along the edge of the case to cut through the fondant for a smooth finish.  Gently make an indent in the centre of the fondant with your finger to give the illusion of the top of an apple.
19. Using a clean paintbrush dipped in green food colouring, paint strips of colour from the centre of the cake to the edge.  Try to make your brush strokes as quick as possible to get the right texture.
20. Use another paintbrush to do the same with the red food colouring.
21. Colour the remaining food colouring with green food colouring (add a touch of red if you want a brown colour).  
22. Break off small pieces and shape into stalks and gently push them into the indent in the middle of the cakes.
23. Shape the rest into leaves, scrunching them slightly to make them look like they are dying.  Set atop the cakes, with one pointed end next to the stem.
24. Leave the fondant to dry before putting them in a tin.

Marshmalloween Ghost Cupcakes

These are my favourite cakes out of the ones I made for Halloween, both in terms of taste and looks.  They just came out so cute!  And vanilla, marshmallow and fondant is a wonderfully sweet combination.  I kept most of these for myself, rather than taking them to work.  I took four into my work and gave none to the fiancé.

So these ones are a vanilla cake, with a marshmallow centre.  They were then topped with a marshmallow and covered in a layer of ready-to-roll fondant to look like little ghosts.  I was quite proud of them, since I was pretty much making it up as I went along.  I even made vanilla buttercream to use for sticking the fondant on but then had so much melted marshmallow left over that I ended up using that instead, and really, I think that was the better option.  I had a much easier time putting the marshmallow in this time around.  I don't know if it was because I used bigger marshmallows or a bigger pan and bowl for melting.  Whatever I did, it made my life easier.

In the recipe write up, I'm going to do something I've not done before, which is post pictures of some of the decorating process, since I took some photos as I was doing it.  Admittedly not the best photos because the light wasn't that great but hopefully still helpful.

Recipe - makes 18

• 150g/5oz butter
• 150g/5oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 175g/6oz self-raising flour
• 200g/7oz bag of large marshmallows
• 300g/10.5oz ready-to-roll fondant icing
• Chocolate flavoured writing icing

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole cake tin and a 6 hole cake tin with cases.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.
3. Add the vanilla extract and beat in.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat until fully incorporated after each addition.
5. Sift in the flour and fold into the mixture.
6. Spoon into the cases, trying to distribute the mixture equally.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes.  The cakes should be risen and golden, and a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.
8. Leave to cool on a cooling rack.

1. Melt the marshmallow while you wait.  Count out 9 large marshmallows and put to one side.  Put the rest into a large glass bowl set above a pan of simmering water.  Don't let the bowl touch the water.  You will want to keep the bowl warm after all the marshmallow has melted because if it is allowed to cool too much, it becomes hard to work with.
2. When the cakes have cooled, use an apple corer or a knife to carve a hole in the centre of a cake.  Do not get rid of the cake 'core' you removed.
3. Fill the hole with melted marshmallow.
4. Cut the top off the 'core' and put this top back into the top of the cake to cover the marshmallow. 
5. Cut the remaining marshmallows in half, dab the base in melted marshmallow and use it to stick them to the centre of the top if the cakes.
6. Drizzle the remaining melted marshmallow around the edges of the cake.
7. Knead the fondant until pliable and then roll out small amounts into thin squares that are bigger than the cakes.
8. Drape the fondant over the marshmallow and gently push down to cover the cake.
9. Press your finger around the fondant against the edge of the cake case and it should cut through the icing, giving you a smooth finish.
10. Use the writing icing to pipe faces on the wider side of the ghosts.

Chocolate and Worm Cupcakes

The fiancé and I moved into our flat at the end of May and though we've had a flat on our own before, this is the first time we're in the centre of town/the village and therefore a place for trick-or-treaters (or guisers as everyone up here calls them).  We're very close to the local primary school and so there are a lot of kids living around us too.  Hence we figured we should be prepared for them in case any came by, which some might since apparently the fiancé's Mum will be telling her old class that I worked with in the summer that I'm handing out treats.  Now, I could have just gone and bought sweets but where's the fun in that?  So instead I baked three different types of cake, ending up with over 50.  I figured I would rather have too many than not enough.  Unfortunately, I had far too much, as I only got one group of kids at my door.  I was a little disappointed.  I did find out later that some of the kids had misunderstood and gone to the fiancé's Mum's house for cake since I used to live there.  Oh dear.  But my and the fiancé's co-workers all ended up benefiting since we split up the leftovers between us and took them into work today (although I did keep some for myself).

Anyway, on to the first cake of three: Chocolate and Worms.  These are a brownie cupcake with some chocolate buttercream, jelly worms and brownie crumbs on top.  I picked brownie cupcakes because I thought they gave a nice, dirt-like texture.  Originally I wanted to bore holes in the cakes and run the worms through them, but the brownie mix was too crumbly and they fell to pieces.  This is why I also baked them without cases, but I lost a few trying to get them out, so I'm going to suggest making them in cases in the recipe write up.

Recipe - makes about 17 (actually 18 but you need one for crumbling)

Cakes - adapted from 200 Cupcakes

• 100g/3.5oz milk chocolate chunks/chips
• 200g/7oz plain chocolate 
• 150g/5oz lightly salted butter
• 3 eggs
• 200g/7oz light muscavado sugar
• 125g/4oz self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Line one 12 hole and one 6 hole cake tray with paper cases and preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
2. In a glass bowl placed above a pan of simmering water, melt together the chocolate and the butter.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar.
4. Stir in the melted chocolate and butter.
5. Sift together the flour and baking powder and gently fold into the mixture.
6. Fold in the milk chocolate chunks.
7. Spoon equal amounts into the paper cases but try not to have any chocolate chunks in the one you will be crumbling for decoration.
8. Bake for about 12 minutes.  A crust should have formed on top of the cakes but they will still be quite soft underneath.
9. Allow to cool in the tray for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Topping:

• 85g/3oz icing sugar
• 30g/1oz butter
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 30g/1oz cocoa powder
• 2 x 100g packets of jelly snakes

1. Put everything except the snakes in a bowl and beat together until smooth.  
2. Use a spoon to cover all cakes but one (the one to be crumbled) in a not-too-thick layer of the buttercream.
3. Put two jelly snakes on top of each cake.
4. Crumble up the remaining cake and cover any exposed buttercream with a thin layer of the crumbs.