what's a christmas without cake?

Remember a time when this little corner of the blogesphere was less philosophical and more about my baking escapades?

Well.. settle in with a cup of tea and enjoy. This one's on me.

~ ~ ~

I heart Christmas.

I heart cupcakes.

So it was only natural that my two loves come together during the festive season.

It was a less traditional Christmas for me this year, having moved away from 'home' it was not as simple as showing up to the family gathering with a plate of treats for the masses.

 But after not spending much time flexing my baking muscles in the past few months, it was fun to get back in the kitchen and prepare a few sweets for the small gathering that was my dad, sister and I.

There were cupcakes; there were melting moments; there were double choc chip cookies.

Quite simply - My Christmas was a food-fest.

In the interest of honesty, the two styles of cupcakes were the same cake batter and icing, just decorated differently.

: CHRISTMAS CUPCAKES :
Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

: CHRISTMAS CUPCAKES :
Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

How To :

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water


Line muffin tin with paper liners. Heat oven to 180 C.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.
Stir in boiling water (the batter will be really runny).
Fill liners 2/3 full with batter.
Bake cupcakes for approximately 22-24 minutes.

For the Frosting:

140g butter

3-4 cups icing sugar

2 tbsp vanilla essence

3-4 tbsp milk

Beat butter until soft.

Slowly add icing sugar

Gradually add milk and vanilla

Test consistency and taste frequently..!

And don't worry - Miss Emmy wasn't forgotten.

She had a special dog-friendly treat of her own.

xx

my day of cake*

*Please be assured that the cakes in the below photos were not all consumed in one day.

Here it is - 

The Birthday Wrap Up

I had no plans for Birthday Week or Birthday Day, and in the end, that turned out to be a good thing, as my Dad frightened us all with a health scare.

He's OK.

*sigh*

Thankfully cake is good for celebrating and eating in stressful situations.

And lucky I like cake because it was a key feature in this years festivities.

 

So now, the Birthday celebrations are over for another year.

And I am in a cake-coma.

xx

when life gives you lemons...

...you know the saying...

Well, a lovely colleague gave me some lemons fresh from her lemon tree.

And rather than break out the tequila, I promised to turn some of them into a morning tea treat.

I didn't tell her it would likely be of the paleo variety....

Maybe she won't notice?!

Collect your ingredients :

⅔ cup coconut flour, sifted

5 eggs

⅓ cup carton almond milk

¼ cup agave

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

juice of 2 lemons

1 teaspoon lemon zest

½ teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

Ready, set, BAKE!

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Sift your coconut flour into a bowl.

Add eggs and almond milk. Mix until smooth.

Then add the agave, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Mix well to combine.

Pour the mixture into cupcake liners.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until slightly brown on the top and cooked through in the middle. Do the toothpick test to check.

Let them cool.

Eat!

xx

vote #1 cupcake

Macaroons and cake pops have taken over the sweet treat world. 

And whilst my next statement might be controversial, I'm gonna say it anyway - 

Cupcakes win hands down.

Here's a pic of my latest just to prove my point

Bailey's Double Choc Cupcakes

They're chocolate; and they have bailey's cream cheese frosting.
And they're fat-free!

OK.. that last part was a lie.

But they're totally worth it!


THE CAKE PART

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup almond milk (you can use regular milk if desired)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Directions
Line muffin tin with paper liners. Heat oven to 350*F.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.
Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin, don’t worry, this is right).
Fill liners 2/3 full with batter. (I usually put the batter into a large measuring cup with a pour spout, and then pour the batter into the liners.)
Bake cupcakes for approximately 22-24 minutes.


THE FROSTING PART

Cream cheese (2 packets?)
Cocoa (1/2 cup?)
Icing Sugar (2 cups?)
Baileys (umm... a 'splash' - a really big splash...)
Unknown quantities of all... Beat with electric mixer until desired consistency. 
Add extra cocoa or icing sugar if it's too runny. Add more bailey's if it's too thick,
(Sometimes there's no measuring in my kitchen!)

xx

Puppy Birthday

Miss Emmy turned five yesterday.

F-I-V-E

I bought her a treat in celebration of this occasion - A pup-cake made with dog friendly ingredients and iced with cream cheese frosting and beef liver.

Getting her to sit still long enough for a photo was near-impossible!

Miss Emmy and I have been through a lot together.

Since she came into my life I have :

Been married; And divorced.

And moved house four times.

Yes we have our disagreements.. (She is an absolute Queen of the Silent Treatment)

And sometimes I forget to pick up dog food on my way home, so she gets a can of tuna, an egg and a carrot for dinner.

But no matter what - She greets me at the front door with a happy tail Every. Single. Day.

That's the best kind of love.

Happy Valentines Day.

xx

Busy Doing Nothing

How is it that I can be so busy that I don't write a blog post for a week; and yet I have nothing to share?

This is one of life's great mysteries.

Anyway, luckily this thought occurred to me on Sunday afternoon so I was able to whip up some cupcakes and have something to show for my weekend.

I went back to this new favourite - 

Chocolate cupcakes with Peppermint Frosting (without the candy canes).

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Frosting

Another busy week ahead. Let's hope this one is more inspirational than the last.

xx

Candy Cane Swirl Cupcakes

Yes, it's a New Year. And yes, I am trying to focus on a healthier lifestyle. But the Christmas re-cap isn't over yet... So here we go.

I have to apologise.

Just a month ago, I wrote this post.

And now I have to eat my words.

Or my cake :)

Because I have found a recipe, which produces The. Best. Cupcakes. EVER.

And they're chocolate.

I am as shocked as you.

I wasn't looking for it. Wasn't even thinking about it. And it came into my life and changed the way I view the world. 

I will never be the same again.

I gave them a Christmas twist with some left over candy canes. I highly recommend that you do the same...

Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup almond milk (you can use regular milk if desired)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1 cup boiling water

Directions

Line muffin tin with paper liners. Heat oven to 350*F.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.

Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin, don’t worry, this is right).

Fill liners 2/3 full with batter. (I usually put the batter into a large measuring cup with a pour spout, and then pour the batter into the liners.)

Bake cupcakes for approximately 22-24 minutes.

Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

Approx 200g cream cheese, at room temperature

4 cups icing sugar

1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup crushed candy canes*

1 to 3 Tablespoons almond milk  (you can use regular milk; or cream if desired)

Directions

Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend slightly. Add cream cheese and blend until combined, about 30 seconds.

Add icing sugar (a little at a time) and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.

Add vanilla and peppermint extract and crushed candy canes*

Slowly add the almond milk, a little bit at a time until desired consistency is met. (Don’t add too much if you want the frosting to stay in place when piped on cupcakes.)

Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.

Frost.

xx

*Note: Because it's the Festive Season and I had some candy canes lying around, I smashed them into small pieces and added them to the mix. This added to the peppermint flavour, but meant that I had to use a ziplock bag to pipe the icing, as some of the larger candy cane pieces wouldn't fit through the nozzle of my piping bag...

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Did you hear that??

Yup - That's the sound of a collective sigh as everyone celebrates making it through all the Christmas festivities without stabbing one of our relatives with a plastic fork*.

I don't know about you.. But for me, Christmas time can be a little trying.
Emotions are heightened after a long tiring year; we miss loved ones that are unable to join our celebrations - some are interstate and others no longer with us. And alcohol makes some family and friends merry, whilst others become melancholic.

And so when it is all over, we are relieved. And finally, we can relax.

But what I have learnt is that cupcakes are always a source of Christmas Cheer.

G I N G E R B R E A D   C U P C A K E S

Christmas Cupcakes

These are my gingerbread Cupcakes with Maple Frosting.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Cupcakes

1 + 1/2 cups plain flour

2 tablespoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 + 1/2 cups butter

1 + 1/2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons golden syrup

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180 degrees

In a large bowl, sift together flour and spices; set aside

In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light

Add golden syrup

Beat in eggs, one at a time

Add vanilla

Add flour, mix on low speed until combined

Fill cupcake liners

Bake for approximately 25 minutes

Allow to cool before frosting.

Maple Frosting

1/3 cup butter

28 grams cream cheese

1/4 cup brown sugar

pinch of salt

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup icing sugar

Cream the butter, cream cheese, brown sugar and salt until light and fluffy;

Beat in maple syrup and vanilla;

Gradually add icing sugar until combined.

*Note: Yes.. sadly we are the family who use plastic cutlery on Christmas Day. The table is covered with a plastic Christmas themed table cloth and we pop cheap bon-bons and wear the tacky paper hats. Don't judge us.

xx

High Tea for Me

It's been three weeks since my birthday and I'm only just writing a post about it..

OOPS

I had a four day weekend which included delicious dinners; lunch in the sunshine; an Endota visit with my lovely sister who was in town for the occasion (ok.. for a wedding.. but it happened to coincide!)

And I got The Most Amazing Gift EVER.

Cristina Re High Tea Collection

You may remember this tea set from such things as - This post.

Miss Jodie spoilt me with a gorgeous glass cupcake cloche.

Anyone for High Tea?!

xx

Plain and Popular

I love chocolate.

LOVE it.

And I don't discriminate either..

Milk chocolate; dark chocolate; white chocolate; melted chocolate; blocks of chocolate; heart shaped chocolate; Easter chocolate; chocolate with fruit and nut; chocolate with more chocolate on top.. 

You get the idea.

And yet - 

I don't love chocolate cake.

.

.

.

I know. 

It's shocking.

There are just so many other flavours I would choose before plain ol' chocolate. 

In cake form, it's just not high on my list.

But I do recognise that other people take comfort in a basic chocolate cake. 

So I made some last week....

Mostly because I thought a chocolatey cake would pair so well with a butterscotch frosting.

I was right.

The Lifespan of a Cupcake
Chocolate cupcakes with butterscotch frosting

C H O C O L A T E   C U P C A K E S 
W I T H   B U T T E R S C O T C H   F R O S T I N G

8 tablespoons (113.4 grams) unsalted butter

58 grams dark chocolate, chopped  

1/2 cup cocoa powder 

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup greek yoghurt

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 180 degrees C. 
Line standard-size muffin pan with baking cup liners.

Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. 
Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. 
Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.
Add in one third of dry ingredients to egg sugar mixture, alternately with the yoghurt, and ending with the dry ingredients, until well combined. 

Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. 
Bake until pick inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. 
Then frost.

The frosting was a basic buttercream with a splash glug of Kilkenny's Butterscotch Liqueur = delicious.

xx

Champagne, Darling?

Sometimes a girl just needs a glass of bubbles.

Sometimes a girl wants to share the bubbles with her favourite cupcake recipe.

Sometimes the cupcake recipe and the bubbles fall in love and form a magical union.

And then... a delicious cupcake is born.

C H A M P A G N E   C U P C A K E S

Champagne Cupcakes

Here's how it happened - - 

1/2 cup butter softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup chobani yoghurt

1/2 cup champagne

Preheat oven to 180C degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, 
cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

Add vanilla and mix.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup champagne and 1/2 cup yoghurt 
(mixture will fizz and bubble a little). 

Add flour and champagne mixture alternately, beginning and ending with flour.  
Batter will be thick.

Fill cupcake papers with 1/4 cup level measures of batter.  
Bake for 17-22 minutes.  
Set aside. 

To frost - Mix 3 tablespoons of the champagne into your fave buttercream icing.

Honestly, I don't know if the type of champagne will impact on the flavour. This was a bottle I happened to have in my cupboard. (I think it's a pretty cheap bottle too..)

I think I'd like to try the same recipe with a sweeter wine - perhaps a Moscato?

Ahh.. when there's alcohol involved - The possibilities are endless!

Enjoy, my Lovelies

xx

Lemon Delicious

I realised I have been doing a lot of baking these past few weeks when I saw this post quietly waiting to be shared with you all.

It's from 2 weekends ago.

oops!

L E M O N   M E R I N G U E   C U P C A K E S

There's not much to say to this one.

Except - I inherited the wooden tray from my Nan earlier this year and have been dying to use it.

These rustic looking cupcakes provided the perfect opportunity.

The tray itself doesn't have any significant history (that I know of). But in the days after her death, as we quietly (eerily) packed up her belongings, it caught my eye and I knew she would be delighted that I take it to use in my own kitchen.

Unfortunately, my photography does not do it justice...

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

The Cupcake >

100g unsalted butter, softened

185g caster sugar

2 eggs

200g self-raising flour

1/2 cup milk

rind of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 180C

Beat butter, sugar and lemon rind until pale;

Add eggs, one at a time;

Add flour and milk;

Spoon mixture into prepare muffin pans;

Bake for 15-20 minutes;

Cool

The Lemon Curd >

50g cornflour

1/2 cup water

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup caster sugar

4 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringues)

Combine the cornflour, water, lemon juice and half the sugar in a saucepan;

Whisk to stir over medium heat for 4 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens;

Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for a further 1 minute;

Remove from heat;

Whisk in butter and egg yolks;

Cool completely.

The Meringue >

4 egg whites

1 cup caster sugar

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form;

Gradually add caster sugar;

Continue beating until sugar has disolved

The Assembly >

Hull the cupcakes with a sharp knife;

Fill with a spoonful of lemon curd;

Pipe meringue onto cupcake;

Place tray of cupcakes under grill for 5 minutes or until golden (watch them like a HAWK!)

xx

Choc Raspberry Cupcakes

Got my bake on over the weekend.

Choc Raspberry Cupcakes to celebrate my cousins birthday - A last minute family gathering as he works in the middle of nowhere and wasn't expected back home til Christmas.

Choc Raspberry Cupcakes

Here's How :

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees

Melt 50g dark choc IN 120mL water in a small saucepan

Beat 2 eggs, 225g brown sugar & 100g softened butter with mixer

In separate bowl - combined 100g Self Raising Flour; 2 tbsp Cocoa; 50g Ground Almonds

Stir dry ingredients through the egg/sugar/butter mixture. 

Add melted choc/water

Stir til combined.

Half-fill cupcake liners; Place a couple frozen raspberries in the middle; Cover with more cake mix.

BAKE 

(For about 25 minutes)

Frost with your frosting of choice.

I used 150g butter; 250g icing sugar; vanilla essence & food colouring.

DELICIOUS!

xx

Celebration Cakes for Jodie

I believe in eating cake on your Birthday.

And it was Jodie's birthday two weeks ago, so I made her some little treats to help her celebrate (coz let's face it - if you have to work on your birthday, there should atleast be cake to brighten your day!).

Vanilla Cupcakes with Butterscotch Frosting

xx

Crocodile Cupcakes

Sometimes you just need a little funfetti in your life!

These little crocodile cakes make me smile whenever I look at them.

Baked with a basic vanilla cupcake recipe and plain vanilla frosting - this little cakes were allllll about the decoration.

Crocodile Funfetti Cupcakes

xx

In Need of a Smile

Sometimes you just need a smile.

Direct quote from Pip - "This is like sex in my mouth"

xx