Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘cupcakes’

30-second healthy yogurt frosting

Posted in desserts, healthy, tagged , , , , on March 28, 2013 | 6 Comments »

It’s beginning to get hot in Delhi. We’re creeping towards shorts and flip-flop weather. The sunglasses are out and sunscreen is being slathered on. And iced tea is desirable again.


My most favourite summer ingredient has to be yogurt. You can eat it in/with anything and be refreshed by its wonderful cool freshness.


Curd rice. Yum.
Lassi. Oh yes.
Raita. So good.
Frosting. Wait whaaaa?


Cupcakes 1


You heard right, baby. Yogurt frosting. That’s where it’s at.


Here’s what happened. I had to make cupcakes for my gym friends. I knew super-rich wouldn’t cut it. It had to be healthy.


So I pulled out some thick yogurt and played around with it.


Yogurt frosting


The result? A beautiful, light, airy, not-too-sweet, healthy frosting, that went perfectly with my mini chocolate cupcakes!


The best part? It was done in 30 seconds. No joke.


Now you can lick the frosting bowl clean guilt-free :)


Cupcakes 2


30-second healthy yogurt frosting


Prep time: 30 secs
Makes: enough to frost 40 mini or 20 regular cupcakes


Ingredients:


200 g thick yogurt
50 g icing sugar, sifted, plus more if needed
1 tsp vanilla powder or vanilla extract
a few drops of food colour, optional


Method:


1. Mix the yogurt and icing sugar together until there are no lumps. Add the vanilla and stir again. You can add any food colour of your choice and mix till you have an even colour.
2. If you like your frosting quite stiff, mix in a little more sugar and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up. If you like it looser, slather onto cupcakes immediately and enjoy!


If you’re in India, and love frozen yogurt, you’d be interested to know that Chef at Large, one of the best online food networks (my favourite one anyway!) just announced the results of the 2013 Indian Frozen Yogurt Market survey. Some really interesting results came up, including the fact that most consumers feel taste is more important than health, and Cocoberry is the most preferred yogurt brand in India (it is kinda awesome- I love it too!). For more details on the survey, check out: http://chefatlarge.in/surveys/yogurt


Here’s a look at the cupcake box I packed. The purple ones are regular buttercream (for those who aren’t health freaks) and the pretty pink ones are yogurt :)


Cupcake box 2


Read Full Post »

Lemon meringue cupcakes

Posted in desserts, tagged , , , , , on September 11, 2012 | 9 Comments »

What do you want to be when you grow up?


Remember being asked that question when you were little? Me too.


My answers varied from dancer and fairy, to “someone who is with animals” and cricketer.


Infinitely more exciting than my brother, I’d say, who usually answered liftman and policeman.


Here are the two of us monsters.



My love for baking didn’t arrive until much, much later in my life. It’s funny how that happens.


Suddenly one day you do something and think- Oh my god! This is amazing! Why haven’t I been doing this all this time?


A few months ago, watching Junior Masterchef Australia and those crazy talented kids on the show made me wonder about how lucky it is to find what you’re good at early in life. These kids can give an adult chef a serious run for his/her money. Their passion really reinforces the fact that age has nothing to do with talent.


They were all super talented kids in the kitchen, but their poise, sportsmanship, and gentleness was what made them truly lovable to me.


I have been wanting to try Isabella’s (Junior Masterchef winner!) Lemon Meringue Cupcakes for a while. It wasn’t as easy as she made it look, but they were delicious nonetheless.



The cupcakes are slightly unusual because the recipe asks for cream instead of butter. So the cupcakes are more dense than fluffy, but that helps when you have to carve out a piece from the centre to fill with lemon curd.



Speaking of Lemon curd- even if you don’t want cupcakes, make this lemon curd. It is so divine, I can guarantee you will lick the spoon and pan and bowl and whatever else the lemon curd touches- clean. It would be lovely as lemon tart filling too. Will try that soon :)



The meringue gets beautifully golden after only a few seconds in the grill, but retains a creamy softness inside.



All together, a posh looking cupcake with a yummy lemon curd heart.



If nothing else, just make the lemon curd. You will be a happy child :)



Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
Adapted from: Isabella’s recipe


Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Makes: 12


Ingredients:


250 ml cream
225 g caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
225 g flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt


For the lemon curd


juice of 3 lemons
100 g butter
110 g caster sugar
1 egg
3 egg yolks


For the meringue


3 egg whites
110 g caster sugar


Method:


For the cupcakes


1. Preheat the oven to 180º C. Line a 12-hole cupcake tray with paper liners.
2. Put the cream, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until well combined. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt and add this to the cream mixture, a little at a time continuing to whisk until it is smooth.
3. Evenly divide the batter between the cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes. Leave to cool in the tray.


For the lemon curd


1. Put the lemon juice and the butter in a non-stick pan, and heat over a low flame until the butter melts. Add the sugar, egg, and yolks and whisk non-stop until the mixture becomes smooth and thick. It’s essential that you’re whisking continuously and briskly after the adding the eggs, or they might scramble. If you feel the pan is too hot, take it off the heat for a while to cool a bit and then put it back on the flame again.
2. Pour the lemon curd into a shallow tray or plate and leave to cool.


For the meringue


1. In a clean, dry bowl whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk until you have firm peaks. Add the sugar a little at a time and continue whisking. Transfer the meringue mixture into a piping bag with your choice of nozzle.


Assembly


1. Preheat the grill setting of your oven to 160º C. Cut a round hole in the centre of each cupcake and scoop out a small piece. Fill the hole with some lemon curd.
2. Pipe meringue over each cupcake carefully. Then place the cupcakes in the oven for about 1 minute (more if you want your meringue darker- but be careful it burns quickly). Remove from the oven and enjoy! :)



Here’s a peep inside!



Read Full Post »

Cuteness a.k.a Mini chocolate cupcakes

Posted in desserts, friends, tagged , , , , on July 27, 2012 | 3 Comments »

Miniature versions of things are adorable. Don’t you think?


Like tiny animals? Or small bottles? Little books and teeny-weeny envelopes?


If you like the full-sized version of a particular thing, chances are you’ll go awww when you see the miniature version.


I’ll give you an example. You like regular sized cupcakes?


Then you’ll love these! :)



Such cute little things, no?


These mini chocolate cupcakes are so pretty, it’s hard to eat them. Perfect for those sudden sweet cravings, and just the right non-guilt inducing size, these babies are delicious.



Make them for special friends like I do. Or make a secret batch just for yourself. (Like I do too :P )



Mini chocolate cupcakes


Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 10-12 mins
Makes: 15-18 (depending on how small your liners are)


Ingredients:


40 g plain flour, sifted
20 g cocoa powder, sifted
60 g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
60 g butter (melted and cooled)
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract


For the icing


60 g butter, at room temperature
60 g icing sugar, plus a bit more if needed
2 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
food colour of your choice (optional)
sprinkles of your choice (optional)


Method:


For the mini cupcakes


1. Preheat the oven to 180º C. Mix the flour, cocoa, sugar, and baking powder together in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the butter, egg, milk and vanilla. Stir well until everything is combined and you have a glossy, smooth batter.
2. Line a cupcake tray with mini cupcake liners. (I use one 12-holed tray and one 6-holed tray.) Carefully spoon the batter into each liner. Fill each one about two-thirds full.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.


For the frosting


1. With an electric whisk, mix the butter and sugar together with the milk and vanilla. Add a few drops of your chosen food colour and mix again.
2. The frosting should be soft and creamy with no lumps. If you plan to pipe with a paper bag, you will need to add more icing sugar to make the frosting stiffer. If you choose to just spoon the frosting onto the cupcakes like I did, it’s nice to have a softer frosting.
3. Pipe or top a little frosting onto each of the cooled mini cupcakes. Decorate with sprinkles.




Read Full Post »

10 things I’ve learnt about food blogging and a giveaway!

Posted in desserts, foodie exchange, friends, giveaway, lists, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 22, 2012 | 23 Comments »

There were 2 birthdays this past week.


I turned 28. The thing is, in my head I don’t feel a day over 18. Actually 15. Maybe 10.


And, (*drumroll please*) this blog turned 1! Can you imagine?


I’ve been blogging for a whole year! When I started, I really never thought the experience would be so rewarding and wonderful. It’s been the best thing ever!


That’s why I want to share 10 things I’ve learnt about food blogging over the past year.


1. Food bloggers are cool. You will be a part of a wonderful, friendly, lively community that’s always willing to share knowledge and teach you things. I have met some fantastic bloggers and they’re some of the nicest people I know. Here are some of them.



2. It’s easy at the start. When you begin writing you’re brimming with enthusiasm, excitement and the thrill of people reading your blog. The hard part is keeping it up. I think the trick is to make it a part of your life. I can’t go without writing a post for too many days.



3. Of love handles and pudginess. You will get fat. But wait! Only if you don’t exercise at all. (My exercises include kickboxing and dancing around my room) All those divine things you bake go directly to your waistline. So share! Everytime I bake something, I eat a little bit and pack the rest up for friends, co-workers or neighbours.



4. Failures are the best lessons. Blog about your successes, but also about your failures (like this one). One thing I’ve learnt is that failures in the kitchen make funny stories. And funny stories make great blog posts. And then the failure isn’t a failure anymore- it’s a success! :) Am I rambling? Okay I’ll stop now.



5. The curse of the camera. You will NEVER be able to eat anything exciting without taking a picture of it first. People will groan and complain as the food goes cold while you focus and adjust and take pictures from every angle possible till it’s right. We’re serious photographers, what can I say? :P



6. Interaction is a significant thing. Always comment on other blogs you love. And acknowledge comments on your own blog. You will gain loyal readers when you do this, and maybe even friends from around the world. When I initiated a foodie exchange program I had the chance to interact with some fabulous food bloggers from all over the country. I also got a pile of presents! So MUCH fun :D



7. You can find inspiration anywhere. Bake things that make you happy. Be inspired by everything you enjoy. From movies, like this and this, to books like this and this. Or just love :)



8. You will learn SO much. When I started I never imagined I would be able to bake/cook the things I can. I never thought I’d be able to make a kickpass pie or a monkey cake or chocolate eclairs. I never thought I’d be able to bake 100 cupcakes in a single day and I most definitely didn’t think I could pull off a seven layer rainbow cake. But I did. And you can too.



9. You’ll earn cool nicknames. Mine include Cupcake Queen, Baking Diva, and Psycho Baker. The last one is my fav :D



10. Be true to yourself. Write what you believe in. Write the way you’re comfy in. Do things your way. Do serious posts, or yummy posts, or posts about a wonderful friend, or your Mum or how you love instant noodles. But don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. Your readers will be able to tell. And you won’t feel good. And that’s not fun, is it? :) Celebrate what you are.


But how exactly do you celebrate yourself? I have the answer my darlings.


Make yourself this cupcake.



I think it’s the prettiest thing I’ve ever made :)



One pretty cupcake


Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 12 mins
Makes: 1


Ingredients:


3 tbsp plain flour, sifted
1 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp milk
2 drops vanilla essence
1/4 tsp baking powder


For the buttercream rose


30 g butter, softened
50 g icing sugar, sifted, plus a bit more if needed
2 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 drop pink food colour


Method:


For the pretty cupcake


1. Preheat the oven to 180º C. Mix everything together in a small bowl, making sure it’s all incorporated till you have a smooth, shiny batter.
2. Line a cupcake tray with a single paper liner, and spoon the batter into it. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack.


For the buttercream rose


1. Mix all the ingredients together. The buttercream should be on the stiffer side so that when you pipe the rose, it holds its shape. If it’s too wet, add more icing sugar till it’s stiff enough.
2. Spoon the icing into a piping bag and use this tip.



I don’t know what it’s called so I took a picture :)
3. Now you’ll need an icing pin. Don’t worry if you don’t have one. I didn’t either. I created a make-shift one. Here’s how: Take an un-used pencil and stick a small piece (slightly bigger than your cupcake size) of cardboard on the even end of the pencil. Stick a piece of parchment paper over that. Now hold the piping bag in one hand, and the pencil with the carboard in the other. Pipe onto the paper, with the wide end of the tip facing downwards. Start in the centre and pipe a small circle, while twirling the pencil. This is the centre of your rose. Then keep adding strips of icing all around till you have a rose of your desired size, while twirling the pencil throughout. Once you’re happy with the size, carefully remove the parchment paper with the rose and pop it in the fridge for a few minutes. Once it hardens a bit, remove the rose gently and transfer it onto your cupcake. (Here is brilliant video by a brilliant blogger where I learnt how to make this fancy rose.)



And that’s how you celebrate what you are, friends! :) Please try it.


It’s been such a crazy, happy, yummy ride and I want to thank each and every one of you for reading. As a special thank you, I’m announcing my very first giveaway! One of my amazing readers will win a copy of this book:



It’s pretty and fun, and stuffed full of fantastic recipes! Go here to look inside it. If you want a chance to win this, just leave a comment below telling me what makes you happy. I’ll choose one winner through a random draw and send the book off to you wherever you are. I will also include a love note, ’cause I’m sweet like that ;) This giveaway is open till 15th July, 2012. This giveaway is now closed.


And just incase I’ve not said this enough- I love you all!


Read Full Post »

Eye of Sauron cupcakes

Posted in desserts, friends, tagged , , , , on May 14, 2012 | 17 Comments »

Gandalf: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”


Books can be such powerful things.


They carry us away to magical places.


They teach us to stand for courage and truth.


They comfort us, support us, and sometimes change us.


The Lord of the Rings is a one such book.


My uncle introduced me to Tolkien and the world of fantasy when I was a teenager. I loved it so much, I wanted to be an elf.


The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy did a fantastic job of bringing some our beloved characters to life.


I never tire of watching the movies. So last Saturday, when some friends had a Fellowship of the Ring viewing party, I wanted to make something special.


I scoured the internet only to be reminded (sadly) how basic my baking skills were.


I mean look at this.



And this.



Seriously? (those are cakes, by the way.)


But this one is my fav :)



I decided what I could do were Sauron’s eye cupcakes. For the uninitiated, Sauron is the evil force the protagonists must battle in The Lord of the Rings. For more, read this.


I used my basic vanilla cupcake recipe, but added a little buttermilk to the batter for extra softness. I divided the batter and then coloured half orange and the other yellow.



They came out of the oven looking beautiful.



Then I did some regular buttercream icing in yellow and orange, and ran a fork along the sides. It all came together with a streak of black down the centre.



If LOTR fans can’t see the resemblance, this may help.



Do you see it now? :)



I leave you with a rather unforgettable exchange.


Aragorn: Gentlemen, we do not stop ’til nightfall.
Pippin: What about breakfast?
Aragorn: You’ve already had it.
Pippin: We’ve had one, yes. What about second breakfast?
Merry: I don’t think he knows about second breakfast, Pip.
Pippin: What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn’t he?
Merry: I wouldn’t count on it.


Read Full Post »

Dear Bread Lord, I made you cupcakes.

Posted in desserts, tagged , , on March 13, 2012 | 9 Comments »

Dear Bread Lord,

2

I come to you with utmost submission. My respect for you knows no bounds.

2

You wield the power to make things froth and bubble and rise.
I made the mistake of not asking for your blessing the first time around, and I paid for that dearly.

2

Tonight as I dance the sacred dance with flour and yeast and warm water, I pray your watchful eye will be on me, and you will guide me.

2

Please make the yeast froth.
Please make the dough rise.
This is my humble request.

2

I hear you do not care for animal sacrifices.
So I bring you this small offering of pineapple cupcakes.

2

2

(See how fluffy they are? The Cupcake Queen has been most kind to me. You could call her for a reference.)

2

2

Yours respectfully,
A traumatised 2nd time attempter of bread making

2

PS- I’ll be baking at 8pm tonight. Incase you need to put me down in your schedule.

2

Pineapple and cream cupcakes

2

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 22-25 mins
Makes: 24

2

2

Ingredients:

2

220 g plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
175 ml buttermilk
3 large eggs
120 ml oil (I used Canola, but any vegetable oil will do)
1 tsp vanilla essence
250 g castor sugar
200 g fresh pineapple, chopped up into smallish pieces, juice retained

2

For the cream frosting

2

200 ml heavy cream
50 g icing sugar
drop of vanilla essence

2

2

Method:

2

For the cupcakes

2

1. Preheat the oven to 160º C. Mix the flour, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.
2. In another bowl mix the buttermilk, eggs, oil and vanilla. Add the sugar and pineapple bits (with the juices) and stir well.
3. Make a well in the centre of the flour mix and pour in the wet mixture. Combine everything well. The mixture will be slightly more runny than usual. Don’t worry about this.
4. Line two 12-holed cupcake trays with paper liners and fill each about two-thirds full with the batter. Pop in the oven for about 22 minutes or until risen and fluffy. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

2

For the cream frosting

2

1. Chill the bowl you will use to make the frosting for about 10 minutes. Once cold, put the cream in and beat with a hand mixer till you have soft peaks.
2. Add the sugar and vanilla, and beat again for a few minutes. Once the cupcakes cool completely, spoon some over each one.

Read Full Post »

Thank God for tea!

Posted in desserts, this book makes me cook, tagged , , , on November 5, 2011 | 2 Comments »

I’ve always been a tea drinker.

2

2

When my friends want to go out for “coffee”, that usually means I get a cup of tea.

2

At home, I wake up to a cup of warm black tea.

2

During the course of my work day, I drink 2 or 3 cups of cinnamon tea.

2

When I’m grumpy, I make myself a sugar-less green tea.

2

There is something very comforting about a warm cup of tea.

2

And that is what is reinforced throughout the novel- Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, our book club pick for the month.

2

2

Offering someone a cup of tea is a way of saying I’m here for you, without ever saying it.

2

I wanted to use tea in the recipe for this post. So I decided to experiment with Milk tea cupcakes.

2

2

To be honest, I had my apprehensions. It appears however, that tea, in any form and added to anything, retains it’s wonderfully warm and comforting qualities.

2

2

Milk tea cupcakes

2

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Makes: 6

2

Ingredients

2

50 ml milk
6 tsp tea leaves (use any flavour you like, I used Darjeeling)
70 g flour, sifted
60 g castor sugar
50 ml canola oil
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
vanilla sugar, to dust (optional)

2

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Boil the milk and then pour into a small bowl. Add the tea leaves and let it rest for 5 minutes.
2. In another mixing bowl, mix all the other ingredients together. Strain the tea into this bowl, being careful to not let any tea leaves through.
3. Mix well to combine. Line a 6-grooved cupcake tray with liners. Spoon the mixture into each and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until risen, and a skewer pushed through comes out clean.
4. Remove from the tray and cool on a wire rack. Dust some vanilla sugar over. Eat slightly warm.

2

Read Full Post »

The Quickest Chocolate Cake in History

Posted in desserts, tagged , , , , on October 7, 2011 | 13 Comments »

It’s been a while since my last post, but that’s only because I was up to my ears in an office project.

2

It was a Show and Tell/Open House for our department.

2

Other teams came to look at the kind of work we do, and we had a ton of fun in store for them!

2

Side note: Have I ever told you about my job?

I edit books. REALLY fun books.

Books like these :)

2

2

We had some super fun activities planned for everyone, based around the theme of our books.

2

The Gardening section, had tiny (and very cute!) saplings that people could take home and grow.

2

2

More plants to encourage people to go green!

2

2

We also had a craft section in which everyone could make their own photo frames using some wonderful (and unusual!) items.

2

2

We set up a photo booth, with a vintage car cut out and some crazy props!
I like me in red hair :)

2

2

And then there was the food and drink section. What fun :)

2

2

We had a “Decorate your cupcake” stall that was very popular!

2

2

A Masterchef guess-the-ingredient-stall.

2

2

And a path breaking “Quickest-chocolate-cake-in-history-stall, manned by these two cuties!

2

2
2

This cake is perfect for those insane cravings that come out of nowhere.

2

All you need are some basic ingredients at hand, and you can have chocolate cake in 50 seconds! Yes. You heard that right.

2

Recipes for this marvelous cake have been doing the rounds on the internet, but after several (failed!) experiments, we discovered the perfect ingredient ratio.

2

This is a very basic recipe. Feel free to add some chocolate chips, dark chocolate pieces, or even liquor chocolate (yum!) in the mug! I’ve tried all these and they work really well.

2

The cake starts to harden a bit when it hits room temperature, so eat it warm. If you like your cake a bit gooey, then up the liquid content very slightly.

2

The Quickest Chocolate Cake in History

2

Prep time: 30 secs

Cook time: 50 secs

Makes: 1 mug

2

Ingredients:

2

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp ground sugar

1 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp milk

2 tbsp oil

2

Method:

2

1. Mix all the ingredients in a microwave-safe mug until you have a smooth batter. Microwave for 50 seconds. Eat straight from the mug! :)

2

Here’s a fun picture of the people I work with. Their wonderful madness makes this a happy place to work in! :)

2

2

Read Full Post »

Where did the weekend go?

Posted in desserts, tagged , , , , on August 30, 2011 | 11 Comments »

Do you ever have weekends that zip by you so fast, you wonder where they went?

2

Do you drag yourself out of bed on Monday mornings wanting to kill something?

2

Have you ever wondered why it is so easy to stay up late (watching tv shows one after the other till your eyes go dry), and so awfully, painfully hard to wake up in the morning?
(Don’t tell me you’re a “morning” person. Read the second line above. Beware.)

2

Savouring weekends is an art form.
Enjoying them, lazing in their warmth, relaxing in their glow – is important.
That time of doing just what you want is crucial. Both for you and the lives of the people you meet on Monday mornings (read second line above).

2

What do you do to relax on weekends?
I bake.

2

2

This weekend I made cupcakes for a party.
I made 2 kinds.

2

Remember the red velvet cupcakes I made?
I made them again.

2

But since I made them in the afternoon and the party was in the evening, by the time we opened the box to eat them, the cream cheese icing had melted and was running down the sides of the cupcakes.

2

Not a pretty sight (to say the least).
(I will be kind and not show you a picture.)

2

But at least they tasted good. Right? :(

The other cupcakes saved me.

2

2

They were coffee and walnut.
They were pretty and sophisticated.
Audrey Hepburn would totally eat them.

2

2

Cupcakes like these make for great weekends.
They also make Monday mornings slightly more bearable :)

2

2

Coffee-walnut cupcakes

2

Adapted from: Mary Berry’s recipe in Cook up a feast

2

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Makes: 12

2

Ingredients:

2

1 tbsp coffee powder
1 tbsp boiling water
120 g butter (salted is fine, but melted and cooled)
140 g plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
120 g caster sugar
2 tbsp milk
2 eggs
75 g walnuts, chopped

2

For the icing:

2

2 tsp coffee powder
2 tsp boiling water
100 g butter (salted is fine, but softened)
150 g icing sugar (sifted)
12 walnut halves

2

Method:

2

For the cupcakes

2

1. Preheat the oven to 180º C. Mix the coffee powder in the boiling water until dissolved. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add all the other ingredients and mix well until you have a thick, but smooth batter.
2. Spoon into cupcake liners placed in a 12-holed tray, and bake for 25 minutes until golden on top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

2

For the icing

1. Dissolve the coffee powder in the boiling water. Add the butter and icing sugar and mix well.
2. Spoon or pipe on to the cooled cupcakes and place one walnut half on top of each.

2

Read Full Post »

Red velvet “love” cupcakes

Posted in desserts, tagged , , , on July 19, 2011 | 11 Comments »

2

“Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.”
Harriet van Horne

2

2

When I say love, what food do you think of?

2

Strawberries and champagne.

Anything chocolate (y).

Fresh watermelon.

A rich soup, and some crusty bread.

2

(Wait, was that last one that weird?)

2

Food and love are so deeply connected.

2

2

I cook when I’m in love.
I cook for people I love.
I love what I cook.
I love when I cook.

2

Don’t you?

2

2

These cupcakes are special. They’re not everyday. They’re not ordinary.
They’re beautiful. Magical. Lovable.

2

2

They’re rich, yet light.
Their gorgeous deep red colour makes me smile every time I lay my eyes on them.
They resound with love.
They make me believe in love.

2

2

Make some, won’t you? Share some love :)

2

2

Red velvet “love” cupcakes
Adapted from: Joy the baker

2

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Makes: 6

2

Ingredients:

2

2 tbsp butter
45 g ground sugar
1 egg
1½ tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp red food colouring
½ tsp vanilla extract
60 ml buttermilk
70 g plain flour, sifted
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar

2

For the cream cheese frosting

2

1½ tbsp butter
30 g cream cheese
60 g icing sugar, sifted

2

NOTE: This is for a moderate amount. If you like your cupcakes smothered in frosting, by all means up the quantities.

2

Method:

2

For the red velvet cupcakes

2

1. Preheat the oven to 180º C. In bowl mix the butter and sugar together well. Crack the egg in the mixture, and stir vigorously.
2. In a separate bowl mix the cocoa powder, food colour, and vanilla extract together. Put this into the egg mixture and stir well again, removing any lumps.
3. Add half the buttermilk and stir. Add half the flour and mix again. Add the remaining buttermilk and flour, and stir until you have a smooth batter.
4. Add the baking soda and vinegar, and mix well one last time.
5. Pour into a tray lined with cupcake liners and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the tray and cool on a wire rack.

2

For the cream cheese frosting

2

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Taste, and add more sugar if you like.
2. Put into a piping bag with a simple rounded tip, and pipe small circles in the centre of the cooled cupcakes.
3. Devour! :)

Read Full Post »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 91 other followers