Carrot Cupcakes

The pineapple in these keep them moist, but also add a subtle 'tropical' flavour - perfect for those like me who are stuck in a country that thinks that it's winter during summer, so at least when it's raining, you can still pretend. Makes 12 cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes. 

      

 Ingredients

For the Cakes

88g Plain Flour

1/2tsp Baking Powder

1/4tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1/2tsp Ground Cinnamon

A Pinch of Salt

1 Large Egg

100g Caster Sugar

50ml Vegetable/Sunflower Oil

1/4tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Large Carrot, Peeled and Finely Grated

30g Tinned Pineapple, Drained and Finely Chopped

2tbsp Chopped Walnuts, Plus Extra for Decorating

For the Cream Cheese Icing

22g Unsalted Butter, Softened

120g Full Fat Cream Cheese

150g Approx. Icing Sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4, and grease/line a cupcake tin. Weigh and measure the flour, baking powder, bicarb, cinnamon and salt, and mix together in a bowl. 

2. Using a freestanding or handheld mixer, beat the egg and sugar until pale and fluffy; about 10 minutes. Gradually add the oil and vanilla, beating meanwhile, until combined. Sift in the dry ingredients, and fold in with a metal spoon until evenly distributed.

3. Stir in the carrots, walnuts and pineapple, and divide mixture between muffin cases. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of one comes out clean. Leave to cool fully before icing.

4. While the cakes are cooling, beat the butter until very soft, and then add the cream cheese, mixing until completely incorporated. Then sieve in 1/3 of the icing sugar, and mix in, starting slowly. Repeat with the next third, and the last, adding milk or more sugar to reach the desired consistency. If you want to pipe it, it should be fairly thick. 

5. Pipe or spread the icing as desired on the cool cakes, and top with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts.

Enjoy :)

After Eight Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

Who doesn't like mint and chocolate? This recipe tries to copy the 'after eight' mint, with the dark chocolate cake, and the secret mint fondant filling inside. Not really sure what to say about quantity though, for me it made 24 mini muffins and 4 regular ones. 

Ingredients

For the Sponge

50g Dark Cooking Chocolate

123g Butter

113g Sugar

2 Eggs, Beaten

50g Self-Raising Flour

1.5 tbsp Cocoa Powder

Pinch of Salt

Mint Filling

100g Icing Sugar

3/4tsp Peppermint Extract

Some Water

Mint Buttercream

60g Butter, Soft

250g Icing Sugar

1/2tsp Peppermint Extract

1/2tsp Vanilla Extract

Some Milk

Green Food Colouring

A few thin mint chocolate crisps

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/fan 160C/Gas 4. Line/Grease a mini muffin or regular muffin tin. Put the chocolate and butter into a bain-marie and melt, stirring throughout. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Pour into a mixing bowl and leave to cool for 10 minutes. 

2. Beat the mix with a handheld or freestanding mixer for about 3 minutes, or until much lighter in colour, and gradually add the beaten eggs, beating well inbetween each addition for about 10 seconds. Sift in the dry ingredients and fold in until well incorporated. 

3. Fill the holes of the tins 3/4 of the way with mix, and place in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. They should have a brownie-like texture. In the oven they will rise, and then fall, so don't be alarmed if they do so. Place on a wire rack to cool. 

4. Whilst they are cooling, make the fondant filling. Mix the icing sugar, 1tbsp water and peppermint extract with a whisk until blended, then add about 1/2 tbsp more water and whisk until well incorporated. You are looking for a thick liquid texture. 

5. Once the cakes are fully cooled, using a knife, and not cutting too deep, cut a cylinder out of the top of a cupcake, and fill with fondant filling. Place the cylinder back in to the cupcake and set aside. Do the same for all.

6. For the icing, mix the sugar and soft butter together, then add the flavourings. Add 1 tbsp milk, and use a handheld whisk to bring it all together. Add another as much milk as necessary to form a quite thick icing, mixing inbetween additions, and add food colouring slowly to reach your desired colour. Pipe onto the cupcakes with a star nozzle. 

7. Cut the chocolate crisps into shards or rectangles, and stick on the top of the cake. 

Enjoy :)

Chocolate Milk Cupcakes

Exam season is over! Time for summer holidays! A recipe trying to imitate the refreshing cold chocolate drink, it's originally from the 'Lola's Cupcakes' recipe book, but with a few alterations. I decided to experiment with the decoration, instead of the chocolate sprinkles suggested by the recipe, I decided to do a range of toppings; cake crumbs, chocolate shards and chocolate leaves. It's up to you which one you choose, but each method is in the instructions. Makes 12 Muffins or 24 Mini Muffins.

 Ingredients

For the Cake

2 Eggs, Beaten

50g Dark Cooking Chocolate, Chopped

87g Butter

112g Caster Sugar

50g Self-Raising Flour

                      1 1/4 tbsp Cocoa Powder

A Pinch of Salt 

For the Vanilla Buttercream

60g Butter, Softened

250g Icing Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 tbsp Milk

For the Chocolate Leaves/Shards

50g Dark Cooking Chocolate 

Small, edible, non-toxic leaves with deep veins, such as bay leaves, mint leaves or rose leaves - Thoroughly Washed and Dried 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4, and grease a 12 hole muffin tin, or a 24 hole mini muffin tin.

2. Melt the chocolate and the butter together in a bain-marie, remove from heat, and stir in the sugar. Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes, and transfer into a mixing bowl.

3. Beat with an electric hand mixer for about 3 minutes, then gradually pour in the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition. Sieve in the flour, cocoa and salt, and fold in with a metal spoon until incorporated. 

4. Pour the mixture into the tin, filling the holes up around just over 3/4 of the way, and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until well risen, and if a skewer is placed inside, it comes out clean. Leave for 10 minutes to cool, then with a small palette knife, gently ease the cupcakes out by going around the edges of the holes, and leave to cool on a wire rack. If you want to decorate your cakes with crumbs, scrape the residue left on the tin, and reserve for later.

5. While they're cooling, for the chocolate leaves, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. With a pastry brush, or a small palette knife paint the underside of the leaves, and gently place on a sheet of greaseproof paper on a baking tray. Place in the fridge to set. Once completely set (around 20 minutes), gently peel the leaves away, and place the chocolate back onto the greaseproof paper, and chill until use.

6. Alternatively, for the chocolate shards, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie, and using a palette knife, quickly spread the chocolate onto a sheet of greaseproof paper into a layer around 2mm thick, and roll the sheet into a cylinder. Place the cylinder in the fridge until the chocolate is completely set (around 20 minutes), and remove from the fridge. Unroll the cylinder, and the chocolate should break into shards. Make them smaller if needed by breaking the pieces apart with your hands. Chill until use.

7. For the Buttercream, beat the butter in a mixing bowl until very smooth and creamy, and then sieve in half of the icing sugar. Using a spoon first, slowly mix the butter and sugar together, and then once most is incorporated, use a hand whisk. Repeat for the rest of the icing sugar, and then add the milk and vanilla extract. 

8. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, using either a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, or a palette knife, apply the icing to the cupcake. Add your desired decoration - be very gentle with the leaves as they are extremely delicate. 

Enjoy :)