Recipes

I wanted to share with you some exciting and delicious recipes I have found whilst searching for the perfect Cupcake...

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 120g/4oz plain flour
• 140g/5oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking power
• 40g/1½oz unsalted butter
• 50g/2oz dark chocolate, melted
• 1 free-range egg
• 125ml/4fl oz milk
• 1 orange, juice only
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar

For the white chocolate and orange buttercream

• 125g/4½oz unsalted butter, softened
• 250g/9oz icing sugar
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• 50g/1¾oz white chocolate, melted
• 1 orange, zest only
• 100g/3½oz orange chocolate

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Mix the flour, sugar and baking powder together in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until combined.
3. Whisk the melted chocolate, egg and milk together in a jug.
4. Stir the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.
5. Spoon the mixture into the cases and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until risen and golden-brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, mix the orange juice and granulated sugar together in a bowl. Carefully pour the orange juice mixture over the warm cakes and set aside to cool completely.
7. For the white chocolate and orange buttercream, beat the butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Carefully stir in the icing sugar and continue to beat for five minutes. Beat in the milk, melted chocolate and orange zest.
8. Decorate the cupcakes with the buttercream

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream cheese icing

Ingredients

• 275g/9¾oz caster sugar
• 200ml/7fl oz sunflower oil
• 4 medium free-range eggs
• about 300g/10½oz grated carrot, a little more or less is fine
• up to 150g/5½oz nuts or dried fruit (optional)
• 225g/8oz spelt or wholemeal flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder

 

For the cheese frosting

 

• 125g/4½oz unsalted butter, softened
• 125g/4½oz full-fat cream cheese
• 275g/9¾oz icing sugar
• edible decorations (such as sugar-paste carrots or mini-chocolate Easter eggs), to finish

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line the pockets of a muffin tray with muffin cases.
2. Beat the sugar, oil and eggs in mixing bowl until smooth, then stir in the grated carrot and, if you like, up to 150g/5½oz chopped nuts, dried fruit, or a mixture of both.
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, spices and cocoa so that they're evenly mixed, then tip this into the carrot mixture and stir well.
4. Fill the muffin papers to about two-thirds full, then bake for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer poked in comes out almost clean.
5. For the frosting, make sure the butter is soft, then, using a whisk or electric mixer, beat it with the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth and light.
6. Stir in the icing sugar with a spoon until it begins to come together, then whisk again briefly until light and smooth. Pipe or spoon blobs of the frosting on each cold cupcake. Decorate with sugar-paste carrots or, say for Easter, with mini chocolate Easter eggs.

Campfire Cupcakes



Ingredients

• 140g light muscovado sugar
• 100g self-raising flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 125ml vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp milk
• 50g milk chocolate chips
• 30g pack mini marshmallows

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip the sugar, flour, cocoa and baking powder into a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil and milk, then stir together with the dry ingredients until well combined. Add the milk chocolate chips. Place cupcake cases into a 12-hole bun tin. Divide the mixture between the cases, then bake for 20 mins until risen and cooked through. You can now leave to cool and store for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
2. Just before serving (either warm from the oven or cold), arrange marshmallows over the tops of the cakes. Heat grill to medium and pop the cakes under it for 30 secs, watching all the time, just until the marshmallows are lightly browned. Remove and eat straight away.

Lemon & Poppyseed Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 225g self-raising flour
• 175g golden caster sugar
• zest 2 lemons
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds , toasted
• 3 eggs
• 100g natural yogurt
• 175g butter , melted and cooled a little

FOR THE ICING

• 225g butter , softened
• 400g icing sugar , sifted
• juice 1 lemon
• few drops yellow food colouring
• icing flowers or yellow sprinkles, to decorate

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake or muffin cases. Mix the flour, sugar, lemon zest and poppy seeds together in a large mixing bowl. Beat the eggs into the yogurt, then tip this into the dry ingredients with the melted butter. Mix together with a wooden spoon or whisk until lump-free, then divide between the cases. Bake for 20-22 mins until a skewer poked in comes out clean - the cakes will be quite pale on top still. Cool for 5 mins in the tin, then carefully lift onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
2. To ice, beat the softened butter until really soft in a large bowl, then gradually beat in the icing sugar and lemon juice. Stir in enough food colouring for a pale lemon colour, then spoon the icing into a piping bag with a large star nozzle.
3. Ice one cake at a time, holding the piping bag almost upright with the nozzle about 1cm from the surface of the cake. Pipe one spiral of icing around the edge, then pause to break the flow before moving the nozzle towards the centre slightly and piping a second, smaller spiral that continues until there are no gaps in the centre. Slightly 'dot' the nozzle into the icing as you stop squeezing to finish neatly. Repeat to cover all the cakes, then top with sugar decorations or scatter with sprinkles.