Boston Cream Cupcakes.

 

Oh my god these cupcakes are delicious! And the chocolate frosting is sooo good. I found this gorgeous recipe in my Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days cookbook which, is fast becoming my favourite recipe book ever! I decided to make them on Friday and I'm sharing the recipe now because they were just so yummy.

 

Sponge, custard and chocolate frosting; it's an incredible combination. With the addition of the milk the sponge is lovely, soft and moist and the custard adds a nice creamy texture and subtle flavour which, perfectly compliments the rest of the cupcake. If you try it on it's own it sort of tastes like the custard in egg custard tarts. The chocolate frosting is so rich and luxurious as well so all in all this is a pretty great cupcake. I'd love to go to the Hummingbird Bakery.

 

 

Recipe - makes 12-16 cupcakes

 

For the Sponge

 

80g (3oz) unsalted butter, softened

280g (10oz) caster sugar

240g (8 1/2oz) plain flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

240ml (8 1/2 fl oz) whole milk

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla essence

 

For the Custard Filling

 

250ml (9 fl oz) whole milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla essence

2 large egg yolks

50g (1 3/4 oz) caster sugar

1 tbsp. plain flour

1 tbsp. cornflour

 

For the Chocolate Frosting

 

400g (14oz) icing sugar

100g (3 1/2oz) cocoa powder

160g (5 1/2oz) unsalted butter, softened

80ml (3fl oz) whole milk

finely grated dark chocolate, to decorate

 

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 190C, Gas mark 5, and line a muffin tin with muffin cases.

 

2. Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt on a low speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

 

3. Place the remaining ingredients in a jug and whisk by hand, then pour three-quarters of this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix on a low speed to combine. Increase the speed to medium and keep mixing until smooth and thick, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the remaining milk mixture and beat until combined and smooth.

 

4. Spoon the batter into the paper cases, filling them by two-thirds. Any remaining batter can be spooned into more cases in another tin. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until well risen and springy to touch, then leave to cool completely.

 

5. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the filling. Pour the milk and vanilla essence into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining ingredients together by hand in a bowl until smooth and well combined.

 

6. Once the milk is boiling, remove from the heat and pour 4-5 tbsps. into the egg-yolk mixture to loosen, then return this mixture to the pan of hot milk, stirring to incorporate.

 

7. Return the pan to the heat and bring to he boil, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Boil for at least 1 minute to ensure the flour is properly cooked. Once thickened, tip the custard into a bowl and cover with cling film to prevent a skin forming, then leave to cool completely for 30-40 minutes.

 

8. To make the frosting, use the electric whisk or freestanding mixer with paddle attachment to slowly beat together the icing sugar, cocoa powder and butter until sandy in texture. Gradually pour in the milk, then increase the speed to high and whisk until soft and fluffy.

 

9. Using a sharp knife or apple corer, make a hole in the centre of each cupcake about 2cm in diameter and 3cm deep, reserving the scooped-out pieces of sponge. Pipe or spoon the custard into the hole in each cupcake, then replace the sponge lid, trimming it if necessary to ensure the top is fairly level. Divide the chocolate frosting between the cupcakes, smooth the tops with a palette knife and add a swirl. (That is the hummingbird bakery way, I piped a swirl using a large round piping nozzle instead. This icing is great for piping; soft enough to pipe but, thick and stiff enough to hold it's shape.) Sprinkle with grated chocolate to decorate.

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Thankyou for reading!

Love Courts x

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes.

 

Do you ever find that some things are just too sweet, sickly and chocolaty? Yeah, no me neither! These cupcakes are gorgeous! I use Hayley Tamaddon's (an actress who used to be in my beloved Emmerdale and who also won Dancing on Ice) chocolate fudge cake recipe from the Celebrity Britain's Best Dish. It is the best chocolate cake I have ever tasted and so, rich and moist! The trick is to include sour cream in your chocolate cake recipe, it makes perfect chocolate cake and somehow, and I don't really know why, but, it makes a gorgeous light, moist sponge and enhances the chocolate flavour. Thank you sour cream!

 

I decided to convert her cake recipe into cupcakes though so, I filled them with her rich chocolate ganache topping and then topped them with her sweet, sugary chocolate coffee fudge cream filling. I then scattered over some tiny fudge pieces as I thought it would look quite cute. I bought these tiny fudge pieces from Sainsbury's for I think it was £1.39 which, is quite expensive really so feel free to buy proper fudge and then just crumble it up or chop it up into tiny pieces as I would imagine that would work out cheaper. I was just a bit lazy but then after making three different components to make this one lovely cupcake I think that can be forgiven.

 

If you are a chocolate lover like myself and have the time then please give them a go as they are so yummy and if you do try them I hope you enjoy them!

 

Recipe - makes 12 cupcakes

 

Chocolate Cake

110g (4oz) butter at room temperature
220g (8oz) dark brown sugar
2 eggs
165g (6oz) self raising flour
55g (2oz) cocoa
½  tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp baking powder
140ml (1/4pint) sour cream

Chocolate Ganache Filling

200g (7oz) dark chocolate
140ml (1/4 pint) double cream
1 tbsp cocoa powder

Chocolate Coffee Fudge Frosting

 (5oz) Butter, at room temperature
165g (6oz) icing sugar
½ tsp ground coffee beans
Few drops vanilla essence
2tbsp cocoa powder
 

 

 

Method

 

Oven – 180°c.
You will need 1x 12 hole cupcake tray.

 

Place 12 cake cases in he cupcake tin.

 

For the cake, cream together the butter and sugar using an electric whisk. Gradually beat in the eggs. Add the sour cream. Sieve together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Fold in to the mixture.

 

Divide the mixture between the cake cases and bake for 15 minutes or until risen and just firm to touch. 

 

For the ganache filling, warm the milk on a low temperature until hot. Remove rom the heat and add the broken up chocolate stirring constantly until melted. Make the cocoa into a paste by adding hot water. Add the cocoa to the melted chocolate and leave to cool.

 

Meanwhile, make the frosting. Sieve icing sugar, coffee and cocoa into a bowl. Add butter and mix together until creamy. Add a few drops of vanilla essence. (If you don't like coffee flavours then just leave it out as the frosting still tastes lovely without.)

 

Once the cakes are cooled, dig out a hole from each cupcake using an apple corer

 

Put 2 tsps. chocolate ganache filling in each.

 

 

Put 2 tsps. of the frosting on top of each and use a pallet knife to smooth over and decorate with the fudge pieces.

 

Thankyou for reading!

Love Courts x

 

Carrot Cupcakes.

Carrot Cake is probably my favourite cake, I love it and I found this really lovely recipe for the perfect carrot cake on the Joy of Baking website a couple of years ago. I deffinately reccommend looking on the website as it's absoloutely incredible with every recipe you could ever think of. It is also american so there are lots of lovely american treats including lots of chocolate and peanut butter recipes which, are always good in my books.

 

 

This carrot cake recipe is gorgeous though. The sponge is so light, soft and moist and it has a really lovely sweet flavour with a nice warm spice coming from the cinnamon too. The cream cheese icing is also delicious, sugary and rich and goes perfectly with the carrot sponge.

Recipe - makes 24 cupcakes

 

100g walnuts

340g raw carrots, finely grated

260g self-raising flour

1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda

1 1/2 tsps. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 large eggs

300g caster sugar

240ml vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla essence

Cream Cheese Frosting -

57g butter

227g cream cheese

230g icing sugar

1 tsp. vanilla essence

1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

 

Method

 

Pre-heat the oven to 200C and place 24 cupcake cases in two 12 hole bun tins.

 

Peel and finely grate the carrots.

 

Grind the walnuts in a food processor and in a large bowl mix together the ground walnuts, sieved self-raising flour, cinnamon, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.

 

In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs until frothy (about 1 minute). Gradually add the sugar and whisk until the batter is thick and pale in colour (about 3-4 minutes). Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and beat until incorporated.

 

Fold in the grated carrot and evenly divide the batter between the cupcake cases.

 

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the cupcakes are just firm to touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

 

Finally, make the cream cheese frosting by beating the cream cheese and butter together with an electric whisk, blending until there are no lumps. Gradually add the sifted icing sugar and beat, on low speed, until fully incorporated and smooth. Lastly, beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest and top each cupcake with about 1 tsp. of cream cheese icing and a walnut piece.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Thankyou for reading!

Love Courts x

Red Velvet Cupcakes.

 

Well, being the great blogger that I am I only just realised that my Valentines Day post never actually posted. As I was quite pleased with what I had written though and don't really feel like writing it all again I think I'm just going to go with it. So, Happy 3 days late Valentines Day everyone! Am I getting away with it? Yeah, I don't think so either. Nevermind, enjoy the recipe!

First and foremost, Happy Valentines Day! (Sorry again that it's now the 17th of February :/.) These cupcakes are red which, I think makes them at least a little bit valentines day-ee don't you? (I guess it doesn't really matter now :P.) Although, my Hummingbird Bakery cookbook actually lists them under Halloween so, take that as you will :/. I promise I’m not a hater of Valentines Day and all things romantic though. I must admit though that this week I was much fonder of Pancake Day on Tuesday! Who wouldn’t love a day dedicated to eating pancakes though? It’s heaven. I’d just like Valentines Day a hell of a lot more too if I wasn’t spending it alone with a tub of Ben and Jerry’s and a DVD of the notebook. At least I can say Ryan Gosling was my Valentine ;), it’s just a shame that thousands of other girls will be saying exactly the same thing. Anyway, I’m only joking, that is not my Valentines plan… Seriously, it’s not. Don't get me wrong though I sure wish it was. I’d love to gorge myself on a deep pan pizza for one and top it off with a nice Gu pudding for afters but, for me work calls L. Cue crying. I work two nights a week, how is it even possible that I can’t cope with two nights a week? I don’t know but, somehow it is.

Anyway, on to happier times. Earlier in the week I made these Red Velvet Cupcakes using the recipe from my Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days cookbook which, I got as a Christmas Present from my best friend Michelle, thanks Miv! It’s a really amazing cook book and I actually love it so much already that I now want to plan a trip to London purely so I can go to the Hummingbird Bakery and taste their cupcakes. The Red Velvet Cupcake is their most popular flavour too so, I thought I’d try it first and I also want to start baking a few more classic cupcakes like a basic vanilla and a carrot cake cupcake so, I thought a Red Velvet Cupcake would fit with that plan. I wasn’t sure what to make of this cupcake originally as it called for a whole bottle of red food colouring to be tipped in which, worried me a bit but, I went with it. It didn’t help either that foolishly after mixing together the bitter cocoa powder, the tangy vanilla essence and the chemically tasting food colouring I very stupidly licked the spoon. Oh god! Big mistake. Never do that but, ofcourse you wouldn’t, who in their right mind would? I was left with bright red teeth and the most disgusting dry, tacky, bitter taste in my mouth. Never again.

 

Don't be alarmed though, this recipe when finished creates amazing moist and soft red cupcakes and the cream cheese frosting is sweet, sugary and delicious. I’d never had a red velvet cupcake or cake before as it’s very American so I don’t really often see it over here in the UK. As such I didn’t really know what to expect from the flavour and I’m still not even sure if the flavour I got is correct as I have nothing to compare it too. Nonetheless my Mum, Dad and nephew all absoloutely adored them so hopefully I did alright. These cupcakes have a slight and very mild chocolate flavour to them and they are very sweet so, perfect if you have a sweet tooth which, I'm pretty sure we all do. As I said my Mum, Dad and nephew all love them and they've all had 2 or 3 each now so they've got to taste pretty good.  It is a lovely cake and the sponge is unbelievably light and soft. Not to mention they look gorgeous and classy with their deep, rich red colour. I think it's safe to say I've found my go to Red Velvet Cupcake recipe, afterall I can’t open a Cupcake Shop without one can I? Thanks very much Hummingbird Bakery!

Recipe
Makes about 15-18 cupcakes

For the sponge-
120g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened
300g (10 1/2oz) caster sugar
2 large eggs
20g (3/4oz) cocoa powder
40ml red food colouring (such as Dr Oetker)
1 tsp vanilla essence
300g (10 1/2oz) plain flour
1 tsp salt
240ml buttermilk
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the frosting-
100g (3 1/2oz) unsalted butter, softened
600g (1lb 5oz) icing sugar
250g (9oz) full-fat cream cheese (such as Philadelphia)

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190C, Gas mark 5, and line a muffin tin with muffin cases.
2. Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Break in the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition and mixing in the scrapings from the sides of the bowl.
3. In a separate, small bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, food colouring and vanilla essence to form a paste. Add the paste to the batter, mixing thoroughly until the paste is completely incorporated.
4. Sift together the flour and salt in another bowl, then add the flour to the batter in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk and mixing thoroughly after each addition. Lastly, in another bowl, mix the vinegar and the bicarbonate of soda together by hand and add it to the cake batter, mixing until it is fully incorporated.
5. Spoon the batter into the paper cake cases, so they are two-thirds full, using any remaining batter to fill up to 6 more cases in another tin. Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the sponge bounces back when lightly pressed. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before you frost them.
6. Using the electric whisk or freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment, and mixing on a low speed, beat the butter and icing sugar together until no large lumps of butter remain and the mixture is sandy in texture. Add the cream cheese and mix together slowly until everything is incorporated, then increase the speed to medium and beat the frosting until it is soft and fluffy.
7. Cover all but one of the cupcakes with 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese frosting, smoothing it down with a palette knife and making a swirl in the middle of the frosting for a decorative finish (or pipe the cream cheese frosting onto the cupcakes).
8. Place the remaining cupcake in a food processor and blitz into fine crumbs, then sprinkle the frosted cupcakes with the red crumbs. Enjoy!

Thankyou for reading!

Love Courts x