Saturday 25 February 2012

Easy Peasy Quick Cook Cupcakes

Recently we had my sister and her boyfriend to stay with us. We've not really had any time to get to know him and so they visited for a weekend. Great time all round. However my other half had gone to pick them up from the station and I realised that - shock horror - I had no baked goods to offer them!

So I went to my 'go to' cupcake recipe. Simple but delicious vanilla cupcakes. And to avoid having to spend time whipping up frosting I used an old trick of my mothers. Using chocolate spread. This time I topped them with crushed Maltesers which I had left from a Christmas gift box. But you could use anything. Another way to make them a little more exciting is to use a variation on the chocolate spread. My other half brought some home from Sainsbury's the other day which has popping candy in it. A great treat for the kid in you!


Easy Peasy!


You will need:
  • 80g softened unsalted butter
  • 280g caster sugar
  • 240g plain flour
  • 1tbsp baking powder
  • 1/4tsp salt
  • 240ml milk
  • 1/2tsp vanilla essence
  • 2 large eggs
  • Chocolate spread (whatever brand or variety you have available)
  • Something to decorate with
To make: 

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees and line a muffin tin with muffin cases

Use a handheld whisk or a mixer with a paddle attachment to beat together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt until all ingredients are well mixed. When the mixture has a sandy consistency then you're done.

Separately, mix together the milk,vanilla essence and eggs in a jug. Add to the dry mix with the mixer set on slow speed. Once all is added, set mixer to medium speed until batter is smooth.

Spoon the mixture into the cases, no more than two thirds full. This quantity should make between 12 and 16 cupcakes.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and until fully cool before icing.

Use a knife or icing spatula to spread on chocolate spread and top with your choice!

Saturday 18 February 2012

RAINBOW CAKE!

I've been wanting to make a rainbow cake forever and finally managed one this week! It'll take a little while to make it but it's worth it just for the 'wow factor!'

Just. Fabulous!

You will need:

4 eggs
8oz self-raising flour
8oz caster sugar
8oz margarine

For the icing:

300g icing sugar
50g margarine
125g cream cheese

To make:

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees

Mix the eggs, self-raising flour, caster sugar and margarine together to create the sponge mix

Divide into six equal portions and mix with your food colourings/gels

Grease and line six sandwich tins (if you have that many! I did it in two rounds of three tins) with coloured mixes

Bake for around 20-25 minutes, keeping an eye on the cakes

Leave in the tins to cool for a while before turning them out onto wire racks

Once they're cool, layer the cakes and secure with the cream cheese icing

Top the top layer with icing, and, if you have enough, the sides too!