Cup Cakes

Smiles08

Hi - I am regular browser but post irregularly. The search facility has been down for a while so I was just looking for a couple of recommendations on the best recipes for cup cakes. I enjoy baking and have set a mammoth task for myself and am going to bake cakes for my cousins wedding next year. I am interested in getting a couple of ideas and testing them over the coming months. I have some recipes from various cooking magazines but if anybody has a fab recipe I would love to hear/try it out. I can post my updates if anybody is interested. Thanks in advance.

MissFlitworth

The recipe for the cake itself I use is a bit bog standard (last one I tried was this nigella one) but I have recently come across an absolutely gorgeous recipe for icing. 'Swiss Meringue Buttercream' goodness. I can't stand the texture of icing sugar in icing so this worked out amazingly for me, recipe I used was adjusted from here cos I really didn't need as much as that would have made.

I used

2 egg whites
half cup of sugar
180g of butter (room temp)
teaspoon of real vanilla essence

Beat the egg whites & sugar in a double boiler till the mixture feels hot (takes about 3 minutes)

Take the mix off the heat and beat for about 5 minutes till it gets stiff and glossy, then beat in the butter & vanilla essence till the icing is thick and smooth (takes about 10 minutes) it might look a bit curdly during this but it does all come together.

Looks like a lot of work I know but it's well worth the result, it's like the icing version of Mr Whippy icecream. I could (and did) eat it straight from the bowl. Think the only thing I would do differently next time is add less butter, just put in a few chunks at a time and see when it looks perfect to me. It was lovely the way it was but I think it could have tasted exactly as lovely with a little bit less butter. Less guilt and heart attacks that way as well

Smiles08

Thanks Mrs Flitworth. I agree about the icing! That will also be experimental until I have the right one. I am going to try Nigella's cup cakes and the ones in the Sunday Times from yesterday to start and see how I get on. Roll on the weekend. Thanks again - I will try your icing!

kerash

I smiles I was just looking at this blog - lots of ideas
I think these look fab

These are so pretty

As are these

lots and lots of different and interesting ones here
these look great.


best of luck I wish I was helping you!!! Keep us updated

Smiles08

So - I made my first batch of cup cakes yesterday evening and used the following recipe
90g butter (I used unsalted)
175g full fat milk
half a vanilla pod (I had essence)
3 eggs
200g caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
210g plain flour
1 tbsp salt ~(I think its too much so used a tsp)
50g blue berries
Oven - 180 degrees C 350 F Gas Mark 4
I lined 2 baking trays of 6 with bun cases

Heat butter, milk and vanilla. In a bowl whisk the eggs and sugar until fluffy and then fold in the sieved flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk and butter mixture and pour into the cases. Stick a few blue berries in each case before you pour in the mixture
Bake for 10-12 minutes. If you are pedantic like me you will check at 9 minutes, 10 and 11 and leave until about 14 minutes but everybody's oven is different.

Icing was a TOTAL disaster. I actually had to make three batches and in the end went for a basic egg white and sugar icing because I curdled the other two batches.
The recipe states
Whites of two eggs
100g caster sugar plus 1 tbsp
150g butter at room temp (I used unsalted)
50g blue berries

Lightly whisk egg whites and caster sugar over a bain marie until sugar is dissolved then beat with an electric whisk until it is stiff gradually adding the cubed butter. I over beat it and the whole mixture was just disgusting. I had put the remaining blue berries and I tbsp sugar in a pan to allow to stew to form a compote. You are supposed to add to the icing mixture. I added it to the second lot and it was still not right so I dumped the first two batches and made icing with icing sugar and egg whites and the juice of a lemon.

The results were interesting - the bun itself was very good - light, fluffy and moist but the icing was all wrong. I did take a photo but can't upload at the moment.

I am going to try another recipe during the week and will update if anyone is interested.

Thanks Kerash for posting those links and photos. I think the choc strawberry ones look amazing.:)

dvpower

kerash wrote: »

I smiles I was just looking at this blog - lots of ideas

Ah. Cake porn;)

kerash

dvpower wrote: »

Ah. Cake porn;)

yup:D

keep up the good work smiles. I might try the strawberry ones myself sometime, swapping the wine for baileys maybe, I'm not into red wine myself. I like that the ganache is not too complicated and it looks pretty slick.

Sigma Force

The cakey part sounds yum, any suggestions on what could be used aside from blueberries?

Prenderb

Hmm, thanks for posting the recipes guys, they sound yum - particularly the icing.

Next time I'm making buns I must reload this page.

Smiles08

Am not sure about another icing - certainly a butter one I think with maybe some blue berries on top for decoration. Will be baking another batch at the weekend as don't have time this week due to work stuff! I will try and post pictures this time

Sigma Force

Apologies for my pathetic sadness but caught a bit on the afternoon show today (hangs head in shame), anyway they had a recipe on there for 'frosting' which involved cream cheese.
No idea what that would taste like but this is what they used and the link for the rest of the recipe.

http://www.rte.ie/tv/theafternoonshow/2009/1027/halloweentreatswithlouiselennox798.html

Ingredients
. 200g unsalted butter at room temperature
. 250g icing sugar
. 50g cream cheese
. 1 teaspoon of essence of choice (orange, lemon, mint or vanilla)
. 1 teaspoon of food colouring of choice( green, red, black or orange)

Anyone tried cream cheese (ie it's full fat Philly that's used in this one) before as 'frosting' and if so how did it taste?

Smiles08

I will try the frosting on Saturday. (Busy day ahead for me!!) I will report back!