Recently I have become extremely passionate about baking sweets. I have been enjoying trying various different recipes and adding my own twists. There have been some failures and some delicious triumphs.
This is my favourite cup cake recipe at the moment. They are based on the presently popular red velvet cup cake, but I have omitted the red food colouring and simply made two different flavours.
These cup cakes have a soft, fine texture that melt in your mouth. I have made them with two different icings. The butter cream icing is fantastic to use when you want a rich, indulgent taste and a sophisticated formal look. The cream cheese icing tastes delicious and is a more casual, fresh look.
Ingredients for chocolate cup cakes:
60 grams of unsalted butter, at room temperature
150 grams of white caster sugar
1 egg
10 grams of cocoa powder
20 ml of vanilla essence (yes the cheap stuff, this is replacing the red food colouring)
1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste or natural vanilla extract
150 grams of plain flour + a pinch of salt, sifted
120 ml of butter milk ( 2 x 1/4 measuring cups)
1/2 a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees celcius.
Place 12 cup cake cases into a muffin tin tray.
Prepare and measure out all ingredients. In a small bowl combine cocoa powder, vanilla essence and vanilla bean paste or natural vanilla extract. Mix together until it forms a smooth, thick paste and set aside.
Use an electric mixer to beat butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Turn mixer up to a high speed and add egg. Beat together until everything is well combined and smooth.
Add cocoa & vanilla mixture to bowl of electric mixer and beat thoroughly. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat again making sure everything is well incorporated.
Turn mixer down to a slow speed and add half of the flour and then half of the butter milk (1/4 cup), when mixture is smooth add last half of the flour and last half of the butter milk (1/4 cup). Scrape down sides and beat again until all ingredients are incorporated and smooth.
Turn mixer off and add bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to mixture. Beat at a medium speed for another minute until it is all mixed.
Use two dessert spoons to evenly divide mixture into each cup cake case.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Ingredients for lemon cup cakes:
60 grams of unsalted butter, at room temperature
150 grams of white caster sugar
1 egg
Grated zest of 1 lemon
10 grams of corn flour
20 ml of lemon juice
1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste or natural vanilla extract
150 grams of plain flour + a pinch of salt, sifted
120 ml of butter milk ( 2 x 1/4 measuring cups)
1/2 a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees celcius.
Place 12 cup cake cases into a muffin tin tray.
Prepare and measure out all ingredients. In a small bowl combine corn flour, lemon juice and vanilla bean paste or natural vanilla extract. Mix together until it forms a smooth paste and set aside.
Use an electric mixer to beat butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Turn mixer up to a high speed and add egg. Beat together until everything is well combined and smooth.
Add lemon zest and corn flour, lemon juice & vanilla mixture to bowl of electric mixer and beat thoroughly. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat again making sure everything is well incorporated.
Turn mixer down to a slow speed and add half of the flour and then half of the butter milk (1/4 cup), when mixture is smooth add last half of the flour and last half of the butter milk (1/4 cup). Scrape down sides and beat again until all ingredients are incorporated and smooth.
Turn mixer off and add bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to mixture. Beat at a medium speed for another minute until it is all mixed.
Use two dessert spoons to evenly divide mixture into each cup cake case.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Ingredients for Buttercream:
To create two different coloured icings use the amount below. ie. This amount will ice 6 large cup cakes. If you want to ice 12 cupcakes the same colour or not colour at all, simply double this amount.
125 grams of unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups (240 g) of pure icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
Food colouring of choice (optional) - start with a few drops at a time and keep adding till you achieve your desired colour depth.
Method:
Using an electric mixer beat butter on a medium speed until butter looks whipped and becomes very pale. This can take about 10 minutes, including time to stop mixer and scrape down blade and bowl as you go. Turn mixer down to a slow speed and start gradually adding the icing sugar. When you have added half of the sugar add 1 tablespoon of milk, scrape down sides to make sure everything is becoming incorporated and repeat process until all the sugar and milk have been added to bowl. The mixture will change consistency and become a pale, smooth silky icing. Add colour of your choice and gently beat icing until the colour is even, being careful not to over beat at this point as it may split slightly.
Use a piping bag to get a beautiful rosette effect and use your imagination to decorate. Refrigerate for 20 -30 minutes to set icing.
Remove from fridge and let come back to room temperature. Cake & icing will last for a couple of days at room temperature.
Tip: Buttercream must be at a cool room temperature to be able to pipe properly. Too warm and it will not hold a shape, but it sets upon refrigeration and will not move through the piping end once too cold.
Once you have filled your piping bag, twist the end to create tension and remove as much air in the bag as you can. Keep this pressure as you push the buttercream through the end. Use two hands, one at the end of the bag holding it twisted, and the other on the body of the bag guiding your hand. Work very slowly following the edge of the casing and moving inwards, once in the middle push down and pull up.
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Ingredients for cream cheese icing:
300 grams of pure icing sugar, sifted
50 grams of unsalted butter, room temperature
125 grams of cream cheese, cold
Method:
Using and electric mixer, beat butter and icing sugar together on a medium speed until it incorporates and forms crumbs.
Next add cream cheese and beat until it becomes light, fluffy and spreadable.
This amount will generously cover 12 large cup cakes.
I like to top the chocolate velvet cup cakes & cream cheese icing with half a fresh strawberry.
or
I like to sprinkle the lemon velvet cup cakes & cream cheese icing with finely chopped lemon zest.
