Chocolate and Ginger Cupcakes

Rich and chocolatey and warm and spicy, with plenty of soft icing, these are a delicious tea time treat.

Equipment -
2 x muffin tins, lined with 14 - 16 paper cases
Electric whisk
Sugar thermometer

Ingredients -
Sponge -
70g butter, softened
170g plain flour
250g caster sugar
50g cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
210ml whole milk
2 large, free range eggs
4 balls stem ginger, finely chopped

Icing -
170g caster sugar
8 tbsp water
4 free range egg yolks
300g butter, softened
150g dark chocolate, melted

Method -
Sponge -
1. Preheat oven to 170C / 325F / gas 3
2. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
3. Divide between the paper cases in the muffin trays, I use a 50ml ice cream scoop.
4. Bake for 20-25 mins, until the cupcakes are springy to the touch.
5. Remove to a wire rack and leave to cool.

Icing -
1. Put the sugar and water in a small pan and heat slowly until the sugar dissolves.
2. Bring to the boil and boil until it reaches 110C on a sugar thermometer.  Don't let the syrup start to caramelize.
3. Meanwhile, put the egg yolks into a bowl and briefly whisk, then pour the hot syrup into the bowl in a thin, steady stream, whisking continuously.  Keep whisking until the mixture becomes pale, mousse like and completely cold.
4. Gradually whisk in the butter, followed by the melted chocolate.

To assemble -
Pipe or swirl the icing onto the cupcakes and decorate with crystallized ginger.

Ice Cream Cone Cakes

The original recipe for these came from Good Food magazine, but I've made a few changes, most notably to the icing, which I think looks much more like a Mr Whippy ice cream than the ones in the mag.  I've also used a cupcake corer and filled the cakes with jam.  The custard powder in the cake mix gives a real vanilla ice cream flavour, and my icing has a lovely, soft whip texture.  Amazingly, the cones don't brown in the oven or go soft, as long as you bake them as soon as they're filled with the cake mix.
These are great fun to make and will delight young and old alike, my sister ate one of these with a huge grin on her face!

Makes 10

Equipment -
10 hole muffin tin
Electric whisk
Sugar thermometer for the icing

Ingredients -

Cakes -
10 flat bottomed ice cream cones, I used Askeys
200g butter, softened
200g plain flour
4 tbsp custard powder
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
200g golden caster sugar
2 large, free range eggs, beaten

Icing -
170g caster sugar
8 tbsp water
4 free range egg yolks
300g butter, soft but not runny
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Food colouring if you want

Method -
Cakes -
1. Preheat oven to180C / 160C fan / gas 4
2. Sit cones in muffin tin.
3. Put butter, flour, custard powder, vanilla, sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat with electric whisk.
4. Fill the cones 3/4 full with the cake mix.
5. Bake for about 30 mins, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
6. Leave to cool.
7.If the cake mix has risen above the cone, trim it back with a sharp knife once cold.
8. Use a cupcake corer to remove some sponge and fill the hole with jam, I used home made blueberry and elderflower jam.  Cut a thin disc off the removed core and use this a plug for the jammy centre.

Icing -
1. Put the sugar and water in a small heavy-based saucepan and heat gently, without boiling, until the sugar dissolves.
2. Bring to the boil and boil until the temp reaches 110C / 225F on a sugar thermometer, this will take about 5 mins.  Don't let the syrup start to caramelise.
3. Meanwhile, put egg yolks in a bowl and whisk briefly with an electric whisk, then, pour the sugar syrup into the bowl in a thin, slow, steady stream, whisking continuously.
4. Keep whisking until the mixture becomes very thick, mousse-like, pale in colour and completely cold.
5. Gradually whisk in the butter, followed by the vanilla bean paste and food colouring if any.

To decorate -
Using a star nozzle, pipe swirls of icing on top of the cones to look like ice cream, be generous, the recipe gives you plenty icing.  Top with half a flake and hundreds and thousands, or whatever decoration takes your fancy.

Strawberry Milkshake Cupcakes

These really do taste like strawberry milkshake, as they're made with milkshake powder, and they got a massive thumbs up from my young son, who declared the icing "spectacular"!
The original idea for these came from a Hummingbird Bakery book, but I've simplified the recipe.

 Makes 16

Equipment -
2 12 hole or, 1 12 hole and 1 6 hole muffin tin, lined with 16 paper cases
Electric whisk

Ingredients -
sponges -
70g butter, softened
210 plain flour
250g caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
210 ml whole milk
2 large, free range eggs
40g strawberry milkshake powder (I used Nesquik)

Icing -
500g icing sugar, sifted
160g butter, softened,
50 ml whole milk
100g strawberry milkshake powder

Method -

Sponges -
1. Preheat oven to 170C, 320F, gas 3.
2. Mix together all the sponge ingredients in a large bowl, using the electric whisk until just combined and there are no lumps.
3. Divide mixture between the 16 paper cases, a 5o ml ice cream scoop is perfect to potion the mix out.
4. Bake for around 20-25 mins, until the cakes are cooked and springy to the touch.
5. Leave in the tins for 5 mins, then remove to a wire cooling rake to cool completely.

Icing -
1. Mix the milk and milkshake powder together in a jug.
2. Put in a large bowl with the butter and icing sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.  I like to use a wooden spoon for this as I find it less messy.

To assemble -
Swirl or pipe the icing onto the cakes, you can afford to be generous here as this recipe gives plenty of icing.  Decorate as desired, I used strawberry, glimmer, crunchy nuggets, from Tesco.

Rhubarb and Custard Cupcakes

These may look innocent enough, but they have a hidden centre of rhubarb curd under that vanilla flavoured icing.  The sponges are a little different too, they're made with custard powder in the batter to give that real rhubarb and custard taste of a British summer.
If you don't want to make the curd, you could use rhubarb jam instead, but I can assure you, it's well worth a try if you fancy a go at something different.

 Equipment -
Electric whisk
Sugar thermometer
12 hole muffin tin lined with paper cases

Ingredients -

Rhubarb curd -
600g rhubarb
4 large, free range eggs
200g butter, diced
4 tsp cornflour
175g caster sugar

Sponges -
100g custard powder
200g butter, softened
2 large, free range eggs
4 tbsp milk
140g caster sugar
100g SR flour, sifted

Icing -
170g caster sugar
120ml water
4 free range egg yolks
300g butter, very soft but not runny
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Method -

Rhubarb curd -
You'll find the recipe here.

Sponges -
1. Heat oven to 180C, fan 160C, gas 4.
2. Beat the custard powder with the eggs, sugar, milk and a tablespoon of the flour, using an electric whisk.
3. Divide between the cake cases and bake for about 20 mins, until golden and springy to the touch.
4. Leave to cool completely.

Icing -
1. Put the sugar and water in a small pan and heat gently, without boiling until the sugar dissolves.
2. Boil until temperature reads 110C on a sugar thermometer (5 mins or so).  Don't let it caramelize.
3. Put the egg yolks in a large bowl and whisk briefly.
4. Pour the sugar syrup  into the egg yolks with the electric whisk running, in a slow, steady stream.
5. Keep whisking until mixture is pale, thick, mousse like and totally cold.
6. Gradually whisk in the butter, followed by the vanilla.

To assemble -
Use a cupcake corer or apple corer to remove a plug of sponge from the centre of each cake.  Fill almost to the top with the curd.  Cut the crust off the removed plug and replace it to cover the hole.  Ice as desired, I used a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and some sugar crystals.  I thought I had some more exciting decorations in the cupboard but was sadly mistaken!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I was reminded last week, by a friend, in not too subtle a manner, (you know who you are!) that I hadn't made red velvet cupcakes in ages, so, red food colouring in hand, I got baking.  Please don't be put off by the vinegar in the sponge, you can't taste it and you need it for the acid/alkali reaction between it and the bicarb for the rise and texture, and there's just not enough acid in the buttermilk.  I decided against the usual cream cheese frosting and went with old fashioned American buttercream, which I usually use in my red velvet whoopie pies.  If you think icing made with flour and vegetable shortening sounds horrible, put those thoughts to one side and give it a try, it's actually rather good.

 The all important taste test!  Robbie tucks in and gives the thumbs up.

 Equipment -
12 hole muffin tin, lined with paper cases
Electric whisk

Ingredients -
Sponges -
60 g unsalted butter, softened
1 large, free range egg, beaten
10 g cocoa powder
1 tbsp good quality red food colouring paste or gel
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
120 ml buttermilk
150 g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

Old Fashioned American Buttercream-
130 ml whole milk
4 tbsp plain flour
200 g caster sugar
110 g vegetable shortening eg. Cookeen
110 g butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Method -

Sponges -
1. Preheat oven to 170C
2. Beat butter and sugar together with electric whisk until light and fluffy.
3. Slowly add the egg and beat well.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa, food colouring and vanilla paste together, then add the sugar and butter mixture and beat well.
5. Beat in half the buttermilk.
6. Gradually beat in half the flour.
7. Beat in the reat of the buttermilk.
8. Gradually beat in the rest of the flour, until everything is well mixed.
9. Add the vinegar and bicarb and beat again.
10. Divide between the 12 paper cases and bake for around 20 mins or until the cakes are risen and springy to the touch.  Leave to cool before icing.

Icing -
1. Whisk together the flour and milk in a small saucepan. Place over a medium heat until the mixture thickens.  Set aside to cool.
2. In a bowl, beat together the sugar, butter and shortening until light and fluffy, using an electric whisk.  Add the vanilla and beat well.
3. Add the flour mixture and beat for a few more mins.

To Assemble -
Pipe or spread icing on top of the cooled cakes, I used a #4 star nozzle.  Decorate as desired, I used red sugar crystals.

Chocolate and Honeycomb Cupcakes

I think when I make this again I'll use a dark chocolate ganache instead of butter icing as I think the bitterness would offset the sweetness of the honeycomb.  The original recipe is from the Hummingbird Bakery Home, Sweet Home book, I just made a few tweaks.  The honeycomb starts to dissolve quite quickly, so these are best not made too far in advance.  If you don't want to make your own honeycomb, you could always use crushed up Crunchie bars.

Makes 16 cakes

Oven temp - 170C, 325F, Gas mark 3

Equipment -
2, 12 hole muffin tins, 16 of the holes lined with muffin cases.
Sugar thermometer 
Electric hand mixer
Baking tray lined with baking paper

Ingredients -
Sponge -
70g unsalted butter, softened
170g plain flour
250g golden caster sugar
50g cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
210ml whole milk
2 large, free range eggs.

Honeycomb -
75g golden syrup
170 golden caster sugar
30ml water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Icing -
450g icing sugar, sifted
60g cocoa powder, sifted
160g unsalted butter, softened
60ml whole milk

Method -
Sponge -
1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Using an electric hand mixer, whisk together the butter, flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt to a crumb-like consistency.
3. In a jug mix the milk and eggs together using a fork.
4. Using the electric whisk on a slow speed, gradually add half the wet mix to the dry.  When it is mixed in, increase speed and add remaining wet mix and whisk until well combined and lump free.
5. Spoon the mix into prepared tins, I used a 50ml ice cream scoop which I find the right size for cupcakes.
6. Bake for 20-25 mins or until the sponge is springy when lightly pressed.  Leave in tins for a few mins, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Honeycomb -
1. In a large saucepan, mix the syrup, sugar and water together, then bring to the boil.  Do not stir the caramel or it may crystallise, just swirl the pan from time to time.  Boil to hard crack stage, about 150C on a sugar thermometer.
2. When it reaches the right temp, whisk in the bicarb (it will froth violently) and tip onto the prepared tray.
3. When completely cold, break into tiny pieces, I used a rolling pin.

Icing -
1. Whisk together all the icing ingredients until light and fluffy.
2. Stir in most of the honeycomb pieces, reserving some for decoration.
3. Swirl onto the cool sponges and sprinkle over reserved honeycomb.