Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes

Sponge Mix

200g stork margarine 
200g caster sugar
200g self raising flour
1 tsp baking paper
1 tsp strawberry flavoring 
3 eggs
35ml milk 

Icing 

400g icing sugar
50g butter 
125g soft cheese (like philadelphia but super markets normally do an own brand that works just as well) 
1tsp strawberry flavoring 
pink food dye (optional) 
Mixed berry coolie (optional) 

to finish (also optional) 3 strawberries sliced 

How Too

I have a kenwood food mixer which makes my baking time much more fun but it is not nessacery for most of the recipes. 
Cream together the stork and sugar then add the strawberry flavoring, gradually sift in the flour and baking powder whist mixing in the eggs then add the milk. This mixture is good for 12-24 cupcakes depending on what size your after. split the mixture into cupcake cases and bake in a pre-heated oven at 150/ gasmark 2 for 15-20 minuets. 
I recommend that you cool the cakes on a wire rack, it is important to let them cool before you decorate. 

mixing the frosting - mix together the butter and sugar (dont forget to sift the icing sugar) when you have a dry crumby mixture add the cream cheese in one go and stir in, mix until smooth and creamy, add the flavoring, optional food dye can be added here and stirred in until even. if you are after a two tone effect take half the mixture away before mixing in the food dye. Add to piping bag and frost cupcakes. for those with out piping bags you can spoon the mixture on the cake or take a clear sandwich bag or food bag fill and cut a diagonal across one of the bottom corners about 1cm in. Top with a slice of strawberry and a splash of mixed berry coolie 

Giant Goth Cakes 

 Having fun with my giant cup cake mold  Friends and family have loved this cake and the possibility for creative design are endless. (Above-  pink frosted giant cupcake with edible daisy's. Vanilla sponge and white chocolate fondant panels) 

 Above- Vanilla sponge with blue fondant paneling, chocolate butter cream and fudge chunk decoration finished with blue sprinkles

Above - Chocolate sponge with red, white and blue fondant paneling, vanilla butter cream finished with red white and blue edible beads 

Afternoon Tea, Coffee and Amaretto Cake

Coffee and Amaretto Cake.

Ingredients

3 Eggs
Unsalted Butter 115g
Caster Sugar 50g
Packed Brown Sugar 220g
Plain Flour 290g
Coco Powder 65g
Baking Powder 1 and 1/2 tsp
Coffee (I mixed up a jug with instant coffee and boiling water) 180ml
Amaretto 180ml

Frosting
Unsalted Butter 100g
Icing Sugar 450g
Coco Powder 3 Table spoons
Coffee 3 Table Spoons
Amaretto 3 Table Spoons (or if your like me a hefty splash)

Method
Cream butter and sugars together, In a separate bowl mix together flour coco and baking powder Sift this dry mix and stir  the eggs in gradually to the butter and sugar. Then stir in the coffee and Amaretto this mixture is quite a wet one so don't be concerned that it doesn't look like a conventional cake mix, but do ensure the ingredients are well combined. I baked this mixture in 2 tins at gas mark 3 for 25-35 mins. Cake should bounce back and if you stick test the skewer should be clean.

While cake is cooling, you can mix the frosting, I have been a bit blender happy lately but the wooden spoon method  is fine. Cream together the butter and icing sugar and coco powder (don't be scared to just get your hands in there and really mush it up) then stir in the coffee and amaretto. You may need more than the 3 table spoons of each but before adding more liquid make sure ingredients are well combined, mixture should be smooth enough to spread but dry enough to stick to the back of a spoon. (I blended the frosting and then got the electric whisk out and kicked its ass)

Assembly
Stick the two cake halves together using frosting and then frost the top and sides (super easy)

I am not a coffee fan, but have had excellent feed back for this cake, having been told it is soft and moist and great for afternoon tea.

Chocolate chocolate cheese cake 

Ingredients 

175g digestive biscuits 

50g unsalted butter

100g dark chocolate

200g milk chocolate

200g mascarpone 

100g Philadelphia

200g greek yogurt 

100g caster sugar

Prepare the base

Crumble up the biscuits (I used a blender but a sandwich bag and a rolling pin works) melt the butter (30 seconds in the microwave on low is fine) mix these together and then press firmly in to your cheesecake tin/dish with a metal spoon. Stick it in the fridge to cool.

The gooey bit

Mix together the Greek yogurt and caster sugar add the mascarpone and Philadelphia stir well. Melt the milk chocolate. The best method for this is to break up the chocolate in a bowl and heat over a saucepan of water  don't get water in the chocolate don't let the bowl  touch the water in the sauce pan and try not to burn it, stir continuously then add to the yogurt cheese mix and mix in well.

 Take the base out the fridge and smooth the cheese topping over the biscuit.

  Now melt the dark chocolate once melted drizzle this over the top of the cheese mix swirling into a pattern of your choice then chill for a couple of hours and enjoy. 

CADBURY GANASH CUPCAKES

Ingredients

170g unsalted butter

170g soft brown sugar

110g self raising flour

85g chocolate powder (I used Cadbury's Bournville coco powder) 

3 eggs

hot water

Ganash

140g chocolate (I used Cadbury's Dairymilk and if you buy a big bar there is enough to make the frosting and pinch a bit to) 

150ml double cream

Method 

Cream together the butter and sugar, in a separate bowl measure out the flour and coco powder. Add the flour/coco mixture to the butter/sugar mixture slowly with the egg  a table spoon or two at a time stirring well  in between adding. This is a super easy sponge mixture to make it is very quick, add a little hot (not boiling) water to moisten depending how stick and wet you like your cake i would recommend  3 table spoons. You can add chocolate chips if you want that extra chocolate but it really doesn't need it. Also you can add orange juice instead of water or camp coffee or even peppermint for that something a little bit different. 

Put finished mixture into cupcake cases and tin then bake for 20-30 mins at 180 or gas mark 4

Stab with sharp pointy thing to make sure they are cooked all the way through and leave to cool (covering for cooling helps keep in the moisture) 

Whilst your waiting for your cupcakes to cool you can make the frosting break up the chocolate and melt in a bowl over a saucepan with just a little water in. (you don't want the water in the pan to touch the bowl) stir continuously and don't over heat (you want to melt not cook burnt chocolate is bad) once you have a smooth mixture you can take the chocolate off the heat and stir in the cream. DON'T PANIC the mixture will go a bit funny this is because you have added cold cream to hot chocolate just keep stirring the frosting will go creamy and smooth. This mixture is pretty much good to use but I like to put mine in the fridge for an hour or so to firm it back up a little (this makes it easier to use with a pipping bag or if your decorating a bigger cake it stays where you put it) For the cupcakes I used disposable pipping bags working from the center of the cake and spiraled outwards then finished with gold decorating sugar and edible silver balls. 

Special Note - Happy Birthday Sirlene. 

Cake 4 CADS

Cake for CADS is a motivational tool used to encourage staff members to complete tasks.
The Staff member that completed the most tasks won a cake made by me.
The first Cake for CADS winner requested a chocolate cake.... here's what I came up with.




Four layer chocolate Caramel cake.

It is a monster, at least 1000 cals per slice and should most defiantly be shared for special occasion

For Vanilla and Chocolate sponge

225g very soft butter , plus extra for greasing
225g golden caster sugar
175g self-raising flour
85g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
150ml pot natural yohgurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 tbsp cocoa powder

For Caramel and Caramel-choc sponge

225g very soft butter , plus extra for greasing
175g light muscovado sugar
50g dark muscovado sugar
175g self-raising flour
85g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
150ml pot natural yohgurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp coco powder

To Assemble

397g can caramel (stocked near the condensed milk in stores)
140g dark chocolate

140g milk chocolate

300ml double cream

Instructions 

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line bases of 2 x 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment.
1. For the Vanilla & chocolate sponges, mix all the ingredients, apart from the cocoa. Scrape half the mix into a second bowl and add the cocoa. Scrape into the tins and bake for 20-25 mins until a skewer poked in comes out clean.
2.Repeat step 1 for the Caramel & caramel-choc sponges, again leaving cocoa out of the first mixing, then splitting the mix in half and adding the cocoa into one batch. Cook as above.
3.While sponges are cooling, melt the dark and milk chocolate together in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Remove from the heat, stir in the cream and cool or chill until spreadable.
4.When the sponges are cool, spread a third of the caramel over the Vanilla sponge and top with the Caramel sponge. Spread over another third of the caramel and top with the Caramel-choc sponge, then the final third of caramel and top with the Chocolate sponge (don't panic if you mix up the layers, the cake will still look great when you cut in). Spread the chocolate icing over the whole cake to serve. It will keep in a cool place in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Special Mention (recipe taken from BBC GoodFood website)

To finish I also added shaved chocolate and a couple of edible silver balls to make it look extra pretty. This is a great cake and I hope to make it again soon, I was concerned that adding yoghurt to a sponge mix would be a disaster as I've never heard of this before but it creates an awesome texture and if you keep to the tin measurements bakes perfectly. 

 

Mom Birthday

Oreo and Blueberry Cheese Cake

Recipe
240 g OREO Original Cookies
40 g butter, melted
350 g Philadelphia Original
100 g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
250 ml Greek yogurt
1 sachet (11g) powdered gelatine
A few fresh Blue Berries
A few extra OREO cookies, broken into pieces



Place 160g of the Oreos in a food processor and process to a fine crumb.(or crush with a rolling pin inside a sandwich bag)  Add the butter and mix together. Press the mixture into the base of an 18cm spring form tin. (or oven proof flan dish) Roughly chop the remaining 80g cookies and set aside.
Put 3 tablespoons of water in a small basin and sprinkle on the gelatine. Stand the basin over a saucepan of hot water and heat gently until dissolved. (don't worry if it looks gross)
Beat together the Philly, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Then fold in the yogurt. Next stir in the gelatine.
Stir the set aside cookies through the filling then pour over the biscuit base. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until set.
Serve decorated with the fruit and biscuit pieces.

I added blueberries into the cream mix I highly recommend you DON'T do this.
This recipe has been slighly modified but pretty much comes straight from the Philadelphia website http://www.philadelphia.co.uk
They use Strawberries but as the cake was for my mummy and she has a strawberry allergy I made a fruit swap bet this would work well with banana also.