Showing posts with label National Cupcake Week. Show all posts

Udi's Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes

These are a batch of gluten free but oh so chocolaty cupcakes!

I made these with Udi’s Chocolate Flavour Cake Mix and topped them with Sugar and Crumbs gluten free Chocolate Milkshake natural flavored icing sugar.

I thought about putting “Frosting! A butt load of frosting!” (Vanellope von Schweetz) on these cupcakes, but I don’t always like that much frosting.

Sometimes you just want cake.

Plus I have this really cool Baker’s Dusting Wand that I have wanted to try out! It totally made me feel like a baking fairy! No lie.

Udi’s Cake Mixes are a great way for people with gluten sensitivities! Just because one cannot have gluten does not mean they should miss out on cake of any kind!

This is something I feel really strongly about.

These cupcakes have a very rich chocolate flavour and were a perfect accompaniment to my coffee.

Udi’s Chocolate Cupcakes:

1 box of Udi’s Gluten Free Rich & Delicious Chocolate Flavour Cake Mix

Plus the ingredients on the back of the box

1 tbsp of Sugar and Crumbs Milkshake flavoured Icing Sugar

Follow the baking instructions on the box for cupcakes. Then fill the magic dusting wand with icing sugar and dust away! Enjoy!

The back of the box also has some great suggestions on how to take these cupcakes from yum to yummy. Or something like that! So, if you or someone you love or at least like has gluten sensitivities then you should brighten up their day by bringing them some of these amazing cupcakes!!

I had way too much fun with that dusting wand! Now I will have to think of something else to use it on!

notes: Udi’s have a great range of Gluten-Free products they launched here in the UK earlier this year. Check out the first post I did for them here and here! Also check out my instagram as I try out some of their other products! All the products (cake mix, baker’s dusting wand, and flavoured icing sugar) were sent for my review please see my contact/policy page for more details.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes {National Cupcake Week!}

The word on the street is that it’s National Cupcake Week. Technically it starts tomorrow.

I just thought I would warn you now because it means all of us baking junkies will be posting cupcakes on all our social media sites.

I am not an exception so be prepared to be cupcake bombed!

The best part of cupcakes is that they take like 20 minutes to bake. Then throw some icing on top and Wa-La! Cake!

Yes, there are more complicated cupcakes out there that have many components and steps, but those are for special occasions.

These are "just because" cupcakes. But not "all the time" cupcakes. 'Cuz you know the whole in moderation thing.

Moderation is good.

These cupcakes are good.

See how it all works out?

I used my cool cupcake corer and cupcake icing knife that OXO sent to me to try out and then I tried Sugar and Crumbs flavored icing sugar.

I chose Green Apple flavor because I wanted to make Caramel Apple Cupcakes. I wanted to make Caramel Apple Cupcakes because in the USA there is this sucker/lolly that is called a Caramel Apple Pop and it’s so good and not available here in the UK.

Hence these cupcakes!

They totally reminded me of those suckers/lollies so I am happy!

Here’s how you can be happy too!

Caramel Apple Cupcakes:

120g plain flour

140g golden caster sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

40g unsalted butter, room temp

120ml whole milk

1 egg

¼ tsp vanilla extract

10-12 tsp caramel

Heat the oven to 170C and line your cupcake pan with 10-12 cupcake cases. Beat the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter until it’s a bit crumby! Combine the milk, egg, and vanilla together before gradually adding it to the crumby mixture. Once combined beat on high for a minute or two to make sure there aren’t any lumps and the mixture is smooth.

Using a trigger scoop fill each of the cupcake cases just about half way. Bake for 20-25 minutes. A skewer should come out clean. Leave to cool completely before using the Cupcake Corer to take out the middles and add about a teaspoon of the caramel to the middles. Put the sponge bit back in and top with Green Apple Icing Sugar!

Green Apple Frosting

1 pkg of Sugar and Crumbs Green Apple Flavored Icing Sugar

125g butter, room temp

1-2 tbsp of milk

Follow the instructions on the packaging.

to finish:

20-24 Dark Chocolate chunks

caramel

Put two chocolate chunks together and place on top to act an apple stem before drizzling the caramel over the top. Place in a baggie and snip the corner, but make sure the hole is small. Then drizzle on top!

notes: In association with Oxo and Sugar and Crumbs! Please see my contact/policy page for more details! Find out more about National Cupcake Week! And if you need to know what Caramel Apple Pops are just look here. I am also entering these cupcakes in Betta Living’s Betta Bake a Cupcake Competition #bettabakeoff

Best Frosting Ever!! {Funfetti Cupcakes} #NationalCupcakeWeek

Every once in a blue moon I visit a not-so-local American grocery store and picked up a box mix of Pillsbury's Funfetti cake mix. It's been sitting in the cupboard for a while and I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with it. There are so many blogs that show you how to use funfetti cake mix in many different ways: cookies, bars, cheesecakes etc.... So, when I came across this blog and the claim for best frosting ever I thought use the box mix and focus on the frosting!! ;0)

Everyone who had a cupcake said that the frosting was pretty amazing! I think it's pretty darn good myself and really easy. Anyone who cooks and has made a basic white sauce will find this frosting very familiar to make. To go with the theme of funfetti I topped mine with sprinkles or if you're in the UK hundreds & thousands! Enjoy!!

Best Frosting Ever

Ingredients:

5 Tablespoons flour

1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup butter (2 sticks = 230g)

1 cup granulated white sugar

Instructions:
In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. It took me around 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn it. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. You can place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools if you are in a hurry. Stir in vanilla. This mixture must be completely cooled in order for the frosting to work.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then add the cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat until it all combines and resembles whipped cream. Make sure you scrape down the sides every so often so that it all gets incorporated and whipped. If it's not looking like whipped cream, keep on whipping. This frosting is great for piping. Best served the same day.

Really you could use any cupcake you wanted with this frosting recipe, boxed cake mix or not! If you using a box just follow the directions on the back of the box! This particular box mix is from America so it is easier if you have cups. Not that the UK is short boxed cake mixes!

Happy National Cupcake Week!!

Cherry Cola Cupcakes

taken from How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson

inspired by Sticky Pinny, Katie Cakes, and Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

200g plain flour
250g caster sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
l large egg
125ml buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
125g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons cocoa
150ml Cherry Cola
1 tablespoon maraschino cherry syrup

Preheat the oven to 180C and line a muffin try with liners.

Sift the flour and mix with the salt and bicarb and set to one side.

Mix the egg with the buttermilk and cherry syrup in a jug and also set to one side.

In a heavy based saucepan, melt butter, cocoa and cherry cola gently on a low-medium heat.

Pour this mix into the dry ingredients, stir well and then add the liquid ingredients from the jug. Mix until well blended.

Be aware the mixture isn't very thick, but don't worry it will be okay!

Divide between the paper cases and bake for approx 18-20 mins, until the tops are springy to the touch and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

For the Frosting

225g icing sugar
30g butter
2 tbsp Cherry Cola

1 tbsp maraschino cherry syrup
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
½ tsp vanilla extract

Sieve the icing sugar and set aside. In a saucepan do as before and heat the butter, Cherry Cola, cherry syrup, and cocoa powder. Stir until butter is melted. I then transferred to a bigger mixing bowl and added vanilla. Beat while adding the icing sugar by the spoon full. It’s ready when it’s smooth, spreadable, but a little runny.

I made mine a little thicker as I didn’t do as Sticky Pinny or Katie Cakes did and make an additional cherry buttercream. I’m going to be honest I’m not a huge fan of lots of icing. I like it to compliment the cupcake not own it. So, I stuck with Nigella’s recipe. I just did cherry coke instead and I got the idea from the above blogs along with Confessions of a Cookbook Queen!