Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes 

After being inspired by a recent baking show I decided it was a good day to make some cupcakes. As I like chocolate I decided to have a go at triple chocolate cupcakes. For this, I used three different types of chocolate, melted dark chocolate, cocoa powder and chocolate chunks in milk, dark and white. These cupcakes were easy to make and tasted delicious once they were complete. Definitely extremely moreish, once you have one you will struggle not to have another!

Makes: 16 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

45g dark chocolate, melted and allowed to cool slightly
175g butter, at room temperature
175g caster sugar
75g cocoa powder
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
175ml milk
15g milk chocolate chunks
15g dark chocolate chunks
15g white chocolate chunks

For the Buttercream Frosting:
60g butter softened
120g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2tbsp cocoa powder

INSTRUCTIONS
Line two muffin tins with 16 paper cupcake cases. Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) 350F / gas 4. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time and beat until well combined. Sift together the cocoa, flour and baking powder. then fold in half the dry ingredients followed by the melted chocolate. Fold in the rest, followed by enough milk to give a soft dropping consistency, and then the chocolate chunks.

Use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cases equally. Bake for about 25–30 minutes until firm in the centre. You should be able to insert a toothpick into the centre of each cupcake and if it comes out clean the cupcakes are done.

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a rack or cupcake tree, then make the buttercream. Beat the butter until fluffy, then add the icing sugar, vanilla essence and cocoa powder. Spoon the buttercream into a large piping bag fitted with a large circular nozzle, then pipe swirls on top of each of the cupcakes.

Now you have the perfect cupcakes ready for any occasion!!

N.B. Keep cupcakes in the refrigerator.

Pink Chocolate Butterfly Cupcakes

Pink Chocolate Butterfly Cupcakes

These pink chocolate butterfly cupcakes were delicious and looked incredibly cute. So yummy and chocolatey. They are perfect for a birthday party or even a baby shower. Definitely, a must have for any chocoholics! Plus if you love the colour pink you will love these cupcakes as they are so pretty and girly. You will not be disappointed in the taste either.

Makes 12

INGREDIENTS
85 g dark chocolate, 60-70% cocoa solids, finely chopped
85 g butter, cut into pieces
1 tbsp milk
200 g self-raising flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
85 g light muscovado sugar
50 g golden caster sugar
1 egg
150 ml Greek or Greek-style yoghurt

Pink Frosting
90 g butter
160 g icing sugar, sifted
1 tube pink food gel
1 tsp vanilla essence

Decorations
white sprinkles
mini butterflies

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.

Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cupcake cases.

Put the chocolate and butter in a small pan. Stir with the milk to dissolve, then pour into the pan. Put over a low heat, and as soon as the chocolate and butter have melted, immediately remove the pan and leave to cool.

Measure the flour and tip into a large bowl with the 1 tablespoon of cocoa. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda and both the sugars, then rub the mixture between your fingers to get rid of any lumps of muscovado sugar.

Beat the egg in a medium bowl and stir in the yoghurt. Pour this into the bowl with the flour, then pour in the cooled, melted chocolate. Gently stir together a few times with a large metal spoon, just until mixed and without over-stirring or that will toughen the mixture. It should feel light and airy.

Divide the mixture between the paper cases. Bake for 20 minutes until risen and firm on top.

For the frosting beat together the butter and icing sugar in a bowl. Then add the pink food gel and beat into the icing until desired colour is achieved. Spoon the icing into a large piping bag fitted with a large circular nozzle, then pipe swirls of it over the cupcakes.

For the decorations, use a teaspoon to scatter the white sprinkles on top of the frosting and, place the mini butterflies in the desired location on top of the cupcakes.

Now you are ready to eat these delicious pink chocolate butterfly cupcakes!

Pretty Three Layer Owl Sponge Cake

Pretty Three Layer Owl Sponge Cake

I went to a cake making competition party at a friends house and our team decided to make this fantastic owl cake. It looked great and also tasted amazing!! Inside it was a simple Victoria sponge cake. However, the decoration was anything but simple. We had a great time making this cake as well as eating it! 

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 2/3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp whole milk

Filling

1 1/2 cup lightly sweetened whipped cream

1/2 cup strawberry jam

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 180°C and prepare three cake tins of different sizes.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time until combined. 

Mix together the flour and baking powder with a spatula then add to into butter mixture.

Add the milk and vanilla and mix until combined.

Pour mixture evenly into the three cake tins.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden. 

Test they are done by inserting a cake stick and pull out, if it's clean they are done. 

Cool for 10 minutes in the pans and then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Once cooled spread over the jam followed by the cream onto the biggest of the cakes and put the next cake on top then do the same with the last cake. 

Then decorate using icing fondant as desired.

Enjoy your delicious cake! 

Chocolate Tea Pot Cake

Teapot Cake

As I was invited to a Princess themed birthday tea party, I thought it was only fitting to bake a chocolate teapot cake!! I even amazed myself with this one :)

Makes: 18cm diameter cake

INGREDIENTS

75g dark chocolate, melted and allowed to cool slightly
300g butter, at room temperature
300g caster sugar
125g cocoa powder
300g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
300ml milk
50g chocolate chips

For the Buttercream Frosting:
140g butter softened
200g icing sugar
1 tsp pink gel food colouring

For the decorations:

Various colours of royal icing. 

Plunge cutters in desired shapes.
Toothpicks

INSTRUCTIONS
Grease and line the bases of 2 x 18cm springform cake tins with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) 350F / gas 4. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time and beat until well combined. Sift together the cocoa, flour and baking powder. then fold in half the dry ingredients followed by the melted chocolate. Fold in the rest, followed by enough milk to give a soft dropping consistency, and then the chocolate chips.

Divide between the two tins and bake for about 25–30 minutes until firm in the centre. You should be able to insert a toothpick in the centre and if it comes out clean the cake is done.

Allow to cool completely on a rack, then make the buttercream. Beat the butter until fluffy, then add the icing sugar and food colouring. Put one of the cakes on a serving plate and spread a third of the icing on top. Place the second on top. Use a sharp knife to shape the cake to look like a teapot. Then spread the rest of the icing over it the top and sides of the cake.

To decorate your cake you need to roll out your pink royal icing so it is large enough to cover the entire cake. Press down around sides to secure around the cake. Now you can use the green icing and form into small balls to decorate the bottom of the cake. To attached the icing use a drop of cooled boiled water on the icing and secure carefully onto the cake. Next roll a thin tube of icing to form the branch for the flowers and stick onto the front of the cake. Next cut out your leaves, followed by cutting out the flowers using the yellow icing. Then use a circle plunge cutter to get the middle of the flowers in pink icing.

To create the spout and handle, shape the icing then attach to the cake using carefully placed toothpicks and small amounts of cooled boiled water.

Lastly cut out the different coloured butterflies and place on top of the tea pot by using droplets of water to keep them in place.

Now you have the perfect teapot cake ready for any occasion!!

N.B. Do not refrigerate the icing!!

Delicious Scones with Clotted Cream & Jam

Scones with Clotted Cream & Jam

Scones are the perfect treat for the summer and can be enjoyed with a nice cup of tea. They taste even more delicious with a heaped spoonful of clotted cream and strawberry jam!

Makes 8

INGREDIENTS

350g self-raising flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
85g butter, cut into cubes
3 tbsp caster sugar
175ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Toppings
Strawberry Jam
Fresh Strawberries
Clotted Cream


INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Tip the flour into a large bowl with the baking powder, then mix. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar.

Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla, then set aside for a moment. Put a baking sheet in the oven.

Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife – it will seem pretty wet at first. Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it’s a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep.

Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. By this point, you’ll probably need to press what’s left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four. Brush the tops with beaten egg, then carefully place onto the hot baking tray.

Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/fan140C/gas 3) for a few mins to refresh.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

White Chocolate Cheesecake 

Cheesecake is one of my favourite desserts so I decided I would have a go at making my own with white chocolate and strawberry coulis. It was soft, smooth and extremely creamy, definitely a great combination!

Serves 10

INGREDIENTS

Base
250g Nice biscuits
120g butter, melted (the amount you need may vary, depending on the type of biscuits you use)

Filling
375g cream cheese softened
82g (1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon) caster sugar
3 large eggs
185g white chocolate, melted
225g (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sour cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla essence)



INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius (not fan-forced). If you have a fan-forced oven and are unable to turn the fan off, preheat your oven to 145 degrees Celsius.

Line the base of a 20cm or 21cm diameter springform cake pan with baking paper. Grease or line the side.

Finely crush biscuits in a blender or food processor. Combine crushed biscuits with melted butter and firmly press mixture over the base and side of the prepared pan. Refrigerate while preparing the filling.

Using a food processor or electric mixer, beat cream cheese with sugar. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times. When the mixture is smooth, beat in eggs one at a time.

Quickly stir sour cream into melted white chocolate, stirring until smooth. Add to cream cheese mixture along with the vanilla. Beat until ingredients are combined.

Pour filling over the biscuit base and bake for about one hour. Leave cheesecake at room temperature for one hour then cover and refrigerate for several hours, or until cold and set.

When ready to serve, cut with a hot, dry knife. Store any leftover cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Mini Eggs Chocolate Cake

Mini Eggs Chocolate Cake

As it is currently mini eggs season and I love mini eggs, I decided to make a delicious chocolate cake decorated with them! Plus who doesn't love chocolate? It went down a treat with every last slice eaten!

Makes: 20cm diameter cake

INGREDIENTS

50g dark chocolate, melted and allowed to cool slightly
250g butter, at room temperature
250g caster sugar
100g cocoa powder
250g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
250ml milk
50g chocolate chips

For the Buttercream Frosting:
140g butter, softened
50g cocoa powder
200g icing sugar

For the decorations:

1 bag of mini eggs

2-3 flake bars (broken into pieces)

INSTRUCTIONS
Grease and line the bases of 2 x 20cm springform cake tins with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) 350F / gas 4. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time and beat until well combined. Sift together the cocoa, flour and baking powder. then fold in half the dry ingredients followed by the melted chocolate. Fold in the rest, followed by enough milk to give a soft dropping consistency, and then the chocolate chips.

Divide between the two tins and bake for about 25–30 minutes until firm in the centre. You should be able to insert a toothpick in the centre and if it comes out clean the cake is done.

Allow to cool completely on a rack, then make the buttercream. Beat the butter until fluffy, then add the cocoa and icing sugar. Put one of the cakes on a serving plate and spread a third of the icing on top. Place the second on top, then spread the rest of the icing over it.

Decorate your cake as desired.

Now you have the perfect chocolate mini eggs cake ready for any occasion!!