Everyone loves cupcakes. I hope! When bakeries established solely for the production of cupcakes broke on to the commercial cooking scene a few years ago I could hardly contain my delight. Although the naysayers are spelling the end of the boutique cupcake trend I fervently hope they stick around for many years to come (Cupcakes on Pitt im looking at you!!).
Cupcakes have got to be one of the most diverse and magic member of the cake family. Diverse because they can come in all shapes, sizes, flavours and colours, and magic because no matter how badly you stuff them up, they still look and taste pretty damn good. Unless you forget to put the eggs and milk in them… Anyway, I felt that I had become a bit too pedestrian with my cupcake flavours lately so I decided to branch out. Im not the most adventurous of people so my branching out only extended as far as experimenting with the icing. Baby steps!
Baby its cold outside! And since my family don’t believe in heating, im going to make it my personal mission this winter to bake my house warm. First stop, Peaches and Cream Cupcakes. I first tried these little babies a few years ago when my mum bought me the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook for my birthday. They were so tasty and easy that I figured it would be very grinchy of me not to share them with you!
Look at those cute little hearts! These cupcakes love you!
Beware, this is one cupcake you need to eat with a spoon. Unless you want to drop peaches everywhere. But if thats how you roll… who am I to judge?
mmmmmmm…. frosting….
So my lovelies, what is your favourite flavour of cupcake? And what flavour frosting do you normally put on them? I always love to hear from you!
Peaches and Cream Cupcakes –From the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
Ingredients
120g plain flour
140g caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
40g unsalted butter
120ml full cream milk
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
400g tinned peaches (I buy the ones that are cut into segments, then I cut them in half down the middle again)
Method
1. Beat the flour, sugar, baking power and butter until the mixture has a sandy consistency
2. Gradually pour in half the milk and beat until it is just incorporated
3. Whisk the egg, vanilla and remaining milk together in a separate bowl then pour it into the flour mixture. Beat until the mixture is sooth
4. Divide the sliced peaches between the patty pans (I like to put enough pieces in so that the bottom is completely lined)
5. Fill the patty pans until two thirds full
6. Bake on 170 degrees celsius for 20 or 25 minutes, until the tops are golden
Ingredients – For Vanilla Frosting
250g icing sugar
80g unsalted buter
25ml full cream milk
a few drops of vanilla extract
Method
1. Beat the icing sugar and butter together until the mixture comes together
2. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract (sometimes I put the milk in in step 1 if the mixture seems too dry)
3. Turn your mixer up to high speed and beat for about 5 minutes or until the frosting is light and fluffy
Guilt. Is there any better reason for a cupcake baking spree? For the past few weeks ive been having this constant niggling feeling that im supposed to be somewhere that im currently not. The other night that feeling was particularly strong and, as I got a phone call from my friend while I was sitting at home in my onesie (yes, I said onesie) the penny dropped. We had dinner plans. As I answered the incoming call, I braced myself for the inevitable “Katie where are you? Im at the restaurant!” What I heard was actually “Hey, just checking that we’re still on for dinner tomorrow.” Thank. God. I just have to say here that I love my friends, they put up with so much from me!
Cue onslaught of guilt about how awful a friend I am. Guilt that only a sugar fix could cure.
Truth be told I didnt really need an excuse to bake these. I had been wanting to try a new cupcake recipe for a while and, for want of a new recipe I thought i’d try to revamp an old one! Donna Hay, the fate of my cupcaking rests on your shoulders.
I cracked out the amazing Donna Hay Chocolate Buttermilk Layer Cake recipe and substituted the cocoa for flour. The cupcakes ended up with the same luscious moistness as the chocolate cake and they tasted pretty damn good to boot! The only problem was that they looked a little bit grey inside. Not the lovely yellow or cream that vanilla cupcakes usually have. Hmm. Any suggestions? Please comment, i’d love to hear!
p.s. the rosewater icing was so yummy! Like turkish delight…
p.p.s. arent the spoons cute?! Easter present from my boyfriend <3
