Month: May 2023

Categories
1. Cakes latest recipes

Fancy chocolate layer cake

INGREDIENTS

  • 11/2 cups (225g) plain flour
  • 1 tsp bicarb soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 125g best-quality dark chocolate, buttons or chopped
  • 1/2 cup (50g) Dutch-process cocoa
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) strong espresso
  • 1 cup (250ml) boiling water
  • 150g unsalted butter, softened
  • 250g soft dark-brown sugar
  • 3 free-range eggs
  • 1/2 cup creme fraiche or thick sour cream

COFFEE BUTTERCREAM

  • 175g caster sugar
  • 4 free-range egg whites
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 270g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 50ml warm water
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) warm espresso

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Butter two 18cm x 5cm deep sponge tins and line bases with baking paper.
  2. Sift flour, bicarb, baking powder and a pinch of sea salt into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl combine the chocolate, cocoa, espresso and boiling water. Stand for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating between additions just until combined. Add creme fraiche. Mix well.
  3. Add half the flour mixture. Fold in with a spatula. Add half the chocolate mixture and mix on low speed. Stop and add the rest of the flour. Fold in with a spatula.
  4. Add remaining chocolate mixture. Mix on low speed to a smooth batter.
  5. Divide batter evenly between prepared tins. Bake for 50-55 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
  6. Line a wire rack with a clean, dry tea towel. Allow the cakes to cool in their tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto the tea towel to cool completely. Strip away the baking paper. The cakes cannot be frosted until they are completely cold.
  7. Start the buttercream after the cakes come out of the oven. Place sugar in a small bowl and put it in the turned-off oven for 20 minutes to become very warm.
  8. Place warmed sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar and a pinch of sea salt in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Whisk, using a balloon whisk. After 3 minutes dip your finger in – the mixture should be hot but not unbearably so.
  9. Transfer mixture to stand mixer and beat just under maximum speed for 5 minutes until a thick, glossy meringue. Keeping the mixer at this speed, add half the butter a couple of tablespoons at a time, allowing each dose to be incorporated fully before adding the next. Scrape down the sides, then continue whisking in the butter, a bit at a time. Add vanilla and warm water and whisk for 2 more minutes to a satiny consistency. Stir in the espresso.
  10. Place one cake upside-down on a plate. Pile on and spread a third of the buttercream. Top with the other cake, this time with its top uppermost. Spread more buttercream over the top and sides of the double-layered cake and neaten with a flexible spatula. Refrigerate until it is time to serve the cake.
Categories
3. Cupcakes latest recipes

Neapolitan Cupcakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 2-layer-size package white cake mix
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ounce semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted
  • ¼ cup strawberry preserves
  • Red food coloring
  • 1 recipe Ice Cream Frosting
  • Desired sprinkles, such as jimmies

Ice Cream Frosting

  • ½ 8 ounce package cream cheese
  • ⅓ cup butter
  • ¼ cup vanilla ice cream or whipping cream
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 5 ½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions:

  1. Line twenty-two to twenty-six 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups*; set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Divide cake batter evenly among three bowls. Stir vanilla into batter in one bowl. Stir cocoa powder and melted chocolate into batter in second bowl. Stir in strawberry preserves and enough red food coloring to turn batter in third bowl pink.
  3. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the strawberry batter into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Add 1 tablespoon chocolate batter to each muffin cup. Top each muffin cup with 1 tablespoon vanilla batter. (Cups will be one-half to two-thirds full.)
  4. Bake about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely.
  5. Tint half of the Ice Cream Frosting pink with red food coloring. Spoon pink and white frostings side by side into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe frosting over cupcakes to look like soft-serve ice cream; decorate as desired. Chill until ready to serve. Makes 22 to 26 (2-1/2-inch) cupcakes.

Ice Cream Frosting

  1. Allow cream cheese and butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. If using, allow ice cream to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in ice cream, if using, or whipping cream to reach piping consistency. Chill until ready to use.

*Test Kitchen Tip:

To make cupcake cones, wrap the bases of 24 to 30 flat-bottom ice cream cones in foil. Place one cone in each cup of a muffin pan. If necessary, press foil into cups around the cones to secure in place. Layer batter in cones as directed above, using about 3 tablespoons batter total (no more than half full); let batter settle in cones. (Before filling all cones, bake one to double-check batter amounts.) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees F or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool completely. Frost as directed.

Categories
3. Cupcakes

Spiked Raspberry-Lemonade Cupcakes

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoon raspberry liqueur or milk
  • 2/3 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
  • Red food coloring
  • 1 recipe Creamy Raspberry Frosting
  • Thin lemon wedges (optional)
  • Fresh raspberries (optional)

Creamy Raspberry Frosting

  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 7 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoon milk
  • 3 tablespoon raspberry liqueur or milk
  • 5 drops red food coloring

Instructions:

  1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line eighteen 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, lemon peel, lemon juice, and liqueur; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Tint batter pink with a few drops of food coloring.
  3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.
  4. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.

Creamy Raspberry Frosting

  1. Allow butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in milk, liqueur, and food coloring. Gradually beat in the remaining powdered sugar until frosting reaches spreading or piping consistency.

*Test Kitchen Tip:

To make 2/3 cup sour milk, place 2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 2/3 cup liquid; stir. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes before using.