Cupcakes

Banoffee Cupcakes

You’ve probably heard of the classic banoffee pie, right? It’s an easy dessert. Starting with a digestive biscuit case, filled with sliced banana and caramel/dulce de leche and finished with freshly whipped cream and chocolate – it’s probably one of the best desserts you can make if you’re short on time.

I’m not showing you how to make that pie today but rather a reinvented version of it in cupcake form. Trust me when I say these cupcakes are super easy and can be enjoyed by almost all cake lovers – even those who don’t really like cake!

I haven’t yet got around to sharing my banoffee pie recipe but its coming up at some point in the next 6 weeks… Anyway, starting with a banana sponge cupcake, which is lusciously filled dulce de leche and then topped with a slightly sweetened whipped cream and a dashing of greeted dark chocolate – nothing overly sweet and all of the flavours just work in harmony – sounds good right?

Things are slowly getting back to whatever sort of normal we are approaching, so as you go out and see friends and family, why not take a batch of these cupcakes along with you – you won’t regret it. I promise you that!

Anyway, lets get started, shall we?

Ingredients (for 12 cupcakes):

175g butter, room temperature.

175g granulated sugar.

2 eggs.

2 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste, if you prefer).

3 bananas, large and ripe.

175g plain flour.

1 tsp baking powder.

Filling:

1 can of dulce de leche.

Topping:

300ml double cream.

75g icing sugar.

1 tsp vanilla extract.

Finishing:

Banana chips (as many or as few as you’d like)

Grated dark chocolate.

Methods:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll want to do some prep work. Start by preheating your oven to 180˚c/350˚f, weighing up all of your ingredients and getting any equipment you may need such as a stand mixer and spatula.

To start on the cupcakes, take a mixing bowl and place in the butter and sugar. Beat the two together over a medium-high speed until they are well combined and the mixture has become much lighter and fluffier in colour and consistency.

You can then give the bowl a good scraping down, just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully incorporated from earlier on.

Now add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well in-between each addition – doing it this way will prevent the mixture from splitting or scrambling.

Once all of the eggs have been added, you can go ahead and add in all of the banana – mix to incorporate. You’ll notice the mixture look as if it has split or curdled, don’t worry. Adding the banana in adds a lot of moisture, which is a lot.

Give the mixing bowl another good scraping down, again just to incorporate any bits that didn’t get fully incorporated earlier on.

Take a sieve and place it on top of the mixing bowl, pass the dry ingredients through it and then incorporate them into the mixture over a medium speed, until a cake batter forms. If you find the mixtures a little stiff, feel free to add a dash of milk to help achieve the perfect consistency.

Now grab a muffin pan and line it with cupcake cases, then transfer the cake batter into the cases, ensuring you’re filling them around 2/3 (or 3/.4) the way full – this will guarantee the perfect rise on the cupcakes – trust me I’m a master baker!

Place into the preheated oven and bake for 20-22 minutes (or until, a tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre).

If you intend on serving the cupcakes on the day you’re making them, then make the whipped cream topping. As you are aware, cream has a shortened shelf life and has to be eaten within 1 day of being whipped up.

Into a clean mixing bowl, pour in the double cream, add in the icing sugar and vanilla extract and whisk everything together on a medium-high speed – not forgetting to keep your eye on it. Cream thickens very quickly and can go from under whipped to over whipped in seconds. You’re looking for stiff peaks.

Once your cupcakes are baked and fully cool, you can start the decorating process. Take the whipped cream and place into a piping bag, fitted with a nozzle of your choice and also place the dulce de leche into a piping bag, this will make the process so much easier.

Core out the centres of your cupcakes, then replace the missing cake with the dulce de leche – pipe a fair amount in there. You’ll want to pipe right up to the top of the crevice you created.

Then top the cupcakes with the whipped cream, which has been put into a piping bag fitted with your nozzle of choice and pipe on as much or as little as you’d like.

Finish the cupcakes with a grating of dark chocolate and 2 banana chips per cupcake and then enjoy!

That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed. If you did, don’t forget to share this recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it. I’ll be back soon with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my other social’s – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The YouTube tutorial will be linked down below.

Black Forest Cupcakes

by bakingwithelliott Leave a Comment

Imagine, taking one of your favourite cake flavours and re-making it in cupcake form… That’s what I have done with these Black Forest cupcakes!

I’ll be honest, I have made a cake version of this every year since 2013 and other baked goods variations, such as Black Forest cookies or mini Black Forest pavlovas. This year is no different, I have simply remade it into a sharing friendly recipe – perfect for the current situation.

This recipe is slightly different, as the cake is made with a different recipe than I’d usually use on my cakes – mostly as it bakes differently and the recipes are best suited for each recipe.

I have been fortunate enough to be sent some products from the lovely people over at Olive Nation. If you haven’t heard of them before, you’re missing out! They have a vast and wide selection of products which are all ideally suited for bakers, both on a home and professional level. I was able to test out 4 different products in this recipe – Blommer jet black cocoa powder, chocolate extract, vanilla extract and 50% dark chocolate bars.

If you notice, the cupcakes are extra dark, which is perfect as it stands out against the white whipped cream and red cherry on top – it makes all the difference, especially the flavour. When you use and combine all of the ingredients, you can be sure that you’re going to have a batch of tasty cupcakes – thats a fact!

These cupcakes start with a light and moist chocolate cupcake, generously filled with a cherry jam, topped with freshly whipped cream and finished with grated dark chocolate and a cocktail maraschino style cherry – what’s not to love?

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

230g granulated sugar.

135g plain flour.

35g Jet black cocoa powder.

1 tsp baking powder.

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda.

135ml whole milk.

30ml vegetable oil.

1 tsp vanilla extract.

1 tsp chocolate extract.

125ml Boiling water.

Whipped cream:

300ml double cream.

30-50g icing sugar.

1 tsp vanilla extract.

Decoration & Filling:

Jar of cherry jam (homemade or store bought).

20-30g dark chocolate, grated.

Cherries, whichever you can get your hands on.

Method:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll want to do some prep work. Starting by weighing up all of your ingredients, preheating your oven to 180˚/350˚f and get any equipment you may need ready, such a mixing bowl and whisk. Don’t forget to line a cupcake/muffin pan with cases.

To start on the recipe, you’ll want to start by placing the granulate sugar, plain flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl, passing though a sieve first to remove any lumps that may be in the dry mix. Once they have been sifted, whisk together with a whisk – set aside until needed later on.

Into another mixing bowl you’ll want to combine the wet ingredients, which are the milk, vegetable oil, chocolate and vanilla extract, whisk them together until everything is fully combined.

You can then add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until everything is combined and you have a semi thick cake batter – it should look slightly granular, this is normal.

Now you can take the boiling water and add it into the cake batter – this may sound unconventional but for this recipe it works and makes the best chocolate cake recipe.

For ease, you can transfer the cake batter into a jug. This is optional and can be poured from a bowl if preferred.

Grab your muffin/cupcake pan that has been lined with cases and pour the batter into them – filling them about 2/3 or 3/4 of the way full as these raise the perfect amount once baked. Once all of your cases have been filled, you can transfer the pan into your preheated oven and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre.

While the cupcakes are in the oven baking, you ca go ahead and whip up the cream. Into a clean mixing bowl add in the double cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract – whisk everything together until the whipped cream reaches a stiff peak (where it holds its shape well). This will happen all of a sudden, so make sure you keep your eye on the mixture, otherwise it will become over whipped and have an unpleasant mouthfeel. Transfer the cream into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle of your choice

Once the cupcakes are baked, allow to cool down fully as they will be filled and if the cupcake isn’t cooled completely, it will ruin the end product. Now that the cupcakes are cooled, you can use a cupcake or even an apple corer and core the centre out, then fill generously fill with the cherry jam.

Top the cupcakes with the freshly whipped cream and finish them with a generous grating of dark chocolate and top with a cherry of your choice.

That’s it – a super simple recipe for a batch of black forest cupcakes. So whether you’re looking for something new or an old favourite – these cupcakes will go down a treat!

Lemon Cupcakes

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Spring is almost here, so why don’t you zest up those flavours and give these lemon cupcake a go?

Lemon is always a good flavours, especially around Spring. It’s sharp and tangy flavour, is always a crowd pleaser – when your partner a light lemon cake, a homemade lemon curd filling and topped with a freshly whipped sweetened cream… Tell me that doesn’t sound good.

Although there’s lemon zest in the cupcake and the filling, it’s surprisingly well balanced and this is due to the freshly whipped cream in place of the buttercream (if these were made with a buttercream, it would become too sweet and possibly overwhelm the lemon flavour).

How about making these for the important women who raised you? Seeing as Mother’s Day is just around the corner here in the UK.

These cupcakes would make the perfect bake to share with your friends and family (following all rules and measure, of course).

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

Cupcakes:

150g plain flour.

170g granulated sugar.

1 tsp baking powder.

70g butter.

150ml milk (use your preference of milk).

1 egg.

The zest of 3 lemons.

30-45ml lemon juice.

Cream:

250ml double cream.

35g icing sugar.

1 tsp vanilla extract.

Method:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll meat to do some prep work. Start by preheating your oven to 180˚c/350˚f, weighing up all of your ingredients and getting any equipment you may need ready, such as a mixing bowl and spatula.

Take your mixing bowl and place a sieve on top, then pass through the flour, baking powder and granulated sugar. You’ll also want to add in the butter at this stage and just use a spatula to rub the butter into the dry ingredients, as if you were making pastry – it should reach a sandy/breadcrumb consistency.

Once that’s been achieved, you can go ahead and add in the lemon zest and mix until its fully incorporated throughout the mix.

Now add in the lemon juice, milk and egg and mix until all the ingredients have become combined and you have a smooth cake batter (it won’t be completely smooth, due to the lemon zest).

Then you can grab your muffin tray which has been lined with 9 cupcake cases (this recipe makes slightly less than usual cupcake recipes but they’re well worth it).

Divide the cake batter between the cupcake cases, ensuring you’re filling them around 2/3 or 3/4 of the way full and then place into your preheated oven and bake for 20-22 minutes.

While your cupcakes are baking in the oven, you can go head and get cleaned down.

I fill my cupcakes with a homemade lemon curd, if you want to try your own.

Once the cupcakes are baked and have been allowed to cool, you can start to finish the cupcakes off. Place the lemon curd into a piping bag and make the whipped cream topping.

Into a large mixing bowl, add in the double cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until the cream starts to hold its shape, take it a little further than this as you’re looking for stiff peaks (but try your best not to over whisk your cream, otherwise it will have a granular mouthfeel).

Transfer the cream into a piping bag fitted with your nozzle of choice (I went with a 1m wilton tip).

Core out the centres of the cupcakes, not all the way down though, you still want there to be a little bit of cake at the bottom to support the filling. Then pipe the cream on top of the cupcake (however you’d like) and that’s pretty much it.

Seeing as these cakes have cream topping in place of a more standard buttercream, it’s highly perishable and must be eaten the day you make them.

Fresh Cream Cupcakes

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It’s bakemas 2020!

If it’s your first bakemas here, welcome. It is my annual mini-series in which I show you how to make a various Christmas themed baked goods – perfect if you want to impress your family and/or friends or if you’re hosting a festive get together.

There’s no need to make Christmas more frantic, especially with the holiday season already being pressured. Take away some of the pressure and demanding tasks by keeping things super simple with a batch of the fresh cream cupcakes.

I know celebrating this year is going to be different for everybody but regardless of how you’re celebrating, why not make some cupcakes? You can make as many or as few as you need. Perfect to prevent food waste and enjoy a treat.

I’ve taken the classic vanilla cupcake and jazzed it up by using some sweetened whipped cream and generously filled with strawberry jam.

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

Ingredients (for 12 cupcakes):

Cupcakes:

175g butter, at room temp.

175g granulated sugar.

2 eggs.

1 tsp vanila extract

175g plain flour.

1 tsp baking powder.

pinch of salt.

splash of milk, if needed.

Cream:

300ml double cream.

25-30g icing sugar.

1 tsp vanilla extract.

Filling:

strawberry jam.

Method:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll want to do some prep. Weigh up all of your ingredients, line a muffin pan with cupcake cases, preheat your oven to 180˚c/350˚f and grab any equipment you may need, such as a stand mixer and spatulas.

To start on the recipe, make the cupcakes. To keep things simple and stress free, the all-in-one method is going to be used – this is where you place all of your ingredients into a bowl and beat them together.

Into a mixing bowl, place the butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, plain flour, baking powder and salt – beating over a low speed to start, working your way up to a medium-high and mix until a clear cake batter forms.

If you mixture looks a little stiff, add enough milk in to help achieve a more perfect consistency.

Give the bowl a good scraping down and take the lined muffin pan.

Fill the cases around 2/3 or 3/4 of the way full, then place into your preheated oven and bake for 20-22 minutes (or until golden brown and well risen). Allow to cool fully before you finish them off.

If you want to make these a day or 2 in advance, feel free to go ahead and do it. Saves you time and effort on the day you intend to serve them.

To make the cream, take a clean mixing bowl and place in the double cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until it starts to forming peaks, this is known as soft peaks but you want to take it one stage further to achieve stiff peaks.

This is where the cream should be able to hold its shape – if you whisk the cream too much it will have a granular mouthfeel and be unpleasant. If this happens, dispose of the cream and re-whisk the cream.

Transfer into a piping bag fitted with a piping nozzle of your choice – I went with an open star but choose whichever nozzle you’d like.

Take the cooled cupcakes and core out the centre using either a cupcake corer or apple corer and generously fill with strawberry jam.

Top the cupcakes with the freshly whipped cream and pipe on however you’d like and that’s everything done – a super simple recipe, perfect for when you want a homemade treat.

Eggnog Cupcakes

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It’s bakemas 2020!

Keeping things chilled this Monday with a batch of eggnog cupcakes.

You may remember a couple of days ago, I make some eggnog – you will need it for this recipe.

These cupcakes are super easy and perfect festive – they have the perfect boozy eggnog flavour without it being too much. Starting with a classic vanilla cupcake, which is filled with a homemade eggnog pastry cream and topped with a creamy eggnog buttercream – what’s not to like?

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

175g butter.

175g granulated sugar.

2 eggs.

175g plain flour.

1 tsp baking powder.

pinch of salt.

uptown 50ml milk.

Eggnog Pastry Cream:

200ml eggnog.

1/4 tsp vanilla extract.

30g egg yolk.

25g granulated sugar

15g plain flour.

Eggnog Buttercream:

125g butter.

250g icing sugar.

eggnog pastry cream (as much or as little as you’d like).

Method:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll want to do some prep work. Weigh up all of you ingredients, preheat your oven to 180˚c/350˚f, line a muffin pan with cupcake cases and get any equipment you may need such as a stand mixer, sauce pan and whisk and of course spatulas.

To start on these cupcakes, you will want to make the pastry cream (as this takes the longest to make).

Grab yoru saucepan and place in the eggnog and vanilla extract. Place this on the hob over a medium-high heat, allowing to come to a boil.

Into another bowl, add the egg yolks and sugar and whisk them together until they are well combined – the mixture should be pale in colour and the volume should have increased. Add in the flour and whisk until its fully combined into the mixture.

By this point, the milk should have reached a boil. Pour around 1/3 of the milk mixture over the egg mixture and whisk until incorporated. Then gradually add the rest, as you whisk it in.

You can then transfer it back onto the heat and continuously whisk the mixture until its thickened considerably. Once thick and smooth, you can then go ahead and transfer into a small baking tray and spread it out until its a pretty thin layer, then cover with clingfilm, ensuring the clingfilm is touching the top of the pastry cream.

Try you best to ensure that a skin doesn’t form on top – allow to cool down fully.

While you wait, you can make the cupcakes.

Grab a mixing bowl and place in the butter, granulated sugar, eggs, plain flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Beat them all together until everything has become well combined and the mixture is lighter and fluffier in colour and consistency. You may find the mixture a little stiff, add in milk, roughly a tablespoon at a time until you achieve the perfect consistency.

Transfer the cake batter into the lined muffin pan and fill the cast around 2/3 or 3/4 of the ways full and then place into your preheated oven and bake for 20-22 minutes or until well risen, golden brown and when a tester is inserted into the centre, comes out clean.

Allow the cupcakes to cool fully before you try to work with them.

Now is the idea time to get started on the buttercream.

Into a large mixing bowl, place the butter and beat it on it’s own until it’s lighter and fluffier in colour and consistency – this usually takes around 7-10 minutes, depending how soft your butter was and what speed you have your mixer on.

Once you’ve achieved the perfect consistency, give the bowl a good scraping down just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully incorporated.

Then add in the first half of your icing sugar and incorporate it over a low speed to start with, working your way up to a medium-high – everything should be well combined and almost fully incorporated. Repeat with the remaining half of icing sugar.

You’ll want to give the bowl a good scraping down, just to incorporate any bits tat may not have been fully worked in from earlier on – set aside until needed later on.

Now everything has been made and you can prepare to finish the cupcakes off.

Take the pastry cream you made earlier on and scrape it from the baking tray and into a bowl. Whisk it all together until its less gelatinous and more spreadable. Transfer into a piping bag and set aside until its needed later on.

Using some of the left over pastry cream, add it to the buttercream and just mix until everything is fully combined, then transfer the buttercream Into a piping fitted with your choice of nozzle.

Now to finish the cupcakes, core the centres out and generously fill with the pastry cream and then pipe the buttercream on top and finish with sprinkles and sugar paste snowflakes (or whatever you’d like).

That’s how you make a batch of eggnog cupcakes!

Gingerbread Cupcakes

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It’s bakemas 2020!

Today I’m sharing my take on a batch of gingerbread cupcakes – the perfect seasonal cupcake to make and enjoy!

These cupcakes are easily one of the best you can make over the festive period as they are gingery and rich, without being too much. I know not everybody likes a strong ginger flavour but these cupcakes have all the comforting flavours, so it’s not overpowering nor underwhelming – just perfectly balanced.

These cupcakes could topped with a spiced buttercream but that could be a lot, so have kept it simple with a basic vanilla buttercream.

If you like gingerbread biscuits, then you might just like these gingerbread cupcakes – give them a go today!

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

Ingredients: (makes 6)

Cupcakes:

225g Plain flour.

1 1/2 tsp Baking powder.

1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda.

1 1/2 tsp Ground ginger.

90g Butter.

90g Light brown sugar.

90g Black treacle.

90g Golden syrup.

1 Egg.

150ml Milk.

Buttercream:

125g Butter.

250g Icing sugar.

1 tsp Vanilla buttercream.

Method:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll want to start by doing some prep. To start, weigh up all of your ingredients, line a muffin pan with cases/liners, grab a mixing bowl along with a whisk and spatula. You will also need a small/medium saucepan and don’t forget to preheat your oven to 180˚c/350˚f.

To start on the cupcake recipe, grab your saucepan. Into the saucepan, place the butter, light brown sugar, black treacle and golden syrup, then place over a medium heat on the hob. Allow them to melt, then start whisking continuously until smooth and well combined.

While you wait for the ingredients on the hob, you can continue. Into a jug or small bowl, place in the egg and milk and beat together, then you can sift the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger together and set aside until needed later on.

Take the saucepan off the heat and allow to cool a little. Then go ahead and whisk in the milk and egg mixture until its fully incorporated – now add this into the dry mixture and fold everything together until the mixture is smooth and you can’t see a trace of a single ingredient.

Transfer the cake mixture into the cake cases and fill around 2/3 or 3/4 of the way full, this is the perfect amount of batter to fill cases. Then you can bake in your preheated oven for 20-22 minutes (or until a tester comes out clean).

While your cupcakes are in the oven, it’s the perfect time to have a good clean down and make the buttercream.

To make the buttercream is really easy. Grab a mixing bowl and place in the butter and beat it on its own until its lighter and fluffier in colour and consistency.

Give the bowl a good scraping down and add in the first half of the icing sugar. Mix it in on a low speed to start with, working your way up to a high – everything should be incorporated and be a ‘whippy’ consistency. Repeat with the other half of the icing sugar.

Once all of the icing sugar has been added, add in the vanilla extract, the mix in until everything has been incorporated. Then you can give the bowl a good scraping down, just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in from earlier on.

Place the buttercream into a piping bad fitted with your nozzle of choice.

Now the cupcakes are baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool fully.

To finish the cupcakes off, pipe the buttercream over the cooled cupcakes and finish with your choice of sprinkles.

Mince Pie Cupcakes

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It’s the start of bakemas 2020!

That’s why I’m showing you how to make a batch of these super easy and perfectly seasonal mince pie cupcakes.

If you’re a fan of a classic mince pie and like cupcakes, this is the best cross over you could think of. It starts with a fruity brown sugar cupcake, which is filled with mincemeat, topped with a cinnamon Italian buttercream and finished with a touch of mincemeat… It’s a little different but well worth the bake.

The flavours work very well together due to the cupcake containing brown sugar and fruit, which are both in the mincemeat, so everything works in harmony.

I understand things can be hectic or stressful around this time of year, that’s why I’m keeping things super simple, so you can have all your baked treats without the stress – trust me.

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

Cupcakes:

175g Butter.

175g Dark brown sugar.

2 Eggs.

1 tsp Vanilla extract.

175g Plain flour.

1 tsp Baking powder.

Pinch of salt.

100g Mixed dried fruit.

Buttercream:

35g Water.

125g Granulated white sugar.

1 Egg.

2 Egg yolks.

250g Butter.

1 tsp Vanilla extract.

Decorate & Filling:

1 Jar of mincemeat, for the decoration and filling.

Methods:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll want to do some prep work. Start by weighing up your ingredients, lining your muffin tin with cupcake cases, preheat your oven to 180˚c/350˚f and grab any equipment you may need, such as a stand mixer and spatula.

To start, you’ll want to make the cupcakes. I would normally use the creaming method but instead for time and convenience I’m using the all-in-one method. Grab your large mixing bowl and place all of the cupcake ingredients into the bowl and then mix everything together over a low speed to start with, working your way up to a medium-high speed.

Once everything is combined and you can’t see a trace of a single ingredient, you can then go ahead and give the bowl a good scraping down – this is just to ensure that everything is fully incorporated and you won’t get a bite of a raw ingredient in the end baked good.

You can then go ahead and divide the cake batter equally (as possible) between your cake cases and then place into your preheated oven and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a tester comes out clean, when inserted into the centre of the cupcake.

While the cupcakes are baking in the oven, you can get ahead and make the buttercream as it takes a little time to make.

When it comes to the buttercream, I like to use an Italian buttercream. It’s the perfect addition to compliment these cupcakes – I won’t be sharing the full method over here as I have a blog post showing you how to make it in more detail, so please check out the Italian buttercream blog post for the full method.

Once you have your cupcakes made and cooled fully and you buttercream has been made and placed into a piping bag fitted with a piping nozzle of choice, you can start assembling the cupcakes.

Start by coring the centre out of the cupcakes and generously fill them with the mincemeat (I used shop bought but feel free to make your own). Then on top of the filled cupcakes, you can then go ahead and pipe on the buttercream, however you like. Then finish the cupcakes by adding a small teaspoon of mincemeat on top – just for decoration.

Death by Chocolate Cupcakes

by bakingwithelliott Leave a Comment

Halloween is just a few days away, have you left the treats until the last minute? Don’t worry, I have you covered with these death by chocolate cupcakes – super easy and take next to no time to make.

These cupcakes are the perfect treat to make for halloween as they are very chocolatey (perfect for the chocoholic in your life) and straightforward to make.

I got the idea for these cupcakes from the more traditional death by chocolate cake and elevated the idea to another level because when is too much chocolate really too much? Is that even possible? Let’s be honest…

Well… Starting with a chocolate cupcake, which is filled with a chocolate creme pat, topped with a chocolate Italian buttercream and finished with chocolate chips. Isn’t that great, I mean, if you like chocolate anyway!

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

90g Butter.

90g Granulated sugar.

1 Egg.

90g Self raising flour.

Pinch of salt.

20g Cocoa powder.

Chocolate Italian Buttercream:

35ml Water.

125g Granulated sugar.

30g Cocoa powder.

1 Whole egg.

2 Egg yolks.

250g Butter, softened.

Chocolate creme pat/custard:

125ml Milk (I use full fat but feel free to use whatever you’d like).

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract.

30g Egg yolks.

25g Granulated sugar.

10g Plain flour.

10g Cocoa powder.

Methods:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll want to do some prep work. Weigh up all of your ingredients, line your muffin tin with cupcake/muffin cases, preheat your oven to 180˚c/350˚f and grab any equipment you may need, such as a stand mixer and silicon spatula.

To start on the recipe, you’ll want to start on the cupcake, don’t worry it’s super easy. To make the cake batter, grab yourself a clean mixing bowl and place all (except the milk) of the cupcake ingredients into it. Mix on a low speed just until all of the ingredients are combined, then crank the speed up to a high and mix for around a minute or so (the batter should be smooth and glossy).

You may need to add the milk, now would be the ideal time (only if needed).

Once you have the cake batter made, you can go ahead and give the bowl a good scraping down – just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in from earlier on.

Grab your muffin pan that has been line with cake cases and scoop the mixture into them, filling them around 2/3 or 3/4 of the way full. This recipe makes 6 cupcakes (they are fairly rich and may be quite sickly).

Then you can go ahead and place the cupcakes into the oven to bake for 20 minutes (or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cupcake).

While the cupcakes are in the oven baking, you can make your chocolate Italian buttercream. To start, take a small/medium saucepan and place in the water, sugar and cocoa powder and give them all a good mix together. You can then go ahead and place this on the hob over a medium-high heat, until it reaches 121˚c/ 250˚f (keep your eye on it, using a thermometer of course).

Now you can go ahead and grab a mixing bowl and place in the egg and egg yolks and whisk them together until they are very well combined, they should have increased in volume and be lighter in colour and consistency.

Continue whisking the eggs together until your mixture in the saucepan has come up to 121˚c/250˚f. You can then gradually pour the hot mixture over the egg mix while the whisk is running on a low speed – once all of the hot mixture has been added – crank the speed up to the highest you can possibly get it and whisk until you can touch the bottom of the bowl.

You can add your butter in piece by piece. Start adding your butter once you can touch the bottom of the bowl, don’t worry if the buttercream looks like it isn’t thickening – it will, just watch as you add the butter towards the end.

Once your buttercream is made, either place into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate or place into a piping bag and use straight away.

Now you can make then chocolate creme pat.

Start by adding the milk and vanilla extract into a saucepan and give it all a good mix together until its well combined – then place onto the hob over a medium-high heat.

While your milk mixture is working its way up to a boil, you can grab a bowl and add in the egg yolks and sugar. Give the two a good whisk together just until they are combined, then you can add in the plain flour and cocoa powder – whisking it all through until fully incorporated.

Once your milk has come to a boil, add around 1/3 of it straight into the chocolate mixture and fully whisk that in until its incorporated. Then you can add in the remaining as you continuously whisk the mixture – then you can place back on the hob and whisk the mixture continuously.

The mixture may not thicken straight away, this is normal. As the mixture warms up, it will thicken up (thats why you need to continuously whisk the mixture, so it doesn’t catch on the bottom and ruin the custard).

Once its fully thickened and the flour and cocoa powder have been cooked out. Transfer the custard into bowl or dish and cover with clingfilm (ensuring the clingfilm touches the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming on top of the custard – allow to cool then store in the fridge until needed).

Eventually, once everything has been made and baked, you can think about finishing the cupcakes.

Take a cupcake corer or apple peeler and core the centre of the cupcake out, then fill to the top with the chocolate creme pat. Then on top you can pipe on the Italian buttercream, I used a open star piping tip but the tip you use is up to you. Then finish with some chocolate chips and enjoy!

Apple Crumble Cupcakes

by bakingwithelliott Leave a Comment

You know what’s better than one baked good? Two of them combined into one!

Today I’ll be sharing my recipe for a batch of super simple apple crumble cupcakes… If you give these a go, I promise that you won’t regret it. They are like a bite of autumn in each bite.

A light and flavourful apple brown sugar cupcake, filled with a homemade chunky apple filling, topped with a creamy vanilla buttercream and finished with a homemade brown sugar crumble and more of the chunky apple filling.

Now the weather is cooling down, it’s the ideal time to make more filling and comforting foods – these cupcakes are perfect. The use of spices, brown sugar and apple really make these cupcakes feel a little more seasonal.

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

Ingredients:

Apple Filling:

1 Large cooking apple, chopped into small cubes.

30-50g Granulated sugar (use the amount of sugar that suits you best).

15-30ml Water.

Cupcakes:

90g Butter, room temperature.

90g Dark brown sugar.

1 Egg.

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract.

90g Plain flour.

1/2 tsp Baking powder.

Pinch of salt.

1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon.

1/4 tsp Ground mixed spice.

20g Freeze dried apples.

Buttercream:

125g Butter, room temperature.

250g Icing sugar.

1 tsp Vanilla extract.

Crumble:

35g Granulated sugar.

35g Dark brown sugar.

30g Oats.

50g Plain flour.

60g Butter.

Method:

Before you get started on they recipe, you’ll want to do some prep work. Weigh up all of the ingredients, grab any equipment you may need, such as a stand mixer and food processor and line your trays/cupcake tray with parchment/cases. It’s also the perfect time for you to preheat your oven to 180˚c/350˚f

You can start where you like regarding the recipe, I would recommend that you make the apple filling to start, as it will need time to cool down.

To make the apple filling, take a large cooking apple and peel, core and cube. Then place into a medium-large saucepan and add in the sugar and water, heat over a medium-high heat and just cook until the apples have soften and the sugar/water have made a thickened syrupy consistency.

Transfer the apple filling into a jar until it’s needed, later on.

To start on the crumble, you’ll want to place the plain flour, granulated sugar and dark brown sugar into a bowl and mix them together.

Once they are combined, you can then add the butter, which is in small pieces. Once all the butter has been added, you can rub it together until the butter has been incorporated and the mixture has become crumblier looking – now you can add in the oats, stir until they have been incorporated.

Remove the crumble from the bowl and place onto a lined baking tray. If your crumble has lumps that are large, use a silicon spatula to break them down into smaller bits. Bake the crumble in the oven until it’s well coloured – around 10-12 minutes.

Now you can start on the cupcake, which is super easy. Take the butter and dark brown sugar and beat together until they are well combined – they’ll be lighter and fluffier in colour and consistency.

Then you can go ahead and add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix that in until it’s fully incorporated.

You can then go ahead and give the bowl a good scraping down, just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in from earlier on.

Add the the plain flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon and ground mixed spice along with the freeze dried apple pieces. Mix it all together until everything is combined and there isn’t a trace of a single ingredient.

Give the bowl another good scraping down, just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in from earlier on.

Grab your cupcake tray you lined with cases earlier on and spoon the cupcake mixture into the cases – filling them around 2/3 or 3/4 of the way full. Then you can place them into your preheated oven and bake fr 20-22 minutes (or when a tester comes out clean, when inserted into the centre).

While your cupcakes are in the oven, it’s the ideal time to make buttercream (which is really easy).

Take a mixing bowl and place in the butter and beat that until its lighter and fluffier in colour and consistency (around 5-7 minutes), then you can scrape the bowl down and add in half of your icing sugar – mixing until it has been fully incorporated, then scrape down and repeat with the second half of the icing sugar.

Add in the vanilla extract and mix until its fully incorporated – set aside until you need it later on. I like to place my buttercream into my piping bag, fitted with a nozzle.

Now that everything is made, wash up and have a general clean up. Allowing everything to cool down fully before you use it.

Once everything has been made and has cooled down, you can start to finish the cupcakes off.

I like to start by coring out the centres of my cupcakes using a cupcake corer (feel free to use an apple corer, which works just as well). Then taking a generous teaspoonful of the apple filling and filling the centre of the cupcakes – repeat this for all 6 cupcakes.

On top of the filled cupcakes, you can pipe on your buttercream – you do this however works best for you. I just went with a very straightforward and simple swirl.

While the buttercream is still tacky, you can take spoonfuls of the crumble mix and press it around the edge of the buttercream, ensuring theres a good coating of the crumble.

Then to finish, you can take a small amount of the apple filling and spoon some on top of the cupcakes and you’re done!

Trifle Cupcakes

by bakingwithelliott Leave a Comment

Why have only one treat when you can have 2in1… Today I’m sharing my recipe for a batch of trifle cupcakes, the ultimate combination of a trifle and cupcake.

These cupcakes came about after having some ingredients left over and wanting to prevent food waste – so you get cupcakes and save food from landfill, you can’t go wrong.

As always, these cupcakes are super simple and contain almost all the elements a traditional trifle would or slightly amended to work in cupcake form. It starts with a vanilla cupcake, which has the centre cored out and is filled with a homemade vanilla custard (or if you want to be post, creme pat) and strawberry jam. Topped with freshly whipped cream and finished with 100s and 1000s – what’s not to love?

If you’re looking for a simple cupcake recipe with an alternative topping to buttercream – you bets get your ingredients weighed up and your oven preheated as these will be the perfect cupcakes for you!

I only made 6 cupcakes, as that’s what I could make to use up the ingredients I had ready to use up but I will be sharing the measurements for a batch of 12 cupcakes, so you can work from there with the recipe.

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

175g Butter.

175g Granulated sugar.

2 Eggs.

1 tsp Vanilla extract.

15-30ml Milk.

175g Plain flour.

1 tsp Baking powder.

Pastry cream:

125ml Milk.

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract.

30g Egg yolk.

25g Granulated sugar.

15g Plain flour.

Jam Filling:

Strawberry or raspberry jam for the filling.

Topping:

300ml Double cream.

1 tsp Vanilla extract.

50-100g Icing sugar (depend how sweet you like the cream).

100s and 1000s or rainbow sprinkles.

Method:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll want to do some prep. I recommend that you start by weighing up all of your ingredients, followed by preheating your oven to 180˚c/350˚f, lining a cupcake tray with cupcake cases and getting any equipment you may need, such as a stand mixer (or a hand mixer, whichever you have access to) and a spatula.

To start, I like to make the cupcakes. For the cupcakes I used the all in one method, this is simply where you place all of the ingredients into a bowl and beat them together until they combined. So, into your mixing bowl you can go ahead and add in the butter, granulated sugar and then add the plain flour, baking powder and salt in passing through a sieve first. Then you can add in the eggs and vanilla extract.

You can then start to mix the mixture on a medium high speed just until everything has been fully incorporated and a clear batter has formed, try your best not to over-mix the batter at this stage, otherwise the baked cupcakes may have a unpleasant tougher texture.

Once your cake batter is ready, give the bowl a quick scraping down, just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in from earlier on.

Then you can go ahead and add the cake batter into the cupcake cases, filling them around 2/3 or 3/4 of the way full (try and fill each of the cases as consistently as possible). You can then transfer the tray into the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes (or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre).

While the cupcakes are in the oven, it’s the perfect time to make the custard filling.

To make the creme pat/custard, you’ll want to grab a small/medium saucepan and place in the milk and vanilla extract. You can then place that over a medium-high heat and allow to almost reach a boil.

While the milk is doing its thing, you can grab a medium bowl and add in the egg yolks and granulated sugar, then whisk the two together until they are lighter in colour and consistency, the mixture should be a pale yellow-ish colour at this stage.

Add in the flour and whisk until its been fully incorporated and then you can start to add in the milk mix. I recommend you go with around 1/4 of the amount of milk, then whisk until it has been fully incorporated (this helps to temper the mixture, so it shouldn’t scramble but if it does, start over). Continue to add the milk mix in small amounts until it has been fully incorporated.

You can then return the saucepan to the hob, over a medium heat, whisking constantly and after a short while you should notice that the mixture is thickening, this is what you’re looking for (it shows that the flour and eggs have been throughly cooked and the custard is safe to consume), make sure the mixture has thickened enough to hold its shape but still be spreadable.

Once you have achieved that, you can then transfer onto a clean baking tray or a bowl and cover with cling film and allow to cool fully. The cling film is used to prevent a skin from forming on the custard and the thinner you can spread it out, the quicker it will cool down.

Now you have made the custard and the cupcakes are baking, you can go ahead and clean up.

Just before you intend on serving these cupcakes, you can make the sweetened whipped cream topping (feel free to leave the icing sugar out if you don’t want sweetened cream).

To make the cream, simply grab a clean mixing bowl and add in the double cream, vanilla extract and icing sugar and then beat until you achieve stiff peaks with the cream – remember handling the cream will continue the mixing process, so keep that to a minimum. Once the cream has thickened and holds its shape, you can transfer into a piping bag with a nozzle of your choice (I went with a star nozzle).

Later on, once everything is made and ready to use, start by whisking the creme pat until its a smoother and more pip able consistency, place the jam into a piping bag and have your sprinkles to hand.

Take a cupcake corer or apple corer and core the centre out the cupcake out, fill with a generous amount of the creme pat and strawberry jam, then pipe on the whipped cream and finish with your choice of sprinkles. Serve and enjoy, best eaten within 24 hours!

Cupcakes

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