Vanilla Rainbow Sprinkle Cupcake Recipe

Vanilla Rainbow Cupcakes

Did you ever get those pre-boxed cake ingredient packages as a child where you got so excited over your head might just blow off? No? Well that's what a Rainbow Cake box was for me and my brother. It held a large picture on the front of this huge one layer cake adorned with all the colours of the rainbow in tiny dots, slathered with a melted chocolate icing and decorated with.. you guessed it, even more rainbow sprinkles. It.Was. Divine. Since then I haven't seen them around much and have resorted to comforting the weeping child in me by re-making them with my own version! They've never been able to quite grasp that rainbow cake taste of my childhood.. but somehow, that's ok. As with all of my baking adventures, I have made these in cupcake version too! 

Yay! Colours!

These cakes are so simple to make, are extremely colourful, and are enough to bring a smile to even the most miserable of faces.. !


Makes 12 - 24

Ingredients

For the cakes:

120g Butter or Margarine

120g Caster Sugar (could also use granulated)

2 Eggs

140g Self-Raising Flour

A Splash of Milk

2 tbsp edible good quality (strongly coloured) multicolour sprinkles

For the buttericing:

140g Butter

340g Icing Sugar (+ more if necessary)

1 to 2 tbsp Milk (+ more if necessary)
2 to 3 tbsp cocoa powder

50g Milk Chocolate

Directions

• Preheat an oven to 180°C.
• Line a muffin/cake tray (2 if you have them) with cake cases.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a spoon until pale and fluffy.
• In a jug or cup, beat the eggs with a whisk and beat into the butter mixture.
• Add vanilla extract.
• Fold in the flour a little at a time, using a spoon. Whisk the mixture and add some milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency (take a spoonful and see if the mixture drops / droops off).
• Mix in the multicoloured sprinkles (good quality, highly concentrated colours work best here).
• Spoon the mixture into the cases until half full.
• Bake in the oven for approx. 10 to 15 minutes (until the tops are golden and firm and an inserted skewer / toothpick comes out clean).
• Allow the cakes to cool on a plate or wire rack.
• While the cakes are cooling, make the buttericing by beating the butter until smooth in a large bowl.
• Melt the chocolate by placing in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stirring (alternatively, melt in a microwave).
• Add icing sugar until the buttericing is a pale yellow / white colour (here is where I do a taste test to see if more icing sugar is needed!)
• Add milk until the icing is of a smooth and drooping consistency but not too liquid. (It should be thick but still a droopy mixture).
• Mix in cocoa powder and melted chocolate.
• Place the buttericing mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto the cooled cakes. (I used an open star nozzle!).
• Sprinkle on some multicoloured sprinkles.
• Allow to chill in a refrigerator.
• These will last for approx. 3 - 4 days.

Tips & Serving ideas

• Decorate with multicoloured edible crystals.
• Instead of buttericing, use just melted chocolate drizzled over the cakes.

Not a care was given.. and it was great!

The cakes displayed here where given to my nine year old sister and three year old niece to decorate.. and I must say, I couldn't have done it better myself! These cakes are especially great for little kids as it's just about throwing colours... everywhere!

Cara X

Honey, Apple & Apricot Crumble

Apple & Apricot Crumble

Brrrr! The festive season may be over, but the weather is still a winter blizzard it seems. It would seem that all over the globe people have been complaining over the neverending cold, wet and windy weather, so here's a little recipe that is sure to comfort and warm you up for the hard cold nights ahead! This recipe is my sweet and sugary version of a traditional apple crumble recipe, so if you don't have a big sweet tooth (like me!) you may want to use a little less sugar. (Though we both know that's not going to happen..!)

Home cooking at it's best!

Ready in approx. 40minutes, this winter warmer is jam packed full of homely and comforting flavours that you and your friends and family are sure to love. 

You can just about smell the apples through the screen can't you...

Ingredients

4 to 5 Large Apples

20 Dried Apricots

55g Granulated Sugar (or caster)

30g brown demerara sugar (or any similar brown, such as muscovado)

50 to 60ml Water (boiled)

2 tsp Honey (I used Spanish Forest, though any honey will do!)

For the crumble:

115g Self-Raising Flour

110g Brown Demerara (or muscovado)

60 to 80g Butter

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 to 2 tsp Nutmeg

Directions

• Grease a baking tray and preheat an oven to 180
• Peel, core and chop apples into chunks.
• In a large saucepan, combine apples, water and both sugars, cooking over a low to medium heat (covered) for approx. 10 mins (until apples are soft and cooked).
• For the crumble, combine flour, sugar and butter in a large bowl.
• Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Rub in the cinnamon.
• When apples are near done, add in the honey and apricots and stir.
• Place apple mixture into a tray and spread evenly.
• Sprinkle the crumble over the apples evenly and press down until top is fairly even.
• Sprinkle the nutmeg on top, along with some cinnamon and brown sugar if you wish.
• Bake for approx. 25 to 30 mins (until browned on top).

Tips & Serving ideas

• This dish is best served hot with cream, ice cream or custard!
• Try adding fruits such as peaches, raisins and sultanas.
• Instead of honey, try golden, maple or agave syrup!

Cara X

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

For me, there's not much better than a new box of fresh red strawberries, especially when said strawberries are turned into a dessert! If you're a dessert and fruit lover like me, you 're going to absolutely love this recipe, with a combination of fresh fruit and moist sweet cake sponge..these cakes are definately a winner. As with all recipes, this can be easily adapted to use all kinds of fruit, or a combination (fruit smoothie cupcake anyone?!). The use of fresh ingredients means that these are best eaten within one or max. two days within baking, although whether they survive that long is highly unlikely! This recipe uses chopped fresh strawberries but you could also use a strawberry extract.

Nothing better than a ripe ol' Berry.. 

Given their fruity and fresh nature, these cakes would make a great accompaniment to a tea party, or other Spring / Summer events! They're also a great gift idea (I made these for the first time for my mother's birthday!), and would make a lovely homemade Valentine's gift for that special someone.. yum!

Makes 12 - 24

Ingredients

For the cakes:

120g Butter or Margarine

120g Caster Sugar (could also use granulated)

2 Eggs

140g Self-Raising Flour

A Splash of Milk

7 Medium sized Strawberries (Or 1 tsp Strawberry Extract)

For the filling:
12 to 24 tsp Strawberry Jam

For the buttericing:

140g Butter

340g Icing Sugar (+ more if necessary)

1-2 tbsp Milk (+ more if necessary)
2 Medium sized Strawberries (Or 1/2 tsp Strawberry Extract)
6 to 12 Large Strawberries to decorate
Pink or Red Food Colouring
Pink / White / Red Sprinkles or other edible decorations

Directions

• Preheat an oven to 180°C.
• Line a muffin/cake tray (2 if you have them) with cake cases.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a spoon until pale and fluffy.
• In a jug or cup, beat the eggs with a whisk and beat into the butter mixture.
• Fold in the flour a little at a time, using a spoon. Whisk the mixture and add some milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency (take a spoonful and see if the mixture drops / droops off).
• Wash and chop up the strawberries into small chunks and fold into the prepared mixture. (or alternatively, add the strawberry extract).
• Spoon the mixture into the cases until half full.
• Bake in the oven for approx. 10 to 15 minutes (until the tops are golden and firm and an inserted skewer / toothpick comes out clean).
• Allow the cakes to cool on a plate or wire rack.
• While the cakes are cooling, make the buttericing by beating the butter until smooth in a large bowl.
• Add icing sugar until the buttericing is a pale yellow / white colour (here is where I do a taste test to see if more icing sugar is needed!)
• Add milk until the icing is of a smooth and drooping consistency but not too liquid. (It should be thick but still a droopy mixture).
• Wash and chop the strawberries into small chunks and fold into the icing (or alternatively, add the strawberry extract).
• Mix in the food colouring until you gain the shade you like.
• For the filling, cut out a shallow hole in the center of each cake using a teaspoon, knife or apple corer. 
• Place 1/2 to 1 tsp of jam into each hole and place the cut out piece of cake back on top of the jam.
• Place the buttericing mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto the cooled cakes. (I used an open star nozzle!).
• Wash and cut the large strawberries length wise starting from the leaves and going downwards.
• Place half a strawberry on top of each cake, adding any additional sprinkles and decorations around.
• Allow to chill in a refrigerator.
• These will last for approx. 1- 2 days. (due to containing fresh strawberries). 

Tips & Serving ideas

• You could substitute the Strawberries for any other fruit, for example; blueberries with blue icing, lemon with yellow icing etc!
• A great alternative to buttericing is fresh whipped cream (these should then be eaten on the day of baking!).
• A drizzle of homemade or bought Strawberry coulis on top would add an extra level of Strawberry goodness as well as being decorative.. yum!
• Strawberry gummy sweets would also work well as decorations.. as would any other Strawberry looking treats!
• Add pink, red or green food colouring to the sponge too.
  
  

Cara X

Simple Christmas Dark Chocolate Peppermint Candy Cane Cupcakes

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Candy Cane Cupcakes

So it's that time of year again, where all the trimmings and decorations have been flung in sweet misery back into their boxes and another 3 months await before the next chocolate-ridden holiday comes around. As do many people at this time of year, you may have made a new year's resolution to start eating better and to just be a healthier human being in general. But what about all those sweets, chocolates and candies left over from Christmas? Surely they can't go to waste? 

Christmas in a minty little case!

Be it for a sweet little treat for yourself, or a gift to someone who really needs it (January is the most depressing month of the year after all!), try having a go at making these cupcakes made from left over candy canes!

These are a great idea to use up any old sweets that are laying around, simply omit / substitute the extract and change the icing colour to suit the candy!

Using up Christmas left overs was never so much fun!

Makes: 12 - 24

Ingredients

For the Cakes:

120g Butter or Margarine

120g Caster Sugar (can use granulated if you prefer)

2 Eggs

140g Self-Raising Flour

1 to 1 and 1/2 tsp Peppermint Extract

85g Dark/Plain Cocoa Powder

A splash of Milk

For the Buttericing:

140g Butter

340g (+ more as necessary depending on your preferred consistency) Icing Sugar

1/2 tsp Peppermint Extract

1 - 2 tbsp Milk (+ as necessary)

A few drops of Pink or Red Food Colouring

A few Candy Canes

Directions

• Preheat an oven to 180°C.
• Line a muffin/cake tray (2 if you have them) with cake cases.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a spoon until pale and fluffy.
• In a jug or cup, beat the eggs with a whisk and beat into the butter mixture.
• In another bowl combine the flour and cocoa powder.
• Add in the peppermint extract and fold in the flour and cocoa powder, a little at a time, using a spoon. Whisk the mixture and add some milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency (take a spoonful and see if the mixture drops / droops off).
• Spoon the mixture into the cases until half full.
• Bake in the oven for approx. 10 to 15 minutes (until the tops are golden and firm and an inserted skewer / toothpick comes out clean).
• Allow the cakes to cool on a plate or wire rack.
• While the cakes are cooling, make the buttericing by beating the butter until smooth in a large bowl.
• Add icing sugar until the buttericing is a pale yellow / white colour (here is where I do a taste test to see if more icing sugar is needed!)
• Add peppermint extract and the milk until the icing is of a smooth and drooping consistency but not too liquid. (It should be thick and dense but still a droopy mixture).
• Combine in the food colouring (you may combine thoroughly for an all over colour, or just slight to get a white and red swirl effect - like a candy cane!).
• Chop or crush the candy cane into small pieces.
• Place the buttericing mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto the cooled cakes. (I used an open star nozzle!), and decorate by sprinkling the candy cane pieces on top!
• Allow to chill in a refrigerator.
• These will last for approx. 3 - 4 days. (or a few hours in my house!)

Tips & Serving ideas

• Add edible cake decorations, such as snowflakes, edible glitter and white or red sprinkles!
• Omit the cocoa powder and add red food colouring to the sponge mixture.

Would love to hear what others had left lying around after Christmas.. I must admit, I do not have many left..!

(Other Christmas left over recipes / ideas coming soon!)

Cara X

Easy Homemade Triple Chocolate Fudge Nut Bark Recipe

Easy Homemade Triple Chocolate Fudge Nut Bark

You love chocolate don't you? You love Fudge right? And aren't nuts just the best thing..like, ever?? Well feast your hungry eyes and try this simple, easy to do recipe that will not only stun your fellow friends and family but will only take you 10 minutes at the most to do! (depending on your nut crushing and throwing-everything-in-a-tin-and-mixing skills). 

You won't believe you made it yourself..go you!

  I've made this bark a thousand times in a countless variety of ways for an easy and quick homemade gift, giving notice to whatever the recipient is especially fond of (do they prefer white or dark chocolate? peppermint or orange? walnuts or hazelnuts?). And I have to say that it has always gone down a treat! What makes this recipe great is that you can literally substitute any of the ingredients for other versions, and add as many things into it as you like! For example, a few I've made in the past are White chocolate and Candy Cane Peppermint bark, Milk Chocolate Toffee and Hazelnut bark and Dark Chocolate Orange bark with candied orange peel and Walnuts... heaven! Why not try different alterations using whatever you may have in the cupboard? You may find a new favourite combination of flavours..

A melted pot of heaven.

Ingredients

(The amounts needed will entirely depend on how much bark you need, for me this filled two jam jars of bark bars)

Cooking Spray or Butter

250g Milk Chocolate Chopped

275g White Chocolate Chopped

200g Dark Chocolate Chopped

40g Raisins

20g Sultanas

8 Individually Wrapped Fudge Sweets

60g of Mixed Nuts (I used a mixture of cashew, peanut, almonds and walnuts)

Directions

• In a glass bowl, place the chopped milk chocolate. 
• Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering hot water on a medium heated hob and wait for the chocolate to melt (keep stirring to ensure all of the chocolate melts evenly).
• Pour approximately 3/4 of the chocolate into a greased baking tin (preferably use a square tin), and spread evenly using a knife or spatula.
• Place the mixed nuts onto one half of a clean tea towel and cover them with the other half. Firmly crush the nuts using a rolling pin. (Check on them to see if they're evenly broken!)
• Unwrap and slice the fudge into three small pieces each.
• Sprinkle approximately half of the crushed nuts, dried fruit and fudge pieces on top of the melted milk chocolate.
• Melt the dark chocolate in the same way, and pour over the nuts, fudge and dried fruits, coating as many of them as you can but don't worry about covering them all, barks are meant to be messy!
• Sprinkle over the remaining nuts, dried fruit and fudge and melt the white chocolate.
• Pour the white chocolate over the whole mixture and allow to cool.
• Place the tin into a refrigerator to chill and set (approximately 20 - 30 min).
• When chilled and set, place onto a chopping board and cut into pieces (the chocolate will likely be more shard-like than bars, this makes them look more authentic!)

Tips & Serving ideas

• The amount of different sweets and flavours you can add are endless! Try these; mini marshmallows, crushed biscuits, chocolate chips, chocolate bar pieces, crushed or chopped sweets, candied peel, toffee and cereal!
• You could also add extracts and flavourings, such as orange, vanilla, mint and coffee!
• Before chilling, add some smarties, sprinkles, small edible cake decorations or edible glitters to decorate!
• To present as gifts, try putting the chocolate into a jam or mason jar, with a homemade decorative lid and tied with a ribbon. Alternatively, place in small plastic bags tied with a ribbon or tag.

A little ribbon and voila!

Cara X

Welsh Cakes Recipe

Authentic Welsh Cakes Recipe

Being Welsh, the family have always loved these native cakes as a treat, especially on cold wintery nights! Although a little like scones, they are lighter, and smaller, and have a more fruity and baked flavour. While scones seem (to me anyway!) more of a Spring dessert, I have always associated Welsh Cakes with Winter and the very beginning of Spring (due to March 1st being the patron St.David's national day!). Speaking to those from other countries, I've been surprised to find not only that they were not familiar with the dessert (of course every country have their takes on different desserts) but that they were not very aware of the country of Wales in itself. In these cases, that's when I get my spatula out and start cooking up some of these babies! For March 1st this year, why not have a go yourself at making these delicious fruit cakes and see for yourself? You might just find yourself eating 2 or 3...or 6.

Ingredients

230g Self-Raising Flour

120g Butter 

85g Granulated Sugar

1 Medium Egg

A Handful each of Raisins/Sultanas

A few splashes of Milk (as needed)

Optional;

Mixed Spice

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Directions

• In a large bowl, rub the flour into the butter using your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
• With a spoon, combine the sugar.
• Whisk in the egg and add the dried fruit.
• Combine the mixture, firstly with a spoon, until it begins to collect together. Use your hands to form a dough ball. (If the mixture is too dry, add a little milk. If it is too wet, add more flour).
• Roll out the dough with a rolling pin onto a floured surface to about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch in thickness.
• Using a cookie cutter, cut out rounds until all the dough is used up.
• Grease a griddle or frying pan with butter and heat on a medium heat (a too high temperature will cause the cakes to burn on the outside without cooking on the inside).
• Place 4 to 5 cakes on the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side (until brown) before flipping. (It is helpful here to flip alternatively to evenly cook the cakes without burning the outside).
• Cook until the outside is brown or slightly black in colour (Many people like these best when slightly burnt.. as do I!).
• Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Tips & Serving ideas

• These are delicious warm or cold, but are best when warm!
• Serve with butter and/or jam.
• For an autumn and comforting feel, you can add some cinnamon, nutmeg or mixed spice to the mix to give it a little something extra! (In this case, I prefer them with some sliced banana and honey!)

Cara X

A New Year... A New Blog!

New Year, New Blog, New Start

So it's a new year, and while I have made a few resolutions (for the first time ever!), I'm thinking about them as more of a life change. The past year has seen so many ups and downs, especially downs, that I guess the only way is up from here! Having had the worst and most difficult year of my life, where I was given a fantastic opportunity to study a great course in another University, I was unfortunately forced to drop out due to personal issues. 
  Although, I have also learnt a lot, especially about life and how fleeting it really is. I had my priorities so mixed up, and was so busy working all the time that I wasn't living and wasn't taking care of myself. I also learnt that life is too short to be doing something that your heart isn't fully into, and that dreams do come true if only you're willing to fight for them. My dream? To have my own little business doing what I love most; baking! I guess it isn't a normal dream to fight for instead of gaining a degree, but then again, what's life if it doesn't make you happy? 
  Hopefully I'll get to gain some experience and knowledge with these first baby steps of my new baking blog, and I look forward to sharing and gaining from all you other baking enthusiasts out there! :)
Hope you're having a fantastic start to the year, wherever you may be!
x