cupcake Archives - Sugar et al

Caramel Cupcakes Aka Golden Cupcakes for Mother’s Day

10|05|2017

Glittering, glowing and shiny things are a favourite around these parts. Yeah, if I had an option I would serve my roast chicken with gold dust and maybe some sprinkles. Hahaha! So much for my edible fantasies. On a serious note, what can be more precious than your Mum? So it is only fitting that I create golden cupcakes to celebrate her. These are nothing but caramel cupcakes with a delicious caramel frosting that are then decorated with golden sanding sugar and cachous. I am a big fan of wedding desserts with a golden theme but Mother’s Day is no small occasion either.

Caramel Cupcakes
Makes 10-12 cupcakes

120 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups self raising flour
3/4 cup milk
1/4 caramel sauce (home made or store bought) (For home-made use this recipe minus the salt)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees c (160 degrees c for fan forced ovens). Line a 12 hole muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer or a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Add a third of the flour to the butter mixture and beat on low just until incorporated; add half of the milk and beat just until blended. Add another third of the flour, the rest of the milk, and the rest of the flour mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Add the caramel sauce and fold to combine.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are springy to the touch. Cool on a wire rack completely before frosting them.

Once cooled, pipe buttercream onto the cupcakes. Decorate with gold dust and cachous.

Caramel Frosting

250 g unsalted butter
2 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup caramel sauce
1 tbsp milk (optional, depending on consistency)

Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a bowl until pale. Gradually add icing sugar mixture and caramel sauce, beating constantly until combined. If the buttercream is too thick, add 1-2 tbsp of milk to make it fluffier.

Orange Cupcakes With Cherries

4|07|2016

It is so easy to forget that it is winter here in Australia when you gaze at the vibrant summery posts across the blog-o-sphere and certainly when you see lush red cherries and colourful berries on Instagram. Living in Sydney, we are fortunate to have access to every kind of fresh produce at any time of the year whether local or imported. Usually I won’t even look at imported produce and believe in eating fruits in season because they are not only fresher and cheaper but it also means supporting our wonderful farm community that I am a die hard fan of. There are however, two instances when I find myself deviating from this. Either when I am working for a publication on the other side of the globe and I am shooting summer in winter (speaking of which, I have some wonderful news to share soon) and when I spot CHERRIES! Sorry, can’t resist! No matter what!

I haven’t met my little brother and darling cousins who live in the USA and UK for years and I’ve kind of made a mental note to be there only during cherry season. Who doesn’t want to enjoy 2 cherry seasons in the same year? But that has to wait and this at least is easier. Buying it from from the supermarket! I couldn’t stop staring at them last week when I saw them. They were 5 times the regular price but no, there was no thinking twice when so many combinations were racing in my mind. Oh the possibilities!

I decided to make orange flavored cupcakes and add cherries to the batter. It was delicious. The best of winter and summer in a cupcake! I had some leftover vanilla frosting from a cake I made for a dear friend’s son’s birthday and I thought the colours would looking amazing together. To add extra tang to the cupcakes, I’ve used citrus peel that you could either make at home or use store bought. They are inexpensive and a great addition to your pantry if you like baking. You could add them to pretty much anything a get a nice little citrus boost in your baked goods. The birthday cake, I mentioned earlier (Chocolate Mud Cake with Pineapple Tim tams and vanilla frosting) was a huge success so I am sharing a photo of that as well at the end of the post.

Do you ever buy produce that is not in season? What is that one fruit or vegetable you would be ready to defy the seasons to bring home?

Orange Cupcakes With Cherries (partly adapted from Taste.com)
Makes 12

2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
3/4 cup castor sugar
1/4 cup milk
125 g butter, melted, cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 oranges, rind grated, juiced
1/2 cup citrus peel (divided)
1/2 cup cherries, pitted and roughly chopped (can use frozen or canned as well)
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream, to frost
Fresh Cherries, to decorate

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
4 egg whites
1 cup castor sugar
300 g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-2 drops, food coloring of your choice (optional)(I used teal)

To make the cupcakes : Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (180 degrees C for fan forced ovens). Line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases.
Combine flour and caster sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the center.
Add milk, butter, eggs, orange rind, vanilla and 1/2 cup of orange juice to flour mixture. Using a large metal spoon, stir gently to combine. Gently fold in 1/4 cup of the citrus peel and the chopped cherries.
Spoon mixture into prepared muffin pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

To make the Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream : Place the egg whites and sugar in a large bowl that is placed over a saucepan of simmering water (over low heat), and whisk continuously, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the bottom of the bowl is warm to touch

Remove the bowl from the heat and whip on high speed until meringue holds stiff peaks and looks glossy. The bowl should have completely cooled by now.
Add the butter, 2 tablespoon at a time, until thick and fluffy. If it begins to look curdled, continue to whip until it comes back together, before adding in remaining butter.

When the buttercream has come together, add the vanilla extract and food coloring (if using) and mix till you get the desired shade.

To assemble: Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, pipe a swirl of buttercream on the tops or could dollop it with an ice cream scoop. Decorate with fresh cherries and the leftover citrus peel.

Earl Grey Cupcakes

7|06|2016

When we moved countries a few years ago, the one big lifestyle change that happened to us as a couple was that we gave up drinking Chai. The milk-added version of tea. It’s kind of sad. Because tea was one of the first things that was taught to girls in Indian homes when I was growing up, it brings back a great deal of nostalgia. I learnt to make a good cup of chai from my grandmother. Good quality tea leaves with a great milk-water-sugar ratio and a hint of cardamom and ginger is the secret to a rejuvenating cup of tea. Like my Dad would say ‘ good cup of tea in the morning is a great start to the day’. Alas! In the last few years I became totally Australian in my love for coffee.

It all started during our first few months in Australia. Moving out of your comfort zone in to a new country means starting life anew. What we brought with us for the kitchen was minimal and most often, everything was cooked in either in the single frying pan or single saucepan we had with us. So boiling tea the traditional way didn’t seem like a good idea when the cleaning was quite a task. So we switched over to tea bags. I experimented with all varieties of tea I could find but never fell in love with any. Coffee was instead what I got hooked on to. The tea bags were soon used to flavour desserts. Tea is a wonderful flavour infuser. And Earl Grey is a classic! These cupcakes have a strong dose of Earl Grey tea and they are fabulous. They use the tea inside the bags to not only add flavour but texture as well. Unlike infusing milk ,cream or water with the tea bags, this recipe uses the actual leaves in the batter.

I’ve used an orange buttercream to frost the cupcakes to stick to the citrus notes in the cupcake. Did you know the flavour in Earl Grey is actually from the rind of Bergamot Oranges? Well, I’ve never seen that variety but how gorgeous is the flavour!

Earl Grey Cupcakes With Orange Buttercream
Makes 12 (cupcakes adapted from here)

2 Earl Grey tea bags
(1/4 cup) boiling water
1/3 cup (80 ml )milk
100 g butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
2/3 cup castor sugar
1 1/4 cups (190 g) self-raising flour

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper liners

Empty the tea leaves from the tea bags into a cup and add the boiling water. Set aside for 3 minutes. Stir in the milk and then transfer to a large bowl.

Add the butter, eggs, sugar and flour to the tea mixture. Use electric beaters on low speed to beat until just combined. Increase speed to medium and beat until the mixture is pale and creamy (the mixture may look slightly curdled).

Spoon the mixture evenly into the greased pans. Bake in preheated oven for 20-22 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside for 2-3 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

Once completely cooled, frost them with orange buttercream using a piping bag and a star nozzle. Decorate with sugar flowers.

Orange Swiss Meringue Buttercream
4 egg whites
1 cup castor sugar
300 g unsalted butter, room temperature
Finely grated zest of one orange
2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp Orange liquor (I used Cointreau), optional

To make the Buttercream : Place the egg whites and sugar in a large bowl that is placed over a saucepan of simmering water (over low heat), and whisk continuously, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the bottom of the bowl is warm to touch

When the buttercream has come together, add the orange zest and juice (and liquor, if using) and mix till smooth and well blended.

Easter Egg Cupcakes

25|03|2016

A quick post today to share these Easter egg filled cupcakes. It’s a long weekend as you know and ours is longer because the school gave an extra holiday so I’ve hardly hard time to catch my breath. And of course eggs. Chocolate eggs are in every possible place imaginable in my house. And I am not even having an egg hunt. The perils of being a mum to young twins! I was quite sure I wouldn’t have time to create Easter recipes but since I was making cupcakes, it struck me that I could have a little surprise hiding in the cupcakes.

I flavored the Easter cupcakes with brown sugar and golden syrup (you could use maple syrup or even honey) for a caramel like taste and stuffed them with Cadbury creme eggs. Whipped chocolate ganache is my quick, easy handy frosting in these occasions so I made one and decorated the frosting with sprinkles. Needless to say, it made my little bunnies as happy as ever. After all who doesn’t like cupcakes! Even if I am not eating them, I find them such a joy to look at when they are sitting on my cake stand.

Easter Egg Cupcakes (cupcake batter slightly adapted from here)
Makes 12

2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 tablespoon caster sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C (170 degrees C fan-forced) Grease a 12 hole muffin pan and line with paper liners.

Combine the flour, castor sugar and brown sugar in a bowl. Make a well in center.

Add milk, egg, oil and golden syrup (or maple syrup). Mix until just combined. Spoon 2 level tablespoons batter into paper cases. Top with 1 big or 2 small chocolate eggs. Top eggs with 2 level tablespoons of batter.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and just firm to touch. Stand in pans for 3 minutes. Carefully lift onto a wire rack to cool. Once cooled, frost with whipped chocolate ganache. Decorate with sprinkles.

Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting

340 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup heavy cream/thickened cream

Place chocolate pieces in a large heat proof bowl. Place cream in a saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Remove just before it reaches boiling point and pour over chocolate pieces. Leave aside for 5 minutes, then stir with a spoon to blend until smooth and glossy. Let the ganache cool completely before whipping it by hand or an electric mixer until fluffy. It is ready when it holds shape when lifted up with a spoon.
Fill up a piping bag which is fitted with a star nozzle at the end with the whipped chocolate ganache. Pipe on to cupcakes. Alternatively, spread or spoon the ganache on to the cupcakes.