Secret obsession of the week…

Yes everybody I am a huge Sponge Bob fan. I have admitted my addiction, and then I thought to myself…mmm sponge bob cupcakes. What could be more perfect? (Embarrassing fact = my ringtone is the theme song form Sponge Bob) Actually one of my friends said that her little boy loves sponge bob and that she wants to make him a Sponge Bob cake or cupcakes, and if I had any suggestions or tips.  So here we go…

Now I am also just starting in this baking business, but I think anyone can attempt these Sponge Bob delights seen below. If your not skilled with your piping bag or using fondant (which I recently had some fun with) then why not make plain cupcakes and make beautiful printables, applying them to straws, sticks, etc and pop them on the cupcakes. And there you go, no problem with crafting the most delicate  or even a 150 little Sponge Bob men form fondant.

Otherwise if you want to have a little fun, go ahead. I thought of even making the cupcakes pineapple flavoured…mmm “who lives in a pineapple under the sea” ring any bells? Maybe yellow or blue frosting? I also think a nice meringue frosting would be a hit with children; it’s like edible marshmallow. For kids a definite surprise in the middle of the cupcakes is a must. Think jellybeans, smarties, fizzers…just pop them in after baking. Also never forgetting maybe buying fun cupcake liners will also be great.

So all in all give these Sponge Bob cupcakes a crack, remember the character and colours choices are endless. There is also Sponge Bob’s best friend, Patrick. And the most adorable pet snail ever, Gary! 

Cupid’s arrow cupcakes recipe

Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

This recipe is a combination of Buddy Valastro recipes. I absolutely love the Cake Boss, so in all my crazy research these recipes that I combined made the best sense. So please bake these and let me know what you think, I certainly loved it…for my first time!

Cupcakes (24 medium sized)

Ingredients:

375g butter

2 cups sugar

2 tbsp cocoa

20/40 ml red food colouring

3 cups flour (sifted)

¼ tsp fine salt

1 ¼ tsp vanilla extract

1 ¼ tsp baking soda

1 ¼ tsp vinegar

3 large eggs

1 ¼ cups buttermilk

Pre heat oven to 176 °C.

Mix together the butter, sugar, cocoa, food colouring, flour, salt, vanilla extract, baking soda and vinegar in a bowl. Mix together at low speed then on medium speed for 1 minute until well mixed. Add eggs one at a time, mixing through well after each addition. Add the buttermilk in 2 portions. Mix well after additions. Fill each cupcake liner ¾ full with the batter.

Frosting:

500g cream cheese

125g butter

2 ½ cups icing sugar (sifted)

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed until smooth. Add the icing sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Mix well until fluffy.

Decorations:

Heart paper print outs.

Straws

100’s & 1000’s

Red fondant

Cut the straw ¾ of the way. Clamp one end between players and heat with a lighter. The end will see. Fill with 100’s and 1000’s. Close the other end same way as before. Push straw through the baked cupcake which has cooled. Stick heart shaped print cut outs on either end of the straw.

Cut out heart shapes from red fondant. Place on top of frosting

Cupid's arrow cupcakes

So love was all around us this week. Valentines day came and went. Red, pink, hearts and flowers were all around. I literally had hearts in my eyes. But who can forget about the delectable treats that are cupcakes! So with all this love in the air, I decided it’s time to try my first attempt at red velvet and cream cheese frosting.

So I did some research about these wonderful cupcakes, reading about chemical reactions and vinegar, cocoa and buttermilk. Seriously…all these things in one cupcake, I felt like a scientist. But so I did the digging, came up with a few recipes, and then took the plunge. And boy was I rewarded with the most delicious, soft, dense cupcakes. Not even to talk about that cream cheese frosting.

I also have to thank Bakerella, I took some inspiration from her valentines cupcakes with Cupid’s arrow. I just decided to give it a twist, fill the straws with 100’s and 1000’s and poke them through the delicious red velvetness. I personally think that cream cheese icing is the next best thing since sliced bread…but meringue frosting comes a close second.

So please enjoy these Cupid’s arrow cupcakes. Make them for a loved one, for yourself, just anytime you feel like baking. The recipe will be posted soon.

Free styled shoot...

AMAZING times cupcakers...I have just won a free styled shoot from Judith Doubell Photography...awesome awesome awesome! 

Can't wait to share all the cupcake delights with her, and get beautiful photos of my cupcakes!

http://www.judithdoubell.co.za

Remember create, make, bake...

Just some words...

I have been just so busy, having no time to spend baking delicious treats, which makes me super sad :-(

But I promise this weekend an effort will be made to produce yummy treats for all to enjoy…

Here are just some inspiration posters for today!

Inspiration...

Today I feel all weird...so i thought this little poster makes sense...

Recipe time...Toffee Tumbles

Almond Buttercake



150g butter, softened


1/2 teaspoon almond essence


2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar


2 eggs


1/3 cup (50g) self-raising flour


1/2 cup (75g) plain flour


1/2 cup (60g) almond meal
/regular flour

1/2 cup almonds chopped


Choux Pastry



60g butter


3/4 cup (180ml) water


3/4 cup (105g) plain flour


3 eggs, beaten lightly



Vanilla Custard



1 1/4 cups (310mls) milk


1 vanilla bean, split


4 egg yolks


1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar


1/4 cup (40g) cornflour



Toffee



1 cup (220g) caster sugar


1/2 cup (125ml) water



Make choux pastry; make vanilla custard. Preheat oven to moderate (180oC/160oC fan forced). Line 12-hole standard pan with paper cases. Beat butter, essence, sugar and eggs in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in sifted flours and almond meal, in two batches. Divide mixture among cases; smooth surface. Bake cakes about 20 minutes. Turn cakes onto wire rack to cool. Cut a 2cm deep hole in the centre of each cake, fill with custard; replace lid. Spread tops of cakes with a little more custard. Top with a layer of puffs. Stack remaining puffs on cakes dipping each in a little custard. Make toffee; drizzle over puffs.

Choux Pastry



Preheat oven to hot (220oC/200oC fan forced). Grease oven trays, line with baking paper. Combine butter with the water in medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Add flour, beat until mixture forms a smooth ball. Transfer mixture to small bowl, beat in egg with electric mixer in about six batches until mixture becomes glossy. Spoon mixture into piping bag fitted with 1 cm plain tube. Pipe about 300 tiny dollops of pastry (about 1/4 level teaspoon), onto trays; bake 7 minutes. Reduce oven to moderate (180oC/160oC fan forced), bake for a further 5 minutes or until puffs are crisp. Repeat with remaining mixture.



Vanilla Custard



Bring milk and vanilla bean to a boil in small saucepan; discard vanilla bean. Meanwhile, beat egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in small bowl with electric mixer until thick. With motor operating gradually beat in warm milk. Return custard to small pan; stir over heat until, mixture boils and thickens. Cover surface of custard with plastic wrap; cool.

 Mmmm most delicous custard I have made!

Toffee



Combine sugar with the water in small heavy-based saucepan. Stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, without stirring, until mixture is golden brown. Remove from heat; stand until bubbles subside before using. Mine took a while to get going and to turn that caramel brown colour.