Butter cream piping was the main objective of the second session of the cupcake and cake decorating course I'm attending. After getting over the first initial pang of pain at having to revisit the collage where i spent the most miserable year of my life i was now looking forward to the two hours i spend there on a Monday night.
Butter cream icing is slightly more technical then last weeks flat icing , the consistency of the butter cream has to be right - quite soft, if too hard it wont fit through the nozzle and then proceeds to burst out the piping bag and form a buttery sugary mess all over your hands, the temptation to lick it off soon went after the third time of this happening ( butter cream is not known for its health benefits).
Once i had mastered the piping i soon had a few cakes covered and spent the rest of my time blissfully making them look angelic and delightful as possible.
Just a quick note about cup cake recipes-
Last week i used my tried and trusted recipe which makes 12 mountainous delights, the texture is slightly dense but holds together well when being topped with lashings of butter cream or layers of roll out icing.
I only decided to differ from this when i overheard the other participants of the class talking about the recipes they used, the main one being a basic all in one mix for a Victoria sponge. Feeling as though i was the odd one out and i was missing a trick i proceeded to try it out.
The out come was ok - i wasn't entirely happy with the results, they looked the same but the cakes were sticky and slightly floppy when taken out of the case. Unable to take the poor cousin of my other cupcakes into my class, i was teetering on the edge of making up another batch of my faithful cakes when R came in. Once id told him my concerns he promptly picked one up and began to taste it, upon finishing he declared that they were ten times better than my previous ones. This could of been for two reasons A- He was actually telling the truth and was nothing to do with the fact that he'd not eaten anything since his breakfast, or B- His actual concerns lay not in my cupcakes but in the fact that i was wasting electricity by using the cooker again for the third time that day.
Perhap's i think about things way to much.
Anyway ill let you have the recipes then you can decide for yourself.
My Favourite Cup Cake Recipe
Makes 12 regular sized cupcakes
110g unsalted butter at room temperature
225g caster sugar
2 large free range eggs
150g self- raising flour, sifted
125g plain flour, sifted
120ml milk at room temperature
1 tsp of vanilla extract
Pre heat the oven to 160oc and line a 12 hole muffin or cupcake tray with muffin sized cup cake cases.
Cream together the butter and sugar using a hand mixer until the mixture is white and fluffy
Add the eggs one at each time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition
Mix the two flours together in a separate bowl
Add the vanilla extract to the milk
Add one third of the flours to the sugar and butter mixture and beat well.
Then add one third of the milk mixture and beat again
Repeat this process until all the flour and the milk has been used up
Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling them to around two thirds full- see note
Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes, although i start checking them at about twenty minutes
To make sure they are cooked they should be slightly golden in colour and when added to the center of the cakes a skewer should come out clean
Leave in their tins for around 10 minutes then place on a wire cooling rack.
Note- If the Cupcakes are intended to be decorated with flat/ roll out icing you may need to put a little less mixture in each case, if you forget don't worry as you can always cut the tops off the cakes once they have cooled
Victoria Sponge All In One Mix For Cup Cakes
Makes 12 regular sized cup cakes
225g soft margarine
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
225g self - raising flour
2 tsps baking powder
Pre heat the oven to 160oc
Line a muffin or cupcake tray with muffin sized cupcake cases
Place everything into a large bowl and beat well until thoroughly blended.
Spoon the mixture into the cases filling around two thirds full - see note above
Place in the oven for around twenty fives minutes although i start checking them at twenty minutes
The cupcakes are ready when they slightly golden in colour and when inserted into the center of the cakes a skewer comes out clean
Leave to rest in the tin for around ten minutes then place on a wire cooling rack.
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