Category: Cakes

Chocolate Sponge Cake – No electric mixer – make in the pan and bake in the oven

I am not surprised if you feel too lazy to take out all the necessary equipment to fix a cake sometimes, worrying about all the washing and wiping would be waiting!

So, why not try this recipe to save your day! Just call this, a ‘lazy cake’ because you don’t have to use the electric mixer or the mixing bowl at all. Instead, you just have to cook all the ingredients in a pan. The batter comes out creamy and silky smooth and bakes a super moist and incredibly delicious cake ever! You don’t have to ice this cake because it is perfect as it is.

This cake cannot go wrong, so do not worry. Just relax and fold the ingredients together and pop the batter into the oven. I baked this cake under 160C instead of usual 180C given the fact that the batter is a little too runny and also to achieve a more moist texture in the cake.

Tip: If the top of the cake is already browned and the middle is under cooked, cover the top with a baking sheet or just a blank-sheet and cook further 10 minutes

Ingredients needed:

Self-raising flour200g
Margarine or butter200g
Sugar200g
Cocoa powder2tbsp
Salt3 pinches
Baking powder1/2tsp
Water5tbsps
Milk3tbsp
Eggs2

Let’s make it:

Set the oven to 160 C

  • In a pan heat butter until melted and add sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves and add milk
  • In another pan heat water and add cocoa powder and salt. Stir under low flame until cocoa powder blooms. Pour into the pan with butter and sugar and give a good mix
  • Beat eggs with a fork until frothy and add to the pan
  • Add flour and baking powder together and drop to the pan.
  • Mix all together until a smooth batter is formed
  • It is this easy you see!
  • Now that all have come together as a runny batter, pour into a lined tray with parchment paper (If the batter has lumps, send through a sieve and pour into the baking tray
  • Bake in the bottom shelf of the oven for 30 mins or until a skewer comes out clean when stabbed in the middle
  • Once out of the oven, cover the top of the tray with a tea towel and let the cake cool off completely
  • Once cooled, take out of the tray and cut into dainty pieces. To achieve the best results, dip the knife in boiling water and wipe clean

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Butterscotch cake

Butterscotch Cake – A Delicious Treat For A Special Occasion

  • Birthday cake
  • 14th Anniversary cake
  • Engagement cake
  • butterscotch cake

Drenched in delicious butterscotch sauce and generously sprinkled crunchy Praline on top of the subtly sweet cream frosting, make this cake something to indulge for! There is no doubt that the sensational butterscotch sauce and the butterscotch Praline contribute to the glorious taste of this cake and make sure you get the taste and the consistency right while making them both.

You might find the recipe quite daunting with a long list of ingredients and an equally long list of instructions. However, if you get organised in advance, it is not a cumbersome task to assemble everything together. To make the whole procedure easy to follow, I have given the recipe in steps along with relevant pictures.

You just need to read through the recipe and jot down all the ingredients needed. Once the ingredients are gathered, it’s just a matter of organising the whole process and get to baking!

Happy Baking!

With Strawberries
With Cherries

Important tips :

  • Make the Praline and butterscotch sauce a day or two in advance and place in the fridge
  • Make the cakes on the previous day and store in an air-tight box or wrap in a cling film
  • Make the frosting on the previous day and store in the fridge
  • Wash the fruits and keep ready on a side
  • Place the mixer pins in the freezer and make sure the mixing bowl is dry
  • Everything is ready in advance means, the remaining tasks are super easy for you!
  • Make two round cakes
  • Make Butterscotch sauce
  • Make Praline
  • Make whipping cream frosting
  • Start assembling all
The process of making the cake in steps

Step1. Make the Butterscotch sauce

Ingredients needed:

Double cream1/2 cup
Sugar1/2 cup / 100g
Butter/Margarine1/4 cup / 50 g
Milk1 tbsp
Salt2 pinches
  • Heat sugar in a pan until golden brown
  • Add butter gradually while stirring continuously
  • Add cream little by little and add salt
  • Keep stirring until the sauce is thick and runny (10-15mins)
  • Pour into a glass jar and let it cool
  • Tip: If the sauce goes too thick either microwave for 30 seconds or a little more or pour 1 tbsp of hot water and mix thoroughly

Step 2. Make the two round cakes – diameter 20cm or 8 inches

Always bake two cakes and sandwich them which gives a considerable height and a prominent look to the finished cake.

Ingredients needed:

Caster sugar250 g
Margarine / Butter250 g
Self-raising flour250 g
Eggs4
Milk1/4 cup
Baking powder1 tsp
Salt3 pinches
Lemon juice1/2 tsp
Butterscotch sauce2tbsp
  • Set the oven to 180C – Must pre-heat at least 10-15 mins
  • Beat Sugar and Margarine together, using an electric hand mixer until creamy – (3 mins )
  • Add eggs one by one and beat after each addition (1 min after each egg)
  • Pour in butterscotch sauce and beat one round
  • Swift flour with baking powder and add. Mix with a wooden spoon
  • Add salt and lemon
  • Pour in milk
  • Combine all together until a creamy batter is formed
  • Divide into 2 equal parts and bake in two round trays (Trays must be lined with parchment paper)
  • Once baked, let the trays rest for 5 mins and take the cakes out and leave to cool on a wire rack
  • Your cakes are ready!

Step 3. Make Praline

Butterscotch sauce and Praline triangles
Crushed Praline and Praline Triangles

Ingredients needed:

Peanuts (no husk)150 g
Sugar200 g
Butter2 tbsp
Salt2 pinches
Double cream250 ml
  • Dry roast peanuts until crunchy
  • Grind roughly
  • Heat sugar until golden brown – Do not stir
  • Add butter and let it melt
  • Add double cream
  • Add peanuts
  • Quickly mix with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon
  • Flatten on a buttered tray and let cool
  • Cut a few triangles and keep them for decorating the cake
  • Place the rest in a bag and crush using a rolling pin or a bottle
  • Store in a jar until needed
  • Your Praline is ready!

Step 4.Make the Cream Frosting

The right consistency of Frosting – Peaks!

Most importantly the mixing bowl and mixer pins should be cold and dry. Double cream should be taken straight from the fridge ( Ideally, place the mixer pins in the freezer for 5 mins for best results)

Ingredients needed:

Double cream / Whipping cream250 ml
Icing sugar4 tbsp
Strawberries or Cherries for decorating
  • Beat double cream until thick (2 mins)
  • Add icing sugar gradually (ideally in three steps)
  • Beat until snowy peaks foam
  • Store in the fridge until needed

Step 5. Assemble the Cakes

  • Sandwich the cakes
  • Cover with frosting
  • Pat praline
  • Scrape off tops from both cakes
  • Stab the cakes in several places and make small holes, using a skewer
  • Mix 3 tbsp of butterscotch sauce and 1 tbsp water and pour over cakes
  • Drop a spoon of frosting in the middle of a round cake stand and place one round cake on it (this will make the cake stay steady on its place)
  • Smear a generous dollop of frosting on the top
  • Place the other round cake on top of it and sandwich both cakes
  • Smear frosting on the top and sides and flatten

Step 6. Decorating the cake

Christmas special Butterscotch cake
  • Take sauce into a piping bag and make it stand in a tall glass
  • Cut the tip of the piping bag
  • Pour around the cake making patterns. Let the sauce drip down
  • Pat Praline on the bottom ends and sprinkle some on the top
  • Decorate the top placing strawberries or cherries or any other suitable fruit
  • Stand praline triangles around and sprinkle more crusty praline on the cake
  • Place the cake in the fridge until needed
  • Always place it back in the fridge after taking out to serve. This cake will last up to 3-4 days in the fridge
  • Enjoy!

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1 min Chocolate mug cake

Chocolate Mug Cake – 1 min in the microwave

Divine Chocolate Mug Cake!

Indulge in this beautiful chocolate mug cake and forget all your troubles! Addictively warm and chocolatey, you will love to scoop it out while its chocolates melting down from the spoon!

Double the amount of ingredients and make it pronto treat for kids coming home after a long day at school or playground, a friend who dropped by just to say hello or just to cheer yourself up!

Just jot down the recipe and stick on the fridge because you will never stop making this. Who can resist this melt in the mouth cake?

Remember to pick wide mugs with average height shown in the picture. Also, it’s very important to fill only 1/4 of the mug because it will rise to the top and spill making an annoying mess.

Ingredients you will need for 2 mug cakes

To Whisk
Egg1
Sugar4 tbsp
Milk2 tbsp
Butter (melted)2 tbsp
Vanilla and SaltA few drops
Salt2 pinches
To Seive together
Plain flour/Self-raising flour4 tbsp
Baking powder1/4 tsp
Cocoa powder1 tbsp

Let’s make:

  • Whisk the egg with a fork until frothy
  • Melt the butter in the microwave or on the pan
  • Add sugar, milk, melted butter, vanilla, salt and whisk with a balloon whisk or a fork until the sugar dissolves completely
  • Add flour, baking powder and cocoa powder
  • Thoroughly whisk the batter with the fork until all comes creamy and runny
  • Pour only up to 1/4 of two wide mugs
  • Drop some chocolate shavings
  • Microwave one mug for 1 minute on full power
  • Take out and sprinkle more milk chocolate shavings on the top
  • Microwave the second mug and drop chocolate shavings on that too
  • Your gorgeous two chocolate mug cakes are ready to devour!

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chocolate butter icing

Chocolate Butter Icing – Silky and Smooth

butter icing
Chocolate cake with butter icing recipe:
https://happyrecipes.co.uk/chocolate-cake-with-butter-icing/

You will fall in love with this silky smooth chocolate butter icing which is indeed the most delicious, perfect frosting for your chocolate cake!

Make this beautiful icing in advance and store it in a plastic box and place in the fridge to use it whenever you need to frost a cake. Super easy! It will stay fresh for several weeks!

Never forget to add the required amount of lemon juice. It creates magic! Do an experiment without it and with it! You will instantly notice the beautiful blend of sweet flavours enhanced by lemon juice.

Also, it’s very important to stick to the 2:1 proportions in measuring icing sugar and margarine to achieve the best results. Always the amount of margarine should be exactly half of the icing sugar.

You will need the following ingredients;

Icing sugar300 g
Margerine / Spread125 g
Cocoa powder4-5 tbsp
Lemon juice1 tsp
Salt and Vanilla essence 3 pinches and 1 tsp
Milk2 tbsp

Let’s whip it;

  • Using a sieve, swift the icing sugar until no hard bits remain
  • In a large bowl add margarine and beat in high speed with an electric hand mixer, until creamy
  • Add icing sugar, cocoa powder, lemon juice, salt and milk
  • Beat for several rounds until everything blends into a smooth and creamy texture
  • You chocolate butter icing is ready to use

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butter icing

Delicious buttercream and chocolate Frosting for cakes

Vanilla buttercream Icing

Buttercream icing

Whip up this creamy butter icing in less than 2 mins for frosting your cake and it will whisper a delicious story to anyone who tastes a slice from it!

My personal opinion is that you should never use butter for this recipe despite it is being named as ‘Butter Icing’. Butter leaves a lumpy heap in cold weathers and melts soon in hot weathers. Also, it is very dense and sticky too. Good quality spread or margarine is the best choice to make butter icing which will never let you down in taste as well as in texture. It will come out light, creamy and satin silk, making it a joy to frost your cake!

Ingredients:

Icing sugar (Swift using a sieve to get rid of hard bits)300 g
Margarine or Spread (I use Stork UK brand)
Under room temperature		125 g
Fresh milk3 tbsp
Lemon juice1 tsp
Vanilla essence1 from bottle cap

Let’s whip it:

  • Swift icing sugar to get rid of hard bits
  • Beat icing sugar and margarine together
  • Add milk, vanilla and lemon.
  • Beat in high speed until the consistency is creamy
  • You can frost your cake now!

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

Icing sugar (Swift using a sieve to get rid of hard bits)300 g
Margarine or Spread (I use Stork UK brand)
Under room temperature		125 g
Fresh milk3 tbsp
Cocoa Powder4-5 tbsp
Lemon juice1 tsp
Vanilla essence1 from bottle cap

Let’s whip it;

  • Swift icing sugar to get rid of hard bits
  • Beat icing sugar and margarine together until creamy
  • Add cocoa powder and mix
  • Add milk, vanilla and lemon.
  • Beat in high speed until the consistency is silky and creamy
  • You can frost your cake now
  • The excess frosting could be stored in a plastic box and place in the fridge up to a month

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Victoria sponge cake

Victoria Sponge Cake With Silky Butter Cream Icing-

This lusciously rich Victoria Sponge cake, topped with creamy butter icing and sandwiched with homemade strawberry jam, is an ideal creation for any occasion.

Victoria Sponge, named after Queen Victoria,  who was known to enjoy a slice of this cake with her afternoon tea, is now a classic teatime favourite in England.  Traditionally, this cake is round in shape and the top is dusted with icing sugar. 

Remember to smear butter icing generously on the top to make the cake irresistible!

strawberry jam
Strawberry jam recipe link: https://happyrecipes.co.uk/tag/how-to-make-strawberry-jam/

Ingredients needed to make the sponge :

Self Raising flour / Cake flour250 g
Margarine or melted butter under room temperature250 g
Caster sugar250 g
Eggs under room temp4
Milk3 tbsp
Lemon juice and Vanilla essence1  tsp each
Salt2 pinches
Baking powder1 tsp

Let’s start :

Let’s make it: Set the oven to 180 C .

Cream the batter

  • Cream butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy,  using an electric hand mixer.  Go clockwise  (3 – 4 mins)
  • Add eggs, one at a time. Make sure you beat  after each addition ( Beat 15 seconds after each egg)
  • Add vanilla essence,  lemon juice, salt, milk and whisk two rounds (1 min) 
  • Mix baking powder to flour and sieve onto the cake batter
  • Fold the flour gently with a wooden spoon until everything comes together as a creamy batter

Into the tray

  • Divide the batter equally into two parts ( If you have two similar trays, both cakes could go to the oven at the same time. Otherwise, bake one and use the same tray to bake the other)
  • Line up the bottom of the  baking tray with a parchment paper cut according to the shape and rub butter and dust flour on the sides
  • Spoon one part of the batter into the baking tray and flatten with a spatula.
  • Lift up the tray and drop it twice onto your kitchen-top gently, allowing the batter to spread and settle evenly on the try

Oven

  • Place the tray in middle/bottom shelf of the oven (If your oven heats up too soon, set the temp. for 160 C degrees and bake the cake in the lower shelf)
  • Bake for 20 mins or the top turns golden yellow  (Never open the oven door in the initial 10 mins.  If the top is browned and the middle is not baked, do not worry, just cover the top with a parchment paper and continue to bake for further 10 mins)

Take out / Bake the next

  • After 20 mins, insert a skewer into the middle of the cake and if it comes clean,  your cake is ready
  • Take it out from the oven and let it rest for 10 mins
  • Slowly remove from the tray and place the cake on a cooling rack
  • Now bake the rest of the batter in the same tray and let both cakes cool off completely
  • Meanwhhile, whip up the butter icing

Delicious Butter Icing Recipe

Butter icing recipe
  • Icing sugar –   300 g (Sieve twice to get the best smooth icing sugar)
  • Stork spread/ Margerine 125 g
  • Lemon juice –   1 tsp
  • Milk –  3 tbsp
  • Vanilla essence – two drops

Let’s make the icing;

  • Cream up all together using an electric hand mixer
  • The icing should have no lumpy bits but a very smooth creamy texture

Let’s ice the cake

  • Scrape the tops gently off
  • Smear strawberry jam generously on the bottom layer
  • Then spread buttercream icing on the jam layer
  • Place the other cake on top  and sandwich the cakes
  • Spread a layer of buttercream icing on the top and decorate with strawberries or raspberries
  • Leave in the fridge for 1/2 hr before serving
  • Dip a long knife in boiling water, wipe clean and gently cut dainty pieces
  • Serve with more strawberries on the side
  • Enjoy!

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Sticky date cake

Sticky Date Cake – Soaked In Delicious Toffee Sauce

Sticky date cake

The perfect combination of the richness of dates and the sticky sweetness of the toffee sauce make this cake rich, moist and supremely delicious! Make this juicy cake to celebrate any occasion and you will give such warmth and joy to your guests.

Make this the day before, allowing all the flavours and juices to infuse properly.  Serve the daintily-cut, triangle cake pieces with a pool of toffee sauce.

Ingredients needed:

Wet dates (de-stoned)250g
Self raising flour150 g
Brown sugar150 g
Eggs2
Margerine/Cake spread/Butter melted65 g
Bicarb powder1 tsp
Water1 cup
Salt3 pinches
For the toffee sauce
Brown sugar5 tbsp
Margerine or butter3 tbsp
Milk3 tbsp
Salt1 pinch

Let’s make it :

  • Cut the dates into small pieces
  • Place the date pieces and water into a deep pan and bring to boil – (3-4 mins) Do not over boil as the dates will become a sticky pulp
  • Switch the flame off and add 1tsp of bicarb and mix well
  • Add sugar and stir until dissolved
  • Next, add margarine and give a good mix
  • Beat the 2 eggs lightly and add to the mixture
  • Add the flour little by a little while mixing gradually
  • Finally,  add a drop of lemon juice and vanilla and mix until everything combines properly
  • Pour the batter onto a round cake tray (line up the tray with parchment paper or rub butter and dust with flour)
  • Keep aside for 15 mins for all the flavours to incorporate properly
  • Bake in the lower rack of the oven for 20 mins under 180C degrees
  • After 20 mins stab a skewer and check if it comes clean.  If not, keep in the oven for a little longer
  • Keep the cake to cool off completely in the tray itself
  • Once cooled off, take the cake out slowly and remove the lining and stab with a skewer in several places

How to make the Toffee sauce

  • Add 5 tbsp of sugar into a thick bottom pan and switch the flame on to medium
  • Let the sugar turn golden
  • Add butter immediately and give a good stir
  • Then add milk and a pinch of salt and stir under low flame until the sugar crystals melt and turn into a thick sauce
  • Take off  the flame and keep to cool
  • Pour half of it over the cake letting the sauce run through the holes
  • Smear more sauce all over the top
  • Leave the cake overnight for the best taste!
  • Drizzle the rest of the toffee sauce over the cake slices and serve
  • Yum! Yum!

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Christmas log cake

Yule Log Cake – Christmas Yule Log Filled With Butter Cream Frosting

Yule Log 🎄is a very special part of Christmas celebrations dating back to medieval times.  In the yesteryears, around Europe, this tradition was one of the highlights during Christmas time.   An entire tree was carefully chosen and cut down, cleared of all branches and brought to the house.  Then one side of it would be placed in the fire hearth while the rest of the log would be lying in the room.  Then the tree would be lit up by the remains of the last year’s log and slowly fed into the fire through the Twelve Days of Christmas bringing such cozy warmth and festive spirit to the family.

Making this chocolate Yule Log cake,  which is filled with buttery chocolate icing, is easy and fun!  I particularly loved decorating it, giving it a real Christmassy appearance; fixing a few holly leaves on the top with red berries and dusting it with icing sugar to make it look like snowflakes made my heart swell with glee!

So, let’s gather the following ingredients and get on with making this delicious cake before the Christmas day dawns.

For the cake you will need;

 Plain Flour 50 g
 Sugar (white caster or soft brown sugar) 120 g
 Eggs 3
 Baking Powder 1 tsp
 Corn Flour 2 tbsp
 Cocoa Powder 1 & 1/2tbsp
 Salt 2 pinches
 Vanilla1/2 tsp

For the butter icing

 Icing Sugar 200 g
 Margarine or spread 100 g
 Vanilla and a few drops of lemon juice 
 Cocoa Powder 1 & 1/2tbsp
 Fresh Milk 1 tbsp

Let’s make the cake 

Set the Oven to 180 C

Cream the batter

  • Separate the egg whites and yolks carefully (not even a drop of yolk should be in the whites)
Peaks!
  • Add sugar in three times while beating in high speed for 1 min (Never drop all the sugar at once)
  • Add egg yolks and beat for 2 mins
  • Add chocolate powder, baking powder, cornflour, and plain flour together and sieve on to the batter
  • Add salt and vanilla
  • Do not use the electric mixer at this point.  Fold the flour using a spatula until the batter becomes creamy.

Prepare the tin

  • 12″ x 10″ size Swiss cake tin is the right size for the sponge
  • Line up with a parchment paper

Prepare the parchment paper for rolling the cake

  • Lay a wide parchment paper on a  kitchen towel
  • Sprinkle granulated sugar and keep it ready for rolling out the cake

Bake 

  • Spread the sponge batter on the tray
  • Lift and drop the tray twice on the kitchen top for the batter to settle evenly
  • Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 mins

Take the cake out of the oven

  • Lay the cake face down on the sugar sprinkled the parchment paper
  • Sprinkle some water on to the lining parchment paper, so that it comes out easily.  Peel it off gently

Roll out

  • While the cake is still very warm, roll out the cake with the parchment paper
  • Leave it to cool off completely for 1 hr.

Let’s make the butter icing

  • Mix 200g of icing sugar and 1 & 1/2 tbsp of cocoa powder and sieve on to 100g of  margarine/spread and beat it in high speed for 2 mins
  • Add 1 tbsp of fresh milk,  vanilla and a few drops of lemon juice
  • Beat all together until creamy
  • Chocolate butter icing is ready to use!

(You can make an extra batch of butter icing and keep it in an airtight plastic box in the fridge for future use.  For the next cake, place the box of icing in the microwave and heat up for 15 seconds to melt it and spread on the cake)

Ice the cake

  • Open the cake flat on a tray
  • Spread a thick layer of butter icing
  • Roll it gently
  • Smear a generous amount of chocolate butter icing on top
  • Run a fork across the surface, making it look like a real log!
  • Dust with icing sugar
  • Decorate to your heart’s content and bring your inner Christmas spirit out!
Christmas log cake

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Manori
banana and walnut cake

Banana And Walnut Cake – Better Than Starbucks’

The fresh taste and scent of bananas and the crunchiness of walnuts in this cake is a real temptation!

In the process of trying to produce something similar to Starbucks’ banana and walnut cake, I ended up creating something far better and simply irresistible.  Also, by adding golden syrup, milk and lemon juice on impulse brought wonders to the flavours!

Over-riped bananas with black patches on the skin are the best for this cake. They are high in flavour and moisture, which in turn gives a delicious scent and taste to this cake.

Over-riped bananas – best for banana cake

Necessary ingredients:

 Over- riped bananas 2 large
 Soft brown sugar 170 g
 Margerine or butter (under room temp) 150 g
 Self-raising flour 225 g
 Eggs 2
 Fresh milk 2 tbsp
 Golden syrup 1 tbsp
 Salt 3 pinches
 Lemon juice 1 tsp
 Bicarbonate of soda 1 & 1/2 tsp
 Walnuts crushed (extra handful for sprinkling on the top) 60 g
Golden syrup 1 tbsp
Let’s make :

Set the Oven to 180 C

Mash the bananas
  • Using a fork gently mash the bananas and keep aside
Cream the batter
  • Cream margerine with sugar using the electric hand or stand mixer
  • Add eggs one at a time,  beating after each addition
  • Beat for 2 mins until creamy
  • Add the mashed banana and beat just one round
  • Add salt and bicarb to flour and sieve on to the batter
  • Add lemon juice and vanilla
  • Add golden syrup
  • Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix all into a smooth batter
  • Add crushed walnuts and give a good mix with the spoon
Prepare the tray
  • Best choice is the classic loaf tray for this cake
  • Rub butter inside walls of the tray and sprinkle flour until all sides are coated or lay a parchment paper
  • Spoon the batter into a loaf tin
  • Sprinkle a handful of crushed walnuts on the top
Bake
  • Place in the  bottom shelf of the oven as this is a very wet cake and needs to be baked nice and slow
  • Bake for 30 – 40 mins or when stabbed with a skewer, it should come clean
  • After 1/2 hr, if the top of the cake is browned but the middle is still soggy, cover the top with a foil paper or baking sheet and bake furthermore
  • After 40 mins stab a skewer into the middle and check if it comes clean
  • Take out of the oven
  • Let the cake rest in the tray itself for 10 mins
  • Take out and wrap with a foil paper and keep until it cools down completely (This will evenly distribute the warmth and make the cake moist)
Serve
  • Take a long bread knife and dip it in boiling water for 2 mins. Wipe the water  (This will prevent the cake from crumbling while cutting)
  • Now cut the cake into dainty slices very gently as the walnuts can come between the knife
  • Serve with a hot cup of coffee

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Vanilla Cup Cakes – with amusing expressions

You can see the moods created on top of the iced cupcake to imply that expressions are unique to us, humans: Cool faces, mild faces, wild faces, glamours faces with pouting lips and guys with cool glasses and some sad faces with a single tear.  You can set your creative ideas to take over and enjoy doing something unique and beautiful to make yours look special!

I used ready to roll icing in different colours to make the features.  Delicious home-made butter icing (recipe is given below) is smeared liberally on all the cupcakes.

I normally bake the cupcakes on the previous day and let them cool off completely.  Next day, you have all the time and energy to spare for decorating them elaborately.  If you couple both on the same day, you could be too tired to launch yourself in decorating them at your heart’s desire.

So, let’s start,

You will need the following ingredients

Self Raising flour250 g
Margarine or butter softened (30 secs in the microwave )250 g
Caster sugar250 g
Eggs4
Milk1/4 cup
Baking powder1 tsp
Lemon juice and Vanilla essence1  tsp each
Salt3 pinches

Let’s make them

Set the oven to 180 C . (Temperature conversion is given under Tips)

  • Beat butter and sugar together until creamy, using an electric hand mixer (3 mins)
  • Add eggs, one at a time. Make sure you beat well after each addition for 1/2 min
  • Add vanilla essence,  lemon juice and beat for two rounds.
  • Mix baking powder, flour and salt together and sieve onto the cake batter, holding the sieve well above, allowing the air to escape
  • Do not use the electric mixer at this point.  Fold the flour gently with a wooden spoon until everything turns into a creamy batter
  • Add milk and mix well
  • Your cake batter is ready now

Fill the cupcake cases and bake now

cupcake-cases-300x300
cup-cake-tray-300x300
  • Fill the paper cupcake cases 3/4th with the batter, leaving space for cakes to rise
  • Place the cakes in the cupcake tray
  • Pop it into the oven
  • Bake for 13-20 min
  • Insert a skewer into the middle of the cake and if it comes clean,  your cake is ready
  • Take the tray out of the oven and let it rest for 10 mins
  • Slowly remove the cupcakes from the tray and place them on a cooling rack
  • Let the cakes cool off completely

Let’s make the butter icing now

 Icing sugar (seived)300 g
Butter or Margarine125 g
Lemon juice1/2 tsp
Milk1 tbsp
Vanilla a few drops 

Let’s make the icing

  • Cream butter using an electric hand mixer
  • Sieve the icing sugar and add
  • Add lemon, milk and vanilla
  • Beat in high speed for a couple of minutes to until a smooth and creamy texture is formed

Decorate the cupcakes now

  • Spread a layer of icing on the top
  • To decorate you can opt for any kind of sweets; smarties, m&m, jelly babies, sprinkles
  • To set features, roll out different coloured royal icing and arrange on the top
  • Your pretty cupcakes are ready to serve!

Please click the Older Posts link below for more recipes in this category

Manori