Cupcake Fact Five – 99 Cupcakes

A little random fact for your Friday afternoon…

There are 99 cupcake books listed under the study section in Books on Amazon.co.uk.

No more, no less. Just 99 Cupcake Books.

Sarah

Day 5 of Cupcake Week – Vegan Cupcakes

Who said that vegans didn’t know how to have fun? What could be more fun then a cupcake with fluffy frosting?

I realise that I have already given the recipe for chocolate cupcakes this week, however I assure you this one is different as it is VEGAN.

I myself am not a vegan, however I can perfectly understand people wanting alternatives to dairy or egg recipes. I found this recipe on Chow.com.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Fluffy Vegan Buttercream – Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup soy milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for Frosting

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, we use Earth Balance

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup plain soy milk or soy creamer

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle.

Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK).

Pour into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Buttercream Ingredients

Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes.

Add the vanilla and soy milk, and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy.

Sarah

Cupcake Fact Four – World’s Largest Cupcake

Made by Duff Goldman of Charm City Cakes, the record-breaking cupcake is 18 inches wide and 12 inches tall.

150 times the size of a regular cupcake, the cake was baked in support of the Great American Bake Sale, which raised $10,000 and awareness for Share Our Strength, a charity working to fight hunger across America.

Sarah

Day 4 of Cupcake Week - Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red velvet cupcakes are one of my all time favourite cupcakes. I don’t know if it’s the colour, or the flavour, or the combination of cream cheese frosting and cake.

Who knows? Nevertheless, I love them and I hope you will too.

I found this recipe on the Food Network website, and like most cupcake recipes, it is written in American measurements. Don’t let this put you off, it is well worth the weight conversion!

Red Velvet Cupcakes – Makes 24 Cakes

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

2 eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened

2 sticks butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.

In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer.

Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through.

Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth.

Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Cook's Note: Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe it on with a big star tip.

Sarah

Ps. I sprinkle crumbs of red velvet over the frosting to make the cakes extra special.

Cupcake Fact Three – Pickle and Ice Cream Cupcakes Exist

One of the blogs that I love to follow is the Cupcake Project. I love writing when it is stylised and written with personality, and I love cake even more. This makes the Cupcake Project the perfect blog for me.

Stef who writes the blog is currently pregnant and thought it would be fitting to make a Pickle (Gherkin) and Ice Cream Cupcake. Now this sounds disgusting to me, but I was very intrigued and I thoroughly enjoyed this particular blog entry.

Whilst this doesn’t necessarily count as a fact, I feel it is an anecdote worth sharing.

Click Here to visit the blog.

Sarah

Day 3 of Cupcake Week – Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Cookies and Cream is a flavour proving to be very popular amongst my friends at the moment. I haven’t tried to make them yet but I am going to give this recipe from The Appropriated Muffin a go.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes – Makes 16

Cookies and Cream Cupcake Mix

1 Stick (1/2C) unsalted butter, softened
1C granulated sugar
2tsp Vanilla extract
2-1/4C Flour
1 Tbsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1C Heavy (Whipping) Cream*
1C Crushed Oreos

Cookies and Cream Buttercream Frosting
adapted from 500 Cupcakes
3C powdered sugar
2 sticks (1C) unsalted butter, softened
Pinch of Salt
Crushed Oreos

I made a quarter-recipe: (Could have made half-recipe)
3/4C powdered sugar
1/2Stick (4tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
Pinch of Salt
1/2 tsp Vanilla
Oreos (not crumbled yet)

* Notes: I used heavy whipping cream since I had it in the fridge. I don't know if it makes a big difference if I just used whole milk as the other recipe calls for. But this time, the cake cakes came out better. Can't say why though since there are so many changes I made. Also, I added in a bit more heavy cream than the recipe states- just added a bit more for a nice smooth batter.

Cake Mix

Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C / Gas Mark 4 and line 16 muffin cases.

Cream butter and sugar until pale pale yellow. Add vanilla.
Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add eggs. Beat well. (Batter will be thick.)
Add heavy cream. Use more if want to thin out batter even more.
Add crushed Oreos. I used the electric mixer and beat them in... this made the batter darker colored since I destroyed most of the chocolate cookies. You can fold them into batter if you prefer. I did a combo of mixer and hand. I didn't measure out how many Oreos I added either. I like Oreos, so I added a lot.
Pour 3/4 cup full and bake for 20 mins.

Frosting
Cream sugar and butter VERY well, until white. Add vanilla extract. Add pinch of salt.
Scrape off Oreo centers from cookies and mix into the frosting. Then crush/crumble cookies and fold in. I liked to keep the frosting white.

Sarah

Cupcake Fact Two – World’s Smallest Cupcake

Found on AndreaHarner.com, I am not sure if this one qualifies for the Guinness Book of Records, but it is still a nice effort.

Look out for the official World’s Largest Cupcake on Thursday.

Sarah

Day 2 of Cupcake Week – Chocolate Cupcakes

Moving onto yummy chocolate, I found this recipe on www.JoyOfBaking.com. You will need some measuring cups for this one as it is written the ol’ American way.

I take out ¼ of the vanilla icing before adding the chocolate, and then pipe a cream coloured swirl on top of the brown frosted cake: just to make them extra special.

Chocolate Cupcakes - Makes about 16 cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes:

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 cup boiling hot water

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Fudge Frosting:

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cups confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly butter, or line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a small bowl stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.

Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 16-20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. You can either spread the frosting on the cupcakes with a small spatula or if piping, using a large Wilton 1M open star tip to make lovely swirls.

Chocolate Frosting: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy (about 2 -3 minutes).

Sarah

Cupcake Fact One – Cupcake History

The cupcake (or cup cake) is believed to have originated in the early 19th Century.

Referring to small cakes the size of a teacup, the name ‘Cupcake’ is said to originate from the ramekins or china cups the small cakes were baked in, prior to the invention of the muffin tin.

Commonly known as the Fairy Cake in the UK, this traditional British sweet is slightly smaller than is American relative and is thought to have gotten its name from the whimsical idea of the cakes being small enough for a Fairy’s Tea Party.

Sarah

Day 1 of Cupcake Week – Vanilla Cupcakes

Welcome to the ChichesterCookshop.co.uk Cupcake Week

We are starting off easy and simple. Once we master the basics then we can add things and get fancy. But for now, it’s a plain vanilla cupcake ‘topped with a jaunty swirl of butter frosting to give them a Dior glamour’

I’ve found this recipe from Dan Lepard on the Guardian website:

Vanilla Cupcakes – makes 8 large cakes

For the cakes

125g caster sugar
125g unsalted butter, very soft
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
150g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder

For the frosting

75g unsalted butter, very soft
250g icing sugar
75g sweetened condensed milk
75ml double cream

In the bowl of an upright electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla for three minutes on the highest speed until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and baking powder two or three times (this stops tunnels forming in the crumb), then add to the butter mix and beat for 30 seconds.

Spoon into eight muffin cups placed in the pockets of a muffin tray, and set aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and firm. Leave to cool.

For the frosting, get the butter as soft as possible without melting, then put in a bowl with the other ingredients. Whisk until smooth and fluffy, then top each cupcake with a thick swirl. The sugar in the frosting means it will keep at cool room temperature.

Look back at the blog later today for the first cupcake fact!

Sarah

Cupcake Week

Cupcakes are the baking trend of the moment. From weddings to children’s birthday parties, everyone is making cupcakes – I know I am!

I have been into my cupcake baking for a while now, and I am starting to get a bit of a reputation (mainly for my aptly named signature cakes). My cakes are so popular that I have been asked to bake for a friend’s birthday party.

Now, you have to understand that I have never HAD to bake before. I volunteer my services because I love baking and no one quite knows what they are going to get because I happen to bake whatever I am in the mood for. Somehow this takes away the pressure of the cakes having to be perfect.

However, the ‘commissioning’ of my cupcake service makes me somewhat edgy. Not because I am scared of baking for an event, but because I don’t want to let my friend down.

In preparation for the party cakes, I have been trawling through cupcake recipes to find different flavours of cupcake, and lets just say it’s been an eye-opener. So to help you, my fellow cakey bakers, I am going to post cupcake recipes everyday for a week. Ergo, Cupcake Week is born.

See you Monday through to Sunday for a different cupcake everyday.

Sarah

Tantalisingly Tangy Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin is one of my favourite desserts when made well. I love the gooeyness, the chewyness and above all, the naughtyness of such an indulgence.

What puts me off making tarte tatin is the hassle of finding a decent tin that is as good on the hob as it is in the oven… and then the washing-up of said tin. Now having said all of that, I do in fact have the answer to the pastry chef’s woes!

As with all my favourite cake pans, it is made by my old faithful manufacturer Silverwood, and it is made of that oh-so-clever anodised material. Heavy-based to work on even an Aga, the Silverwood Tarte Tatin tin is easy to clean, and perfect in the oven and on the hob.

So, after solving the puzzle of a decent tin, it is only fair that I provide you with a recipe:

Apple Tarte Tatin

Pastry Recipe
175g (6oz) plain flour
25g (1oz) caster sugar
75g (3oz) unsalted butter, chilled & diced
1 medium egg yolk
2-3 tbsp icy cold water Pinch of salt

Apple Filling
75g (3oz) unsalted butter
175g (6oz) caster sugar
1.35kg (3lb) dessert apples, ideally Cox's Orange Pippin or Granny Smiths

Preheat the oven to 220º C (Gas mark 7).

Peel, core and halve the apples. Arrange them in the pan, on top of the butter and sugar, so that the apple halves stand up vertically, on their sides. Pack them in tightly, so that they hold each other up while cooking.

Put the Tatin Pan on the hob and heat to moderate heat. Cook for 20 - 30 minutes, until the butter and sugar have formed a richly coloured caramel and all the moisture from the apples has evaporated (all the steaming will have stopped). Remove from the heat.

Roll out the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface to a circle about the same size as the top rim of the pan. Lay the pastry around a rolling pin and place it over the cooked apples to cover them completely.

Tuck the edges of the pastry down inside the pan and then prick the pastry lid all over with a fork.

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Loosen the pastry edges and turn out the tart, upside down, so that the pastry becomes the base, under the apples.

Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream, or crème fraîche.

Sarah

How tweet; the Chichester Cookshop is on Twitter

Yes, that’s right. ChichesterCookshop.co.uk has joined the Twitter revolution and is in full Tweet, giving you status updates on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays… and maybe odd times in between.

Find our username ‘ChiCookshop’, or our full name ‘Chichester Cookshop’ and follow our stream.

Sarah

Tidying up the kitchen

I have had a busy time of the website this week and I have finally tidied up the Kitchen Accessories section on ChichesterCookshop.co.uk. There are fewer sections to choose from, which will make it easier to find stuff.

You will notice that some small items have disappeared, but this is to make way for new exciting products. If there was something in particular that you wanted and now cant see it, just ask and we will do our best to source it for you. Remember, not all of the stock in our shops is on the website, so it is always worth dropping an email to info@chichestercookshop.co.uk.

Sarah

Catering for the numbers

Keeping drinks hot on a buffet table has always been a bit of a palaver. Be it a drinks break at a business meeting or the need to provide some warmth when working outside, you can always guarantee confusion as to what is in each pot, and then a disappointment when the hot stuff comes out tasting funny and luke warm.

Here at ChichesterCookshop.co.uk we suggest the Emsa President Pump-Vacuum jug. It has a lockable top that helps to minimise waste and spillage and an easy to use press-down top that anybody could use. The unbreakable stainless steel Emsa Pump Pot has an easy carry handle and a removable lid for easy cleaning. Plus, the clever air displacement system will dispense drinks whilst keeping remaining jug contents hot for up to 6 hours.

The 3-litre Emsa President Vacuum Pump Jug is one of our best selling products online; in fact we are so proud of it as a clean, effective, solution for serving your tasty refreshing beverages, that it comes with a 5 year warranty.

Sarah