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

Red Velvet Cake: a sensory experience

Red Velvet Cake is one of my all time favourite cakes. Everything about it is deliciously indulgent: from the colour, to the layering of the sponge to the frosting.

I made this cake for my Granny’s 80^th Birthday and it went down a treat. It is a relatively unknown cake in the UK, making it a talking point and ideal for a party. Red Velvet Cake looks exquisite when cut, the cream frosting contrasts the four layers of red sponge beautifully providing a feast for the eyes.

I used two Silverwood 9" Sponge Tin to make my cake. The cake cooks quicker, was lovely and moist and came out of the tin without sticking.

Red Velvet Cake

Makes one - 9 inch (23 cm) four-layer cake

Ingredients

Sponge:

2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons (15 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

2 tablespoons liquid red food colouring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 1/2 (360 ml) cups heavy whipping cream

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (115 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted

Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in centre of oven. Butter two 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour

.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan.

Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least an hour. (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting: In your food processor, or with a hand mixer, process the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and process until smooth. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Then, in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. With a large spatula, gently but quickly fold a little of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream, in two stages. Cover and place the frosting in the refrigerator for an hour or two, or until it is firm enough to spread.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting. Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish the cake with sweetened or unsweetened coconut.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do,

Sarah

Gooey Gingerbread

This recipe was given to me at a meeting I attended in preparation for Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning and I have been meaning to share it ever since. I think gingerbread is best enjoyed in the autumn, when the warming spice makes a comforting indulgent snack.

Ingredients

• 50g (2oz) Black Treacle
• 50g (2oz) Golden Syrup
• 100g (4oz) Butter or Margarine
• 100g (4oz) Brown Sugar
• 175g (6oz) Plain Flour
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate Soda
• 1 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1 Egg
• 150ml (1/4 pint) Milk
• 3 Pieces of Stem Ginger (Sliced)

Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4 and grease a 2lb loaf tin.

Heat the treacle, syrup, butter and sugar in a small saucepan until melted. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat.

Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger in a large bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients and gradually stir in the syrup mixture, egg and milk, stirring well to form a batter.

Pour the mixture into the loaf tin, arranging the sliced ginger on top. Bake for 60 minutes or until cooked through; allow to cool before then removing from the tin.

I would recommend the Silverwood 2lb Loaf Pan for this recipe as the tin will help the loaf to cook evenly and the sticky loaf should come out of the tin like a breeze.

Sarah

Cake decorating now supplied at The Bognor Cookshop

Whatever the occasion Marilyn's Cakes can provide the cake to go with it! Be it a Wedding, Birthday, Anniversary or Christening, have a browse and discuss Marilyn’s unique designs with us at The Bognor Cookshop ready to order as soon as you wish.

Discover just what you are looking for to put a smile on some-ones face this Christmas, as we are currently supplying a wide range of tasteful sugarcraft items for the visionary out there to create your own work of art. Mix and match and create your own to fulfil your specific design wishes. With a catalogue of hand-crafted cakes from rich fruit cake laced with brandy to lemon sponge with buttercream, you will be spoilt for choice.

Don't eat too much!

Phoebe