The cutest cupcakes I have ever baked!!!

A couple of months ago my other half's family was getting together and after tempting people for so long with cupcakes pics on Facebook I decided to bring some nice cakes to live up the day. I saw this recipe Harry Eastwood's book and wanted to try for a while and with the summer on its best I decided that a strawberry recipe was on demand!!! I know I know..its not summer anymore but if you cant get nice strawberry you can change the flavour by changing the jam and the fruit on the top!!! very versatile recipe...and most important, yummy too!!!

2 medium free-range eggs
160g caster sugar
200g courgette, peeled and finally grated
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g white rice flour
100g ground almonds
2tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Some good quality strawberries jam
50g unsalted butter, softened
150g icing sugar
50g mascarpone
12 strawberries for decoration

Preheat the oven to 180C and line the muffin tray with the paper cases.

Whisk up the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl until they are pale and fluffy (about 4 minutes).

Whisk the grated courgette and the vanilla extract into the egg mixture and mix to incorporate(remember to only grate the courgete just before adding to the recipe its important that they are as fresh as possible so they will give to your cake all their moist). Whisk in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt until everything is completely combined.

Using a large spoon, ladle a couple of generous spoonfuls of the mixture in the the bottom of each paper case. Add a teaspoon of jam then cover with a small spoonful of after mixture, in order to seal in the jam. The ration should be roughly 2/3 of batter at the bottom the jam, then 1/3 of batter on the top or you’ll end up with jam splitting out the top of the cake or sinking into the bottom.

Bake them for 20 minutes until risen and blonde on the top. Cool the cakes in the tin for 10 minutes and after that leave them to cool in the fridge for 20 minutes before icing.

For the icing; beat the butter with 50g of icing sugar by hand, in a large bowl(the tip here is to use the back of a wooden spoon and some elbow grease). Mix it until you have a paste. Using the same technique, mix in another 50g of sugar and the mascarpone until you have a paste again. Finally add the last 50g of icing sugar which should combine easily this time. Refrigerate until the cake have cooled completely (this icing is a bit smooth so cooling is paramount.)

Ice each cold cake with the help of a butter knife (if you don’t have a straight spatula), using a small tablespoon of the icing at each time. Top it with a strawberry and return it to the fridge to allow the icing to set. The cupcakes can stay in a airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

VERY IMPORTANT TIPS!!!

Don’t be tempted to use a electric blender for the icing that will liquefy the mixture. Also be sure to follow the step one by one as that will allow the ingredients to combine slowly giving the icing the right texture and you will end up with a very moist and fluffy cake toping.

i HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS ONE CAME OUT WRONG, HIHIHHIHI...THE JAM SANK STILL IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! THE ONES i TOOK TO THE FAMILY DAY HOWEVER WERE PROPER!!!

ps: to make it 100% gluten free make sure to use gluten free baking powder!!!

Ginger Millies - guilt-free cakes

Just as I decided to talk about food here at the Cosmic I spoke about these Ginger Millies; they are cheeky little cakes well worth a try. With less than 100 calories each is the perfect treat to have in your freezer. Freeze the cakes without the icing and take it out of the freezer from 30 minutes to an hour before attacking it!!! Oh yea…they are also a lot of fun to make!!!
1 medium egg
50g caster sugar
100g butternut squash (peeled and finely grated)
Finely grated zest of ½ unwaxed lemon
25g white rice flour
50g ground almond
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground ginger (i also used a bit of freshly grated ginger to give it a bite!)
Small pinch of salt

Pre heat the oven to 160C and line 2 trays of baby muffins (the recipe if for those tiny little liners but I used the fairy cake so of course I ended up with 12 cakes rather than 24).
In a large mixing bowl whisk together eggs and sugar for a couple until you get a fluffy and pale mix. Add the butternut squash and lemon zest, beat again until fully incorporated.
Add flour, ground almonds, baking powder, ground ginger and salt (if using) and mix it well for a minute or so to combine everything that is in the bowl. With the help of 2 small spoons pour the batter until the liners leaving dry about 0.5cm of the paper. Once the cases a filled give them a nice bang on the surface, do it 4 to 5 time, that will settle the dough and help making the top a bit more flat. Bake it for 15 to 20 minutes.

ICING
125g icing sugar, sieved
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp water
Pink food colouring paste

One of the easiest icings I have ever tried!!! Just combine the sugar. Lemons juice and water with a fork until smooth, it takes a bit of a work out but that you go, today you can spend a bit less time at the Gym!!! In the recipe she recommends colouring the icing but really there’s no need, still if you decide to give it some different colour you can run a little colouring paste on it as indicated of just add a couple of drops of food colouring but no more than that. If you aren’t using the icing until later then place clean film direct on the top of it to avoid drying out. This icing is very light and tasty and a thin layer on the top of your cake should do. A good tip to spread the icing is to use the back of a teaspoon and a glass of water, dip the spoon on the water and that will help you frosting your cupcake!!!

Baking Friday

Just over a month ago I bought this book that I just looove and have already spoke about it here,, the name is Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache from Harry Eastwood. Today having arrived home happy and ready for a 5 days break I decided to treat myself to a very nice dessert but didn’t want to be too naughty as that is already going to happen during our trip to Cardiff. Book in hand, I picked one particular veggie and went for it. I didn’t really have all the ingredients at home but decided to try the recipe anyways. The cake is beautifully fluffy and I’ll have to try it again with the choc chips as that will be the perfect complement to this bitter chocolaty cake that can definitely doble as a double choc chip muffin as you top up the chips by another 50g, but don’t add more than that as they will sink and the cake will become heavy.

So here is the recipe for this guilt free cupcake…I’m not posting the instructions for the icing first because

I used a bit of left over I had in the fridge and that wasn’t the one in the book, so the naughty chocolate icing recipe will stay for a next time.




3 medium free-range eggs (I like the idea but used regular ones)
180g Demerara sugar (didn’t have it so used 100g caster and 80g regular sugar)
2 tbsp strong coffee or boiling water if you don’t like coffee (I also added a bit of vanilla here)
250g peeled and finely grated carrot
120g white rice flour
50g ground almond
40g good quality cocoa
2tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
100g chocolate chips (any colour you like) – I didn’t have any at home so made without it

I use electrical whisk all the way on this recipe. The instructions say it will give you 12 cakes but I managed to get 11, I think she meant 12 on fairy cake size and I’ve made muffin size ones.

Preheat the oven to 180C and line the cupcake tins with paper cases.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar for a full 5 minutes until mix quadrupled in volume and extremely fluffy.
Whisk in the carrot and coffee. When they are fully incorporate, beat in the flour, ground almond, cocoa, baking powder and salt mix it with a electric whisk until they are well combine. Fold in the choc chips with a spatula until they are scattered hither and thither.
Spoon them into the tin filling until about 0.50 cm from the edge. Bake it for 25 minutes them cool them as usual cupcakes. Make sure to cool them completely before icing them.

There are a few tips on this book that go for pretty much every recipe so I’ll only post them here
Flour – all the recipes are with rice flour but you can use regular plain flour as well, I’m trying the gluten free option as my tummy appreciates that but they have all been tested with both versions.
Veggie – if like me you like to have all the ingredients measured and ready before hand then make sure to leave the grating bit for last as this way you keep the freshness of the veggie and all the juices as well. When grating them use the finest bit of your grater. On the book Harry tells you not to use a food processor but I know it works well for carrots so this time I’ve cheated!!!