Garden Party Cupcakes

These were a last minute order for a 50th Birthday. Fave colours were yellow and green (I added the pink to balance it all out).

24 cupcakes all chocolate mudcake with white chocolate buttercream.

I was so happy with this colour combo! The birthday girl loved them too <3

Wedding samples.

A few weeks ago, I was asked to do a quote for a Wedding. I haven't done a Wedding before, so I really wanted it to be accepted.

So, I worked it out, and emailed it off, and I was asked to supply samples.

The client requested white and dark chocolate mud cupcakes, quite simple, in purple and cream colours.

So this is what I designed.

My favourites are the 2nd two. I realised after I took the photo of the cupcake with the flower, that I had forgotten to put the flower centres in, but I fixed this before they were delivered.

Baby shower cupcakes

These are for a friend's baby shower tomorrow.

The cupcakes were based on the invites I made.

Rich chocolate cake, with very vanilla frosting, RTR icing discs and modelling paste feet.

Eamon's Christening Cupcakes.

Last weekend I had an order for 48 Cupcakes. 24 were to be choc mud flavoured w/ choc buttercream icing, and the other 24 to be white choc mud flavoured with vanilla buttercream icing, sprinkled with Cachous. This is what we come up with.

I displayed them on my own stand for these photos, but Amanda (Eamon's Mum) bought her own stand and displayed them on it.

Amanda is also Amelia's Mum, whom I made the pink Number 3 cake for last year. It was great to get a repeat order :) When Amanda asked her Husband what sort of cake he wanted for Eamon's Christening, his reply was "a cake by Kat" I was so excited, LOL!

Strawberrylicious Cupcakes

Last Sunday a friend called and asked me to make some cupcakes for her twin daughters 5th Birthdays. When asking what they would like, I found that like most kids they didn't like the same things. So we decided on 6 chocolate & 6 strawberry flavoured ones. Afterwards I remembered I don't have a strawberry cupcake recipe. So off I searched, and I finally found one. I had to adapt it a fair bit, but the final result was Oh so good! I have named them:

My Strawberrylicious Cupcakes

I am so sorry I know I am so mean, but I can't share this recipe, as it will be one of the one I will be making to sell.

These were my test run, I will be back later with photos of the ones I make for the twins.

In the past..

I thought this morning, since this is a blog about me and my cakes, that I should post some photos of other cakes I have made. I have made quite a few more than this, but back then, didn't think to photograph them. Amelia's Number 3 cake.

The request was for white chocolate mud cake, pink and girly.

Harrison's Baptism Cupcake Tree

The top layer was actually the top layer of our wedding cake

Top - Cherry ripe mudcake

Blue cupcakes - Chocolate mud

White cupcakes - White chocolate mud

Tayla's 9th Bratz Cake

Tracey's 28th Bunny Cake
My best friend told me that she had never had a Birthday cake, she has now!

My first cupcake sale!

Yesterday I completed my first cupcake order! It was for a 30th Birthday, and basically they had to be chocolate mud cake, and boyish, oh and 30 of them. The rest was up to me.

So I coloured some RTR icing, rolled it out, got out my cutters and set to work. I managed to get all of the decorations cut out by Tuesday afternoon, they were quite easy to do. I made the cupcakes yesterday morning, iced and decorated yesterday afternoon, and they were collected this morning.

How they were to be set out.

I quite like just these ones on their own too.

(In one level of my Cupcake Courier)

Close up

Chocolate Mud Cupcake w/ Chocolate Buttercream & RTR icing decorations

Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Chocolate Vienna Buttercream Frosting

These cupcakes were delicious, light yet moist. They were so quick and easy too. I had them made and in the oven in less that 10 minutes. I halved the recipe, and made 6 standard size and 12 mini size cupcakes. You may need 2 quantities of frosting if you make the 2 dozen standard size cupcakes. It depends on if you pipe, or spread the frosting on.

Easy Chocolate Cupcakes
Original recipe from Baking Bites Blog

Makes 24 standard size cupcakes, or 60 mini size cupcakes

Ingredients

3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons bi-carb soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (170 degrees Celsius fan-forced). Line trays with cupcake papers
2. In a large bowl whisk cocoa, flour, sugar, soda, baking powder and salt thoroughly.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, water, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.
4. Whisk wet mix, into dry mix until all of the ingredients are combined with no flour streaks.
5. Fill cupcake papers 3/4 full with mixture.
6. Bake for 11 minutes (mini), 15 minutes (standard), or until a skewer comes out clean.
7. Remove cupcakes from pan, and cool on a wire rack. Once cool they are ready to ice.

Chocolate Vienna Butter Cream
Recipe from the Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book

Ingredients

125 grams margarine
1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar
2 Tablespoons milk

Method

Beat margarine until light & creamy, add in half of the icing sugar, continue to mix until fully incorporated. Add half the milk, followed by the remaining icing sugar, beat until mixed. (sometimes you need the rest of the milk, sometimes you don't). Mixture should be smooth and easy to spread with a spatula.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cake Recipe

adapted from recipe in The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook

Makes 12 standard + 12 mini cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups Self Raising Flour
3 grams Bi-Carb Soda
7 grams Cinnamon
2/3 cup vegetable oil
170 grams brown sugar
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups grated carrot (firmly packed)
2/3 cup walnuts (chopped)
1/3 cup raisins (or sultanas)
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (170 degrees Celsius fan-forced), Line trays with cupcake papers.
2. Sift together flour, soda & cinnamon.
3. In mixer bowl, beat the oil, sugar and eggs, on medium speed. Beat for about 5 minutes or until thick and creamy.
4. Add the carrot, walnuts, raisins and zest. Beat on low speed until combined.
5. Add the flour mixture and beat until thoroughly combined; do not over beat as the mixture will toughen.
6. Spoon mixture into cupcake papers, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake until a skewer inserted comes out clean, (mini cupcakes approx 12 minutes, standard cupcakes approx 20 minutes). 7.Remove cupcakes from the trays immediately and cool on a wire rack. Wait until completely cool before icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

50 grams margarine
125 grams cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups icing sugar (sifted)

Method

Beat margarine, cream cheese and vanilla for a couple of minutes until softened and creamy, add 1/2 the icing sugar, and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add remaining icing sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy and of a spreadable consistancy.

Cupcake Hero - Red, White & Blue

I have been wanting to enter the Cupcake Hero for a while now, so I thought I might as well have a go. I am no where near as imaginative as most of the other entrants, but Hey, I don't need much of an excuse to make cupcakes do I?

So the theme for July, is Red, White & Blue. It is usually hosted by Laurie from Quirky Cupcake, but she is having a break so, Clara from I Heart Cuppycakes, and Nikki from Crazy Delicious Food are hosting this month.

Basically the cupcake must have the 3 colours in it, and if you must use food colouring, you can only use it for one of them.

I decided to make Raspberry (red) filled Coconut (white) Cupcakes with Coconut Butter Cream Frosting (blue).

Coconut Cupcakes
Crabapple Bakery

Makes 24


Ingredients

3/4 cup shredded coconut
2 1/3 cups plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 eggs
3 egg whites, extra
200g softened unsalted butter (I used margarine)
1 3/4 cups caster sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup coconut milkMethod

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius, Line two 12-hole trays with cupcake papers.

Using a food processor, process the coconut until very fine. Add coconut to a bowl with sifted flour, salt and baking powder. Mix until combined.

In a separate bowl combine eggs and egg whites. Do not beat.

In another bowl, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add the caster sugar a third at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition. After the last addition, beat until mixture is light and fluffy and the sugar has almost dissolved.

Add the eggs a quarter at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Add a third of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add half the coconut milk and beat until combined. Repeat this process. Add the remaining third of the flour mixture and beat until thoroughly combined; do not over-beat as this will toughen the mixture.

Spoon into cupcake papers, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 18 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the trays immediately and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before frosting.

I wanted to fill the cupcakes with something red, and I love coconut with raspberry, so I then got a small paring knife and cut a small cone shape out of the top of the cupcake, and filled with approx 1/2 teaspoon of my favourite raspberry jam.

Then I cut a sliver of the piece I cut out, and placed in on top of the jam.Then they were ready to ice. I had no idea what to have for the blue, so I decided to tint the icing blue.

Coconut Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients

188 grams butter, room temperature (I used margarine)

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups icing sugar

1 cup shredded coconut

blue food colouring

Method

Beat butter, scrape bowl.

Add the sifted icing sugar, beat, then add milk and vanilla.

Beat until smooth.

Add colouring, in small amounts, till you reach the desired colour.

Add coconut and mix until combined.

These are my new favourite (non-chocolate) cupcake. they are so yummy.

Caramel Mud Surprise Cupcakes

Original recipe from the Women's Weekly Cupcakes book.

Adapted by me to make them a little more interesting, and more caramelly (if there is such a word).

Makes 12 regular sized cupcakes

Ingredients

125 grams butter

100 grams white chocolate ( I used Nestle melts )

2/3 cup brown sugar - firmly packed

1/4 cup golden syrup

2/3 cup milk

1 cup plain flour

1/3 cup self-raising flour

1 egg

12 jersey caramel lollies

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius / 150 degrees Celsius fan-forced

2. Line a 12 hole cupcake tray with papers.

3. Combine butter, chocolate, sugar, syrup and milk in a saucepan.

4. Stir over low heat until butter has melted and mixture is smooth.

5. Transfer to a mixing bowl, cool for 15 minutes.

6. Add sifted flours, stir until combined. Then mix in the egg.

This is where my recipe changes slightly.

7. Place approx 1 Tablespoon of mixture into each cupcake paper.

8. Place 1 lolly into the middle of mix.

9. Then divide remaining mixture between papers.

10. Bake for 30 minutes, ( I rotated my tray, after 15 minutes, as one side of my oven is hotter than the other ).
11. Remove cupcakes from tray and allow to cool on a wire rack.

I have just eaten one, and Oh my they are so good and caramelly. Here is a photo. The lollies have melted, which is the result I had wanted. Yum Yum.

Dad's Birthday Cupcakes

As the title suggests, I made these for my Dad's 65th Birthday. We had a few friends over for dinner, and these were for dessert. Like me, my Dad loves food, but Mum tries to keep his intake in check, due to his Type II diabetes. Dad loves caramel, and the colour purple, so I made these.

Caramel Cupcakes w/ Caramel Icing.

from The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook