recipe: white chocolate and raspberry cupcakes

I'm sure it's no secret to anyone. I love to bake. I figured that I haven't done a recipe post in a while despite baking quite a lot the past few weeks, so I thought I'd share with you my new creations. White chocolate and raspberry cupcakes. These two vital ingredients are like one of the best flavour combinations ever! And oh my, they taste good. 


Ingredients
175g self raising flour
125g unsalted butter, softened
175g caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons semi-skimmed milk
100g melted white chocolate
1 packet of fresh/frozen raspberries

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and prepare a cake tin with 12 paper cases.
2. Melt the white chocolate over a bain marie (or in the microwave, but be careful to not let it burn). Leave to one side to cool slightly.
3. Beat the softened butter with an electric whisk until light and fluffy and add the sugar, beating for an additional 5 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla extract together.
5. Add the egg mixture into the butter mix in 3 separate batches making sure you're scraping down the sides of the bowl after each time.
6. Add the flour and milk alternatively, i.e. flour, milk, flour, milk, flour, milk until all incorporated.
7. Add the melted chocolate and raspberries and mix well. If using fresh raspberries, wash before use and put them in the freezer for about an hour before adding to the mix. 
8. Divide amongst the 12 paper cases and bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes.
9. Once golden brown and springs back to the touch, leave in the tray for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Top with the buttercream of your choice and enjoy with a hot beverage.

For my buttercream, I used a simple vanilla based buttercream, piped with a star nozzle and decorated it with white chocolate stars and mini marshmallows. These will keep for a few days in an airtight container and usually tastes best the day after you make them. But they still taste immense if you can't wait once they're ready!

Bon appétit 

Vanessa

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Today's Bake: Chocolate Velvet Cupcakes

Oh. My. Goodness. Today has to be one of the worst days ever to decide to make cupcakes. Everywhere in my house is roasting hot because of this absolutely fabulous weather that Mother Nature has bestowed upon us! In turn, this makes icing these bad boys a difficult task. But I prevailed and now these little mountains of yummy goodness are chilling my living room of all places (the only place in my house with a cooler temperature than THE SUN!)

What are these beautiful creations I hear you ask? Well, these are Chocolate Velvet Cupcakes with a Vanilla Frosting. I make an effort to bake at least once a week and with only a 3 person family living in our household, most of these cakes will be making its way down to BrotherTron's work to be devoured by hungry engineers!

I plan to make these 'baking/cakes' type posts a regular thing because...who doesn't love a bit of food porn now and then!

This is a cupcake literally 'sweating' in this heat!

Recipe (adapted from The Great British Bake Off)
175ml Semi Skimmed or Full-Fat Milk
100g Dark Chocolate (an additional 50g milk chocolate for extra yumminess!)
125g Caster Sugar
60g Unsalted Butter, Softened
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Large Egg (room temperature)
150g Self-Raising Flour


Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ Gas 4. Pour milk into a saucepan with the chocolate and a third of the sugar. Set over a very low heat and leave until smooth and melted. Stir frequently and remove from the heat once done. Set aside.


Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon or electric whisk until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat. 


Gradually add the egg beating well after each addition (add a spoonful of flour if the mix starts to curdle slightly). Using a metal spoon or spatula, fold in the flour in 3 batches alternating with the chocolate liquid made earlier. When all mixed together, spoon the mixture into paper cases until about 2/3 full.


Bake for 15-18 minutes until cakes are well risen and spring back when gently pressed. Leave to cool in the tin for 2 minutes then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.


At this point you can ice it however you want to. I chose vanilla buttercream to offset the sweetness of the chocolate cake. But if you can't wait any longer...you may eat them at this point!


Please for the love of God do not store these in the fridge! It's one of my pet peeves and is just a pointless task! Leave at a suitably cool room temperature and aim to eat them with 3 days, although they really won't last that long!

I really hope you enjoyed this different post today as I really hope to share more of my culinary delights with you more often!

Bon appétit!

Vanessa

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