Glitzy Coffee Cupcakes

I’ve discovered edible glitter (how the heck did it take me so long?) and I want to sprinkle it on everything, but perhaps putting it on my chilli con carne was a step too far… Anyhoo, these sparkly beauties provide the perfect hit of coffee and glitz. So why not give them a whirl?

Glitzy Coffee Cupcakes (makes 24 - 28 mini cupcakes)

75g unsalted butter, softened

100g caster sugar

1 large egg

3 tbsp soured cream

2 tsp instant coffee, dissolved in a teeny tiny amount of boiling water and cooled

110g self raising flour 

For the icing:

100g unsalted butter, softened

2 tsp instant coffee, dissolved in a teeny tiny amount of boiling water and cooled

225g icing sugar

To decorate:

100g walnuts, chopped

50g dark chocolate, grated

Gold edible glitter

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan).    
2. Mix the butter and sugar until creamy and light. Beat in the egg, followed by half of the flour.
3. Stir in the soured cream and coffee, then the remaining flour.
4. Distribute the mixture into mini cupcake cases, filling each two thirds full, and bake for 12-15 minutes in the middle of the oven.
5. To make the icing, mix half of the icing sugar with the butter until fully incorporated. Stir in the coffee, then add the remaining icing sugar and beat until smooth. If it is a little stiff, add a little splash of milk to loosen it slightly and it will become easier to work with.

6. Pipe or spread onto the cooled cupcakes (I prefer to pipe with a plain nozzle so that the icing is distributed evenly on top).
7. Put the walnuts and grated chocolate in separate bowls. Dip half of the cupcakes in each, making sure the icing is well coated with either chocolate or walnuts.
8. Now for the fairy dust moment – sprinkle with glitter and Ta Da! Glitzy Coffee Cupcakes!

Mini Mince Pie Cupcakes

Hooray! Christmas is coming! It's mince pie season and I've perfected my recipe for mince pie cupcakes just in time for the festivities. These are a light and fluffy alternative to the mince pie. I baked mini cakes and topped them with a wicked brandy buttercream icing and some fondant holly leaves and berries. I used homemade mincemeat - every year I make a batch of Delia's Mincemeat (omitting the yucky candied peel of course!). If you use shop bought mincemeat use a good quality one, as it will have both a better consistency and flavour.

Mini Mince Pie Cupcakes (makes 30)

115g unsalted butter, softened

115g caster sugar

2 large eggs

125g good quality mincemeat

100g self raising flour

15g cornflour

1/2 tsp baking powder

For the brandy buttercream icing:

125g butter

325g icing sugar

2-3 tbsp brandy

1. Put on some festive music and preheat oven to 180°C (fan 160°C) and line a mini muffin tin with mini cupcake cases.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the mincemeat.
3. In a separate bowl mix the flour, cornflour and baking powder. Then sift this into the wet mixture and gently stir through until combined.
4. Fill cupcake cases two thirds full and bake for 10-12 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven.

5. Now make the icing. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth, then add in the brandy and mix well.

6. Pipe or spread onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles or fondant shapes.
7. Put your feet up, turn up the Christmas tunes and enjoy a cupcake or two.

Mini Pumpkin Pies

Autumn is well and truly here and that can only mean one thing... pumpkin and squash time! What could be better than some yummy pumpkin pies with maple syrup and a hint of gingery mixed spice? Why, mini ones of course! Mr Makes said they're like pumpkin and maple flavour custard tarts. So if you're a fan of the custard tart I think you're going to like these!

Mini Pumpkin Pies (makes 24)

Pastry:

180g plain flour, sifted

45g icing sugar

90g butter, diced

1 egg yolk

1-2 tbsp milk

Filling (note: this makes around 300ml, of which you'll only need half, so freeze the rest for another time!):

250g diced pumpkin

2 tbsp double cream

1 egg and 1 egg white

2 tbsp maple syrup

½ tsp ginger

pinch mixed spice

1. First of all steam the diced pumpkin (I don't have a steamer, so I put the pumpkin in a colander set over a pan of gently simmering water) for around 15 minutes until tender.
2. Pop into a blender or food processor with the double cream and wizz into a puree. Leave to cool a little while you make the pastry.

3. In a bowl mix the flour and icing sugar. Use your fingers to rub in the butter until it has a breadcrumb-like texture. In a separate bowl mix 1 tbsp milk with the egg yolk to combine, then add this to the flour mixture and use a knife to mix it through. If a dough doesn't form, add a further tbsp of milk. Use your hands to bring  the dough together into a ball. Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.

4. Now mix the egg, egg white, maple syrup, ginger and mixed spice into the cooled pumpkin puree.
5. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
6. Roll out the chilled pastry to 4mm thickness and cut out 24 rounds (I used a 5.5cm cutter) and line a 24 hole mini muffin tin. Use the remaining pastry to cut out stars (tip: use a tooth pick to ease the pastry out of the corners).

7. Spoon/pour the pumpkin mixture into your pastry cases and set a star on top of each.
8. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 15-20 minutes. Cool in the tin before removing and sprinkling with caster sugar.

Mini Orange Cupcakes

Orange cake is my favourite. I looove a chunky slab of orange pound cake topped with a rich, silky orange egg yolk icing. For these cupcakes I wanted a light springy sponge and an icing that's quick and easy to make. I settled on orangey cream cheese icing. Oh and of course I had to make them mini! 

Mini Orange Cupcakes 

(makes about 30 - but remember they're only wee!)

100g unsalted butter

120g caster sugar (I used golden caster)

2 medium eggs

20g ground almonds

50g half fat crème fraîche

120g self raising flour

¼ tsp baking powder

zest of one orange

3 tbsp fresh orange juice

Orange Cream Cheese Icing:

75g unsalted butter

75g cream cheese

250g icing sugar

zest of one orange

2 tsp fresh orange juice

Sprinkles (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 170° (150° fan).

2. Mix butter and sugar until light and creamy, then stir in the orange zest.

3. Add eggs, crème fraîche and ground almonds. Mix thoroughly until combined.

4. Sift in the flour and baking powder, stir into the mixture. 

5. Finally mix in the orange juice. 

6. Spoon into mini cupcake cases and bake for 12 minutes on the middle shelf.

7. To make the icing beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. 

8. Add the icing sugar, zest and juice. Pipe or spread on your cupcakes.

Mini Carrot Cupcakes

I decided on carrot cupcakes for this weekends bake and as you can see, my obsession with making all things mini continues! They were my contribution to a family Birthday bash and they went down well. I made a big carrot cake too, but I'll share that with you another time.

These nutty mouthfuls of carroty goodness require a little bit of work, but believe me they are sooo worth it!

Mini Carrot Cupcakes (makes 24)

100g self raising flour

25g plain wholemeal flour
75g caster sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking powder
30 walnuts, finely chopped

100g carrot, grated

zest of one orange

1 large egg

125ml sunflower oil

Cream Cheese Icing:

75g unsalted butter, softened

75g cream cheese

200g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C or 160°C for fan assisted.
2. Place the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the grated carrot and orange zest and stir until the carrot is coated.
3. Add the egg and sunflower oil and mix until thoroughly until you have a reasonably thick batter (WARNING: your mixture will most likely look like cat sick - don't worry it'll taste great, I promise!).

4. Fill 24 mini cupcake cases to two thirds full and bake on the middle shelf for 12 minutes.

5. Meanwhile make the yummy cream cheese icing: using an electric mixer beat together all the ingredients until smooth.

6. Pipe or spread onto your cooled cupcakes. To decorate you could make little fondant carrots like I did or use whole or chopped walnuts or perhaps some bright sprinkles - you decide!

Mini Bakewell Tarts

These bite-sized delights combine crisp pastry, raspberry jam and a light almond sponge. Topped with icing and a glace cherry, they're perfect with a cup of tea anytime.

This pastry recipe for mince pies is my favourite - it makes a lovely crisp, buttery pastry. As I was making mini tarts I made a smaller quantity and used milk to bind so I could roll it out. Here's my recipe. It makes 36.

Moreish Mini Bakewells

Pastry:

100g cold butter, diced

180g plain flour

40g caster sugar

splash of milk to bind

Filling:

jam of your choice - I used raspberry

50g unsalted butter

50g caster sugar

1 egg

30g ground almonds

30g self raising flour

Topping:

250g icing sugar

18 glace cherries

1. Make your pastry: rub the flour into the butter until you have a breadcrumb like mixture, then stir through the sugar. Add a small splash of milk to bring the mixture together - go carefully, if it gets too wet add a touch more flour. Wrap in cling film and pop in the fridge for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile make your almondy sponge: beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and ground almonds, then stir in the self raising flour.
3. Preheat oven to 190°C that's 170°C for fan ovens.
4. Now take a third of the chilled pastry. It can be quite difficult to handle once rolled out so I recommend working with a small amount at a time. On a floured surface roll the pastry to around 4-5mm thickness. Using a 5cm round cutter, cut out 12 circles to line your mini muffin tin - be super careful when handling your pastry, it will be quite delicate. Repeat with the remaining dough.
5. Fill each of the pastry cases with around half a teaspoon of jam, then spoon a heaped teaspoon of sponge mixture on top. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 12-15 minutes.
6. Once they've cooled, put the icing sugar in a bowl and add small amounts of cold water until you have icing with a thick consistency. Cut your cherries in half. Spread a teaspoon of icing on top of each tart, and before it sets finish with half a cherry.
7. Brew a nice cup of tea and enjoy.

Lovely Lemony Cupcakes

After the chocolate and dinosaurs of last week it was time for something light and zingy. I loved the moist fluffy texture of the vanilla sponge layer of the choc-caramel cake, so I decided to use yogurt and ground almonds in my lemon cupcakes. 

As I couldn't decide between regular or mini cupcakes, I made both and decorated them with lovely lemony icing, sprinkles, hearts and candy slices. So cute.

Here's my recipe. It made 24 mini and 4 regular size cupcakes.

Lovely Lemony Cupcakes:
100g unsalted butter, softened
100g caster sugar
2 large eggs
75g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
50g ground almonds
50ml natural yogurt
1 tsp good quality lemon extract
zest of two lemons

Lemony Icing:
100g unsalted butter, softened
350-400g icing sugar
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 or 2 tbsp lemon juice depending on how lemony you like it
few drops yellow food colouring (optional)

1. Heat your oven to 180 degrees or 160 for fan ovens
2. Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs one at a time and mix through.
3. Sift in the flour, baking powder, also adding the ground almonds, yogurt, lemon extract and zest. Mix until combined.
4. Spoon the mixture into your cupcake cases to about two thirds full.
5. Bake standard size for 20-25 minutes and mini cupcakes for 12-15 minutes then leave to cool on a wire rack.
6. For the lemony icing beat the butter with an electric mixer and gradually add 200g of the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add the lemon extract and juice, and then the remaining icing sugar until you have a smooth and creamy consistency. At this point add the food colouring, if using.
7. Pipe or spread onto your cupcakes and pop on some pretty sprinkles and decorations.
8. Enjoy one (or two) of your lovely little lemony delights.