Lime Cupcakes

Serves 12

Ingredients
80g butter, melted
1 large egg
175ml plain yoghurt
Juice and zest of 1 large lime or 1.5 small limes
250g plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
150g caster sugar
3 tbsp milk

1 quantity of  lime buttercream http://12557keepcalmandbakeon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/lime-buttercream.html

Method
1) Preheat the over to 180 degrees C/ Gas 4.
2) Line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
3) Mix together the butter (melted), egg, yoghurt, lime juice and zest.
4) Sift in the flour, baking powder and sugar. Stir until just combined. Mix in the milk.
6) Spoon into the cases until 2/3 full. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden.
7) Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to cool.
8) Make the buttercream and pipe onto the cupcakes once cool. Decorate as you like.
9) Finally ... ENJOY.

Lime Buttercream

Ingredients
225g butter, softened
340g icing sugar
2 tbsp lime juice

Method
1) Beat the butter in a bowl until creamy and smooth.
2) Gradually beat in the icing sugar, then stir in the lime juice. Taste the icing as you add the lime because the strength of the lime juice varies.
3) Pipe or spread onto your cake of choice.
4) Finally ... ENJOY

Rocky Road Cupcake

I made these as congratulations cakes for my little sister when she got her GCSE results. They are delicious and you can change the toppings to suit your tastes. I used mini marshmallows and honeycomb pieces, with dark chocolate drizzled over the top.

Ingredients
140g margarine
140g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs, lightly beaten
150g self raising flour
55g cocoa powder
Toppings
1 amount of chocolate buttercream http://12557keepcalmandbakeon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/chocolate-buttercream.html
85g mini marshmallows
40g honeycomb pieces
55g chocolate (any variety), melted

Method
1) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C, 350F or gas mark 4.
2) Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.
3) Beat together the margarine and sugar until fluffy, then add the vanilla essence.
4) Gradually beat in the eggs, then sift in the flour and cocoa, and fold into the mixture.
5) Divide the mixture between the cases.
6) Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
7) Once cooled pipe the buttercream on top of the cakes, try to create a flat top because it will allow you to put more toppings onto the cake.
8) Sprinkle your toppings onto your cakes, gently pressing any toppings which look as if they may fall off.
9) Drizzle with the melted chocolate and leave to set. (this is very important as it holds your toppings onto the top of your cakes.)
10) Finally ... ENJOY

Chocolate Buttercream

Ingredients

225g butter, softened

3 tbsp milk

285g icing sugar

55g cocoa powder

Method

1) Beat the butter and milk together until combined.

2) Add the cocoa and icing sugar, then beat until smooth.

Apricot and Ginger Chelsea Buns

Serves 8 (Best eaten the same day)

Ingredients

450g strong white flour
2 x 7g sachets of easy-blend yeast
50g caster sugar
1 tsp salt
150ml of warm milk
50ml warm water
1 egg, beaten
50g unsalted butter, melted
(oil, for greasing)
----------------------------------------
45g softened butter
160g dried apricots, finely chopped
25g caster sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp apricot jam
1 tbsp water

Method

1) Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
2) Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk, water, egg and melted butter. Mix together to form a dough with a wooden spoon and finish with your hands. (If the dough is too dry add a little more warm water, if too wet add more flour).
3) Knead on a floured surface for at least 5 minutes until smooth and stretchy. Put into a greased bowl and cover with a clean damp tea towel. Leave in a warm place to rise for an hour.
4) Heat the oven to 200 degrees C (180 fan, gas 6). Grease a 21-23cm cake tin with some of the softened butter.
5) Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly. Roll into a rough 20x30cm rectangle. Spread the butter evenly over the dough, sprinkle with the chopped apricots and a mixture of the caster sugar and ground ginger.
6) From the long edge roll the dough, like a swiss roll. Trim the ends of the roll. Cut 8 even slices using a sharp knife, to form pin-wheels.
7) Arrange in the cake tin, cut side up. Cover with a clean damp tea towel and leave to rise for another 20mins in a warm place..
8) Bake the buns for 10mins, then lower the temperature to 180 degrees C (160 fan, gas 4). Cook for another 10 minutes until golden brown.
9) Melt the jam with the water. Brush over the top of the buns.
10) Finally ... ENJOY!

Butterscotch Upside-down Cake

Butterscotch Upside-down Cake (Serves 4-6, depending in the size of your appetite)

This cake can be made in a number of combinations, I personally recommend the use of tinned peaches or pineapple, but in theory it could be done with pears or other tinned fruits. This is a simple, cheap dish, that feels so much more luxurious than it truly is. I wouldn't recommend trying to scale up the recipe (it won't cook in the centre), if you need more just make 2 separately.

Ingredients
40g margarine
50g soft light brown sugar
410g tinned fruit slices (peach or pineapple)
--------
100g margarine
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
100g self-raising flour

Method
1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
2) Grease a 20cm pyrex (or similar) dish or a sandwich tin
3) Melt the margarine with the brown sugar and stir until combined. Pour into the dish.
4) Arranged the tinned fruit slices in the butterscotch, as much as can fit into the dish in one layer.
5) Prepare the sponge by creaming the margarine and caster sugar together. Beat in the eggs and then stir in the flour.
6) Spread evenly over the butterscotch.
7) Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
8) Leave to cool for a few minutes, then turn out and serve warm.
9) Finally ... ENJOY

Gingernut Cream Biscuits

This is a variation using my Easy Gingernut Biscuit recipe
It is sandwiched together with a orange and stem ginger buttercream.


Ingredients
http://12557keepcalmandbakeon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/easy-gingernut-biscuits.html
80g butter
170g icing sugar
30g stem ginger, finely chopped
1/8 tsp orange essence
1 tbsp milk
Method
1) Prepare the dough as in the Easy Gingernut biscuit recipe.
2) Make the balls using a teaspoon. It should be flat when filled with the dough. Then roll it into a ball.
3) Space them well apart, then bake in the over for 10-12 minutes until golden.
4) Allow to cool completely.
5) Prepare the buttercream; beat all the buttercream ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
6) Pipe the desired amount onto the bottom of one of the biscuits and sandwich together with another. Repeat with each biscuit.
7) Finally ... ENJOY

Easy Gingernut Biscuits

This is a wonderfully simple recipe and is very easy to make. It is a particular favourite of my Dad's, although his excuse for asking me to make them is that he feels sick (he's such a fibber). 


Makes 24 
Ingredients
350g self-raising flour
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
200g caster sugar
115g unsalted butter
85g golden syrup
1 medium egg
35g finely chopped and drained stem ginger
Method
1) Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C.
2) Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger and sugar into a bowl.
3) Melt the butter and golden syrup in a saucepan, set aside until just warm.
4) Mix the butter mixture, egg and the stem ginger into the dry ingredients.
5) Roll the dough into wallnut sized balls and arrange them, well spaced, on a baking tray.
6) Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a dark golden brown.
7) Leave to cool on the baking trays for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8) Finally... ENJOY

Toffee Sauce

This makes a great toffee sauce which can be used as a sauce on ice cream and with other puddings, and can be used to fill cupcakes and can be mixed in with buttercream.


Ingredients
125g caster sugar
60ml water
60ml double cream
1tsp vanilla essence
Optional: For salted caramel add 1/4 tsp salt.


Method
1) Put the Sugar and water in a heavy bottomed saucepan on a low heat.  ( I have a stove which goes from 1-15, I had it on 8 initially but once it stated to colour I turned it down to 5 as a precaution)
2) Heat until it turns a dark gold colour (the colour of string tea), then remove from the heat.
3) Immediately add the cream. It will bubble vigourously and spit, but continue mixing until combined. 
4) Add the vanilla essence (and salt) and mix in.
5) Finally ...ENJOY

Chocolate-Coffee Buttercream

Serves 12
Ingredients

150g softened butter

250g icing sugar

25g cocoa powder

1 1/2 tbsp strong coffee

1 tbsp milk
Method

1) Whilst the cakes are cooling. Combine all the ingredients for the buttercream.

2) Start to mix them together using a wooden spoon. Once partially combined use a mixer to beat the ingredients until smooth. 

3) If the buttercream is too stiff for piping add a little more milk.

4) Once the cupcakes are cooled, pipe the buttercream on top and decorate.

5) Finally,  ENJOY.

Cinnamon Frosting

This can be converted to a honey cinnamon buttercream with the addition of 1 tbsp (or to taste) of runny honey to the mixture. 

Serves 24
For the frosting
250g icing sugar
250g butter, softened
Splash milk
1 tsp cinnamon
Method
1) Beat the butter, icing sugar, cinnamon and milk together until smooth. Add as much milk as is need to reach a piping consistency.
2) Pipe or spread the icing on the cake and then decorate.
3) Finally ... ENJOY

What to make ...?

Cake Day in my Chemistry class this Thursday !!! What should I make? Chocolate mint, chocolate banana, chocolate caramel or Chocolate Coffee? - yes there is a theme here, I gave up chocolate for lent and I'm still recovering from that loss.


Do you have any favourite combinations to recommend? Let me know :D I will post the recipe here soon, if it is successful.

Easy Victoria Sandwich

This is one of the first recipes that I ever made on my own. It is so easy that I made it when I was 10. The apricot alternative was one of my own designs, and I hope that if you try it you would agree that the combination is delicious. This recipe can also be made in a chocolate variety by removing 25g of flour and replacing it with 25g of cocoa powder. The same recipe can also be used to make fairy cakes (bake for 15-20 minutes).


Makes 8-10 slices
Ingredients
Cake
225g soft margarine
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
225g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
Filling
Buttercream or fresh whipped cream with jam and or fresh strawberries or raspberries, or just jam. (At least 4 tbsp of jam are needed, if using)
Method
1) Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (180 fan).
2) Grease and line 2x20cm sandwich tins with greaseproof paper.
3) Combine all cake ingredients and beat until thoroughly blended. Divide between the tins and level out.
4) Bake for 25 minutes, until the tops spring back when gently pressed. Remove from the oven. Cool in the tins for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Peel off the lining paper, turn the right way up and allow to cool.
5) Once cool sandwich together with your choice of fillings.
6) Finally ... ENJOY


Alternatives: Apricot Victoria Sandwich. Add 100g of chopped dried apricots to the batter and sandwich the layers with apricot jam (and fresh cream, optional)

Banana and Pecan Cupcakes

I have made this recipe with and without the pecans and it is delicious each way (for those with allergies). The size of the bananas will have an impact on the flavour so you can make alterations to the strength of the flavour by buying different sizes. I first made this recipe for a friends birthday party and was told that I'd ruined all of my friends for life. They still say they have never had one to match it.
I recommend the use of a cinnamon flavoured frosting. http://12557keepcalmandbakeon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/cinnamon-frosting.html

Serves 24
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
400g butter, softened
400g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
3 bananas, mashed
200g pecans, roughly chopped (optional)
400g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch salt
Method
1) For the cupcakes; Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (160 fan)
2) Beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until pale and fluffy. Beat the eggs in one at a time until completely incorporated.
3) Add the mashed bananas and pecans, beat again.
4) Combine the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Fold it into the the batter.
5) 2/3 fill the cupcake cases, then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
6) Finally ... ENJOY

Toffee Meringue Pie

I never considered another variety of lemon meringue pie before I found this recipe. Imagining it in my head it just seemed bizarre, but once making this recipe I was converted. I've made it twice and it has been a hit with my family and friends. It is great for someone with a sweet tooth, but by drizzling with dark chocolate it can really take the edge off the sweetness. I made this for my friends' 18th birthday and we proceeded to eat it with spoons out of the case (not our best moment to be truthful but it was AMAZING).


Serves 8-10
Ingredients
For the Pastry
400g plain flour
200g cold butter
1 egg white
For the Filling
85g butter
175g light muscovado sugar
300ml milk
3 tbsp cornflour
4 egg yolks
For the meringue
4 egg whites
200g caster sugar
Method
1) Put the flour and butter into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour using the fingertips, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 4-6 tbsp of cold water until a dough forms. Knead into a ball, wrap in cling film, then put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2) Preheat over to 200 (180 fan) degrees C
3) Roll out the pastry until it is large enough to line a 25cm tart tin with a slight overhang. Line the tin then bake blind, using baking parchment and baking beans, for 15 minutes.
4) Remove from the oven. Remove the baking parchment and baking means then brush the pastry with the egg white. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.
5) Remove from the oven, trim the pastry and turn the oven down to 150 (130 fan) degrees C.
6) For the filling; melt the butter in a pan and stir in the sugar until dissolved. 
7) In a bowl, add a little milk to the cornflour to make a smooth paste. Pour this into the butter and sugar mix..Whisk the egg yolks and milk together. Add to the mixture, bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until thick. Remove from the heat, but leave in the pan (it must be hot when added to the pastry case).
8) For the meringue; whisk the egg white until stiff. Add half the sugar and whisk until stiff and shiny. Add the remaining sugar a little at a time, whisk until stiff again.
9) Spoon the hot filling into the pastry case. Spoon the meringue over this.
10) Bake for 35 minutes, until the meringue is golden and crisping up.
11) Remove from the oven and serve cold.
12) Finally ... ENJOY

Best Fudgy Chocolate Buttercream

OMG I could eat this icing with a spoon. It is so decadent. Adding the chocolate when it is luke warm partially melts the butter creating a silky smooth, fudgy texture to the buttercream. It is the only buttercream that one of my friends will  eat. This is my go to chocolate icing, but is quite expensive due to the quality of chocolate needed, although Bournville can be used for a similar effect.


Enough to ice 15-20 regular cupcakes
Ingredients
175g dark chocolate (70% cocoa, if you have it)
225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g icing sugar, sifted
Method
1) Melt the chocolate until smooth. Leave to cool.
2) In a large mixing ball beat the butter, milk, vanilla and icing sugar until smooth, using a hand mixer.
3) Add the melted chocolate and beat until the icing is thick and creamy. It will thicken as you mix it and the chocolate cools further.
4) Pipe or spread onto the cupcakes, then decorate.
5) Finally... ENJOY

Bread and Butter Pudding

I've been eating bread and butter pudding since I was a child. My dad and I are the only ones that like it but occasionally my mum would make one and my dad and I would compete to see who could eat the most and argue about who would have the last piece. We always had a bread and butter pudding from the same recipe but a few months ago my mum was out and I couldn't find the recipe so I went online. This is the recipe I found (plus a few changes). I would have to have to say that I prefer it because it is less dense than my mums recipe and requires a shorter cooking time (so there is less of a wait).


Serves 6


Ingredients
50g soft butter
10 slices of bread cut diagonally across
50g sultanas (raisins can be used but I think sultanas taste better)
4 tbsp demerara sugar (for a crunch)
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
350ml milk
50ml double cream
2 large eggs
25g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract


Method 
1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
2) Grease a 2 pint/ 1 litre pie dish with a little butter.
3) Spread each of the bread triangles, on both sides, with butter.
4)Cover the base of the pie dish with overlapping bread triangles.
5) Sprinkle over 2/3 of the sultanas, 2 tbsp of the demerara sugar with a little     nutmeg and cinnamon.
6) Repeat the last 2 steps using the remaining sultanas, nutmeg and cinnamon, until the dish has been filled.
7) Gently heat the milk and double cream in a saucepan - DO NOT BOIL.
8) In a large bowl beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla extract until light, airy and pale in colour. Pour the warm milk over this mixture and continue beating until combined.
9) Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Gently press down the bread into the liquid. Sprinkle the remaining demerara sugar over the top. Leave to soak for 30 minutes.
10)Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown, well risen and the egg is set. Best served hot.
11) Finally .... ENJOY

Chocolate-Coffee Cupcakes

I made this recipe today for the first time by combining and editing several recipes that I found in a magazine. I used a basic chocolate cake recipe and swapped the milk for strong coffee.  I was lucky that it worked first time round and that I got the quantities of coffee correct. This is a very rich cake but extremely addictive (I may or may not have eaten 3 of them today).


I recommend using my recipe for a Chocolate-Coffee Buttercream recipe. http://12557keepcalmandbakeon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/chocolate-coffee-buttercream.html


Serves 12

Ingredients

125g margarine

125g caster sugar

2 large eggs

125g self raising flour

25g cocoa powder

2 tbsp strong coffee

Method

1) Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C.

2) Cream together the margarine and butter until light and fluffy.

3) Crack the eggs into a mug and beat together lightly with a fork.

4) Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a bowl and mix together.

5) Beat the eggs, a little at a time, into the margarine and sugar.

6) Fold in the flour and cocoa powder mixture using a spatula or metal spoon, until completely combined.

7) Add the coffee and milk to the mixture and combine.

8) Fill the cupcake cases to 2/3 full and put in the oven for 12-18 minutes (depending on the size of the case). The cake will retain its shape when gently presses, if it is cooked.

9) Remove from the oven. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

10) Finally,  ENJOY.