Tag Archives: Cupcake

Wispa Cupcakes!

It was a friend’s 40th birthday not too long ago and his favourite chocolate bar is Wispa. Turns out, this is one of the Mr’s fave chocolate bars too. I couldn’t resist seizing the opportunity to create Wispa cupcakes!

This is what you will need to make approx 12-16 Cupcakes.

For the Sponge Batter

  • 115g Dark Chocolate
  • 85g Unsalted Butter Room Temp!
  • 175g Soft Light Brown Sugar
  • 2 Eggs, separated Room Temp!
  • 185g Plain Flour
  • 3/4 tsp Baking Powder
  • 3/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
  • Salt, pinch
  • 250ml Milk Room Temp!
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Chocolate Frosting

  • 175g Cadbury’s Milk Chocolate
  • 225g Butter
  • 300g Icing Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Decoration & Chocolate Chips for Sponge Mix

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C and line a cupcake tin with foil cases.

Break the dark chocolate into a glass bowl and set over a pan of barely simmering water. Melt slowly and leave to one side.

Cream the butter & the sugar in a large bowl with an electric hand whisk until light & fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks one at a time then add in the melted chocolate.

Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl. Measure the milk into a jug and stir in the vanilla extract.

Gradually add alternate thirds of the flour mix & milk mix into the batter. Be careful not to over mix.

Chop half the bag of Wispa bites into smaller chunks to make “chocolate chips” and carefully fold into the sponge batter.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form then carefully fold them into the sponge batter.

Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases (about two thirds full) and place in the oven for about 20  minutes. Use a skewer to check when they’re done.

Leave in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the Chocolate Frosting

Melt the Cadbury’s milk chocolate in a glass bowl over simmering water or in a microwave and set to one side.

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl then cream the butter in another large bowl using an electric hand whisk. Gradually add the icing sugar into the butter and mix well after each addition. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla extract then whisk a little with the electric hand whisk until light and fluffy.

To Decorate

Pipe the milk chocolate frosting on the top of the cooled cakes and top with 1 or 2 Bitsa Wispa.

This was a new sponge recipe for me. Even though it was really nice and light I’m not sure that it’s the perfect batter to hold chocolate chips. I don’t think that it’s quite stable enough. If I make these again I would either remove the chocolate chips or try a new chocolate sponge recipe.

I must say though, I loved the chocolate frosting! It really tasted like Cadbury’s milk chocolate. Delicious! It’s unusual to make a frosting with milk chocolate as it tends not to hold it’s shape as well as when you use dark chocolate. But with the addition of a little more icing sugar – it worked really well with this recipe!

And when I asked for the all important verdict from the Mr, all I got was, “F***ing Incredible.” Hahahaha! I think he liked them.

However, I am still on a quest to find the perfect chocolate fudge cupcake recipe. If any of you guys have a recipe that you’ve tried and think I would like I would love it if you could share with me! I love trying new recipes to find what works best.

Hope you enjoyed the post.

Live long and eat chocolate!

Miss KitchenMason

Rainbow Cupcakes!

Yep, super funky rainbow cupcakes! I have seen numerous blog posts across the internet for these and have always wanted to try them. So this weekend I thought, sod it, I’m making me some rainbow cupcakes! Here is what you will need to make about 12-15 cupcakes.

  • 110g Unsalted Butter Room Temp!
  • 225g Golden Caster Sugar
  • 2 Eggs Room Temp!
  • 120ml Milk
  • 1tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 150g Self Raising Flour
  • 125g Plain Flour
  • Red, Yellow, Blue & Green Food Colouring Gels

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 175g Cream Cheese Room Temp!
  • 450g Icing Sugar
  • 125g Butter Room Temp!
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Top Tip!

Use good quality vanilla extract, (Such as Neilson Massey’s)  it will make a huge difference to the flavour of your cakes. Trust me!

Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C and line a cupcake tin with cases.

To make the sponge batter, cream the butter and the sugar in a large bowl using an electric hand whisk. Do this for a few minutes until light and fluffy.

Beat both the eggs in a bowl/jug and add to the mixture a quarter at a time. Beat really well after each addition.

Sieve both the plain & self raising flour into a bowl and set to one side. Pour the milk into a jug and stir in the vanilla extract.

Add a quarter of the flour into the batter and mix, then add a quarter of the milk and mix. Mix only until just incorporated. Then repeat the process until all ingredients are used up.

Divide the batter evenly between four bowls. Using cocktail sticks, add small amounts of the food colouring gels and mix through until the desired colours are achieved. Try and be patient when mixing in the colours, if you stir too much you will get the glutens in the flour working which will make your cakes quite dense as opposed to light and fluffy.

Spoon blobs of each colour into each case, then using cocktail sticks, carefully swirl the colours to make funky random patterns within your cakes.

Be aware to still only fill the cases 2 thirds full. It’s easy to get carried away when you’re getting all arty farty with the funky coloured batters!!

Place in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Turn halfway to ensure an even bake.

Remove from the oven, allow to sit in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting.

Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl. In another large bowl, beat together the butter & cream cheese. Gradually, about 2-3 tbsp at a time, mix the icing sugar into the butter/cheese mix using a rubber spatula. Keep going until all the icing sugar has been used.

Add in the vanilla extract then “fluff up”  slightly by mixing for a few minutes with an electric hand whisk. Cream cheese frosting can be slightly wet and difficult to pipe. By whisking with an electric hand whisk, it should make it easier to pipe onto your cakes.

Naturally, you can decorate however you want to. In fact – I encourage it!! The beauty of cupcake decorating is that you can do whatever the hell you like, go nuts! Use your imagination to create your own personalised funky cakes.

On this batch, I used a 2D drop flower nozzle. Working from the middle – with the bag in a vertical position, swirl your way to the outside of the cake. It will create a rose effect. I then topped with some edible glitter.

I love these cakes, even though mine did end up being slightly more dense than I would have liked. (It just required more patience on my part when mixing in the colours.)

They are just so damn funky! Especially with it looking fairly plain from the outside being covered in simple white frosting. Then you take a bite and it’s just an explosion of colour and happiness! Haha, these would be the perfect party cupcakes I think, they just make you smile no matter what mood you’re in.

Hope you enjoyed the post as always! And if you have any cupcake ideas you’d like to share/me to try –  I’m all ears!

Until next time my sugar plum fairies.

Miss KitchenMason

The Perfect Vanilla Cupcake!

Well, in my opinion anyway! The sponge is unbelievably soft & light and the vanilla buttercream frosting is super smooth and delicious.

So when I discovered the perfect vanilla cupcake what did I do first? Share the recipe with you lot of course! Yeah… ok you got me. I ate one first but THEN I shared it with you lot! The sponge recipe is adapted from a Primrose Bakery Apprecipe and the frosting is another adapted favourite of mine from Cox Cookies & Cake.

Here is what you will need to make about 12-15 cupcakes.

  • 110g Unsalted Butter Room Temp!
  • 225g Golden Caster Sugar
  • 2 Eggs Room Temp!
  • 120ml Milk
  • 1tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 150g Self Raising Flour
  • 125g Plain Flour

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

  • 200g Unsalted Butter Room Temp!
  • 400g Icing Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tbsp Milk

Ingredients Tips!

If you have time, it is always best to have all ingredients at room temperature. So take the butter & eggs for this recipe out of the fridge a few hours before you will be baking. Also, use a good quality vanilla extract. I use Neilson Masseys. Believe me, it makes a HUGE difference to the overall flavour of your cakes.

First up, preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C and line a cupcake tin with cases.

Cream the butter and the sugar in a large bowl using an electric hand whisk. Do this for a few minutes until light and fluffy.

Beat the eggs in a bowl/jug and add to the mixture a quarter at a time. Beat really well after each addition.

Sieve the flours into a bowl and leave to one side. Measure the milk in a jug and stir in the vanilla extract.

Add a quarter of the flour into the batter and mix, then add a quarter of the milk. Mix until just incorporated and repeat until all ingredients are used up.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cases, about 2 thirds full. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Turn halfway for an even bake.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

For the vanilla buttercream frosting, using an electric hand whisk, cream the butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Sieve the icing sugar into a large bowl, then mix 2 tbsp at a time into the butter. Being careful not to engulf yourself in an icing sugar mushroom cloud! (Speaking from experience) I find using a rubber spatula is the best way forward with this.

Then when all the icing sugar has been used, add the vanilla extract & milk and mix with an electric hand whisk until smooth.

Decorating

Be as creative as your imagination will let you be! There are NO RULES to decorating cupcakes. For this particular attempt though, I coloured the frosting with yellow food colouring gel and piped it onto the cakes using a 2D drop flower nozzle  to create a “rose” effect. I then topped with edible glitter and put a butterfly sugar decoration on the side. I was quite proud of how they turned out!

In other news this week, can you all remember when I was pestering you to vote for my pie?? Well, my Apple Pie recipe came in 2nd place in the Bake It Yourself:Perfect Pie Competition. I couldn’t believe it! Thank you all so much for voting! Love you lots like Jelly Tots.

Yesterday morning, my prizes for coming 2nd arrived, I was so excited! Lots of new toys to play with!

I got a Lakeland pastry block, a Lakeland clafoutis dish, a Lakeland blackbird pie funnel, a Jospeh & Joseph rolling pin, a Bake It Yourself jute bag, a Bake It Yourself apron, a Neff recipe book, a Neff pastry brush & 2 Neff spatulas. What a haul!!

I sincerely thank you all so so much for taking the time to vote for my recipe. I wouldn’t have any of this if it wasn’t for you. So thank you!! *BIG HUG*

Until next time my little chipolatas.

Miss KitchenMason

Nat’s Birthday Bake!

I was really excited for this weekend. It’s my friend Natalie’s birthday soon and we wanted to do something a bit different. So I invited a few friends over to the KitchenMason kitchen to bake lots of yummy cake! YES!

First on the menu was the Ultimate Chocolate Cake from a post I did back in February. But this wasn’t enough for the likes of us ladies, oh no. On top of this, we also made a batch of lemon cupcakes… and a batch of  cherry chocolate chip cupcakes too!

Here is what you need to make both types of cupcake.

Lemon Cupcakes

Makes approx 12

  • 175g Unsalted Butter (Room temp!)
  • 175g Golden Caster Sugar
  • 3 Eggs (Room temp!)
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • Finely Grated Zest of 1 Lemon
  • 175g Self Raising Flour, sieved

For the Lemon Buttercream Frosting

  • 200g Unsalted Butter (Room temp!)
  • 400g Icing Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Milk
  • 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • Yellow Food Colouring Gel

Preheat your oven to 200°C/fan 180°C and line a cupcake tin with cases.

Cream the butter and the sugar in a bowl with an electric hand mixer until light & fluffy.

Gradually beat in the eggs one by one then add the lemon zest & lemon juice.

Fold in the flour and divide the mix between the cases. Bake for 15-20 minutes turning half way. Test if ready with a skewer.

Leave in the tin for 5 minutes then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:

Cream the butter in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer. Blend the icing sugar in a quarter at a time, beat well after each addition.

Add the milk, the lemon juice and the food colouring then mix well until light and fluffy.

Pipe onto the cupcakes and decorate until your hearts content!

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Makes approx 12

  • 150g Unsalted Butter (Room Temp!)
  • 150g Golden Caster Sugar
  • 3 Eggs (Room Temp!)
  • 1 tbsp Cherry Soda Stream Syrup
  • 140g Self Raising Flour, sieved
  • 40g Cocoa Powder, sieved
  • 100g Chocolate, chopped

For the Frosting:

Preheat your oven to 200°C/fan 180°C and line a cupcake tin with cases.

Cream together the butter and the sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time then sift in the flour and the cocoa powder.

Add the chocolate chunks and the cherry syrup. Mix until just incorporated and divide the mixtre between the cases.

Bake for 15 minutes, turning half way. Test with a skewer to make sure they’re cooked.

Leave in the tin for 5 minutes then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Frosting:

Cream the butter in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer then add the icing sugar. Mix well.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water then mix into the butter and sugar.

Add the milk and the cherry syrup, mix until light and fluffy.

Pipe onto the cupcakes and commence decorating!

∞

It really was such a fun day. Great cakes, great wine and great company! Here are a selection of pics from the day to feast your eyes on. Enjoy!

Nat’s ultimate chocolate birthday cake

The girlees hard at work!

One of the many beautiful cupcakes that were made

Look at the concentration!

The fruits of our labour. Look how pretty!

The birthday girl and the cutting of the cake. Look at the joy on that face haha!

This is Jim. Chocolate covered Jim. I think he liked the cake haha!

Hope you enjoyed this weeks post my lovelies!

Enjoy the rest of your lazy Sunday and I’ll catch you all next time.

Miss KitchenMason

Carrot Cake Cupcakes!

After the success of last weeks Birthday bash, Mum dropped a hint that she didn’t get enough of her birthday cake and thought I should make her some more! Always wanting to improve & try new things, I thought why not try and convert the recipe to make cupcakes instead? So here is what you will need to make 12 carrot cake cupcakes:

Cake Mix

  • 150g Plain Flour
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp Bicarbonated Soda
  • 100g Soft Brown Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 125ml Oil (I used Olive)
  • 1 Orange (zest of 1/2)
  • 1 Lemon (zest of 1/2)
  • 100g Carrots, peeled & grated

Frosting

  • 250g Cream Cheese (Full fat)
  • 125g Butter (Room Temperature!)
  • 50g Icing Sugar

Flower Decorations

  • Food colouring (of your choosing)
  • Pre Packed pack of White Icing
  • Pearl Sugar balls for centres

Special Equipment

  • Flower shaped plunger cutter
  • Piping Bag/Nozzles of your choosing
  • Cupcake Tray/Muffin Tray

For the Cakes

Preheat your oven to 150°C

In a bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder & bicarbonated soda then add the brown sugar & mix well.

Zest both the orange & the lemon into another large bowl and add the eggs. Gradually beat in the oil then mix in the carrots.

In quarters, add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well until fully incorporated.

Spoon the mixture into 12 cupcake cases set out in a cupcake tray/muffin tray. (Approx 2 tbsp per case.)

Put in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Turn halfway to achieve even cooking.

Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes in the tray, then put on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Frosting

Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and add the butter. Carefully blend together then add the cream cheese and mix until lump free & smooth.

Chill in the fridge until ready to use. (If you have an hour or more, it helps.)

It is worth noting here that on this occasion I tried to save some calories and used extra light Philadelphia. I have now learnt this is a bad idea. It makes the frosting too wet and as a result, melts the decorations that you spend all that time and effort on! So make sure you use full fat cream cheese to avoid making a wet frosting. I believe my philosophy of “If you are going to do something wrong, do it right!” is very apt right now haha!

For the Flower Decorations

The amount of icing required is dependent on how many flowers you need to make. Use your judgement.

Put the pre made icing in a stand mixer and turn on. Add food colouring a little at a time until desired colour is achieved.

Take out the bowl and, if necessary, knead until the colouring is even. Wrap in cling film, flatten into a disc and pop in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to chill.

Remove from freezer.  On a work surface dusted with icing sugar, roll out to about 2mm thick. Using a plunger cutter, cut out as many flowers as you need. Wrap in cling film and store in an air tight container in the fridge until required. If you want to have balls in the centre of your flowers, pipe a tiny dot of the frosting in the middle and place a ball on top. Leave to set. (I use little pearl sugar balls you can buy from any supermarket.)

Assembly

Fill  a piping bag with the frosting & pipe onto the carrot cakes. Then decorate as you please with the flowers!

I Thoroughly enjoyed giving these a go. Due to all this recent piping & decorating I think I’m falling in love with baking all over again. (Not that I ever fell out of love with it in the first place!)

I seem to have caught the baking bug. I literally can’t stop thinking about piping and frosting and cutters and all things cake! So much so, I’ve treated myself and ordered lots of plunger cutters. Can’t wait for my new toys to arrive so I can have a play!!

Hope you enjoyed the post, until next week chums.

Miss KitchenMason