C is for Cupcakes, Cookie Monster Cupcakes- Red Velvet Cupcakes

During school holidays had the opportunity to make these cupcakes for Ms T (6 year old).

Carefully chose a cake recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook.  (which is fabulous and a must buy for the recipes and great photos, love the commentary too)

Not many of my cupcake cookbooks have the red velvet cake recipe in it and last time I made a red velvet recipe I must have acquired it from the internet.  Ms T loved the cake and the buttercream icing (usually its the icing she is only interested in)  which speaks volumes to the quality of the taste of the cake.  Indeed, I loved the taste of these cakes.

I like the soft and moistness texture of the cupcakes
which is quite supreme.

Red Velvet Cupcakes (from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook) (makes 12)

60g butter (room temp)

150g caster sugar

1 egg

10 cocoa powder

20ml red food colour (I used 1/4 tspn of powder)

1/2 tspn vanilla extract

120ml butter milk

150g plain flour

1/2 tspn bicarb soda

1 1/2 tspn white wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C (325 F)

Beat the butter and sugar with hand held mixer until light and fluffy and well mixed.  Turn to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.

In a separate bowl. mix together the cocoa powder and red food colouring (I mixed the powders and added water very carefully).  Add to the butter mix and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and coloured (scrape down the sides with scraper).  At a slow speed slowly add half the buttermilk.  Beat until well mixed, then add half the flour, and beat  again till well mixed. Repeat the buttermilk and flour additions.  Scrape the sides of the bowl.  Mix at high speed until smooth and even mixture. Add the bicarb and vinegar at slow speed. Beat until well mixed after a few minutes at high speed.

Spoon mixture into paper cases until 2/3 full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25min, or until the spong vounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.  Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely

Buttercream

I find this had a good texture for piping and great taste.
50g butter
100g sifted icing sugar
5-10ml hot water

Beat the butter until soft and light.  Gradually add the icing sugar, beating well between additions.  Add the water beat again.  Refridgerate covered.

These are the cupcakes I made some time ago.  Using Cool mints for the eyes. and liquorish for black parts.

However I think that in the meantime I have seen other similar cupcake creations and like the use of halved marshmallow and black food colouring to the buttercream.  (Black food colouring since purchased probably due to the sepotisation of local kiddies liking Halloween) (its NOT our culture - in short)

In defence of using american kiddy things of Sesame characters, that is educational and it been on TV here for about 35-40 years.  And it is why proncouncing Z is ZEEE not  incorrectly as ZED occurs in this country.

Hot Chocolate Tea Cups

This week I have progressively made these cute "hot chocolate teacups" from the August Better Home & Gardens (Australia)

I managed to make more than what the recipe says, here is the video for it, however I'll have to search for the recipe on its site... MeH! not on the 138pages of recipes...

They are cute little bite sized pink musky sweetness that isn't rich like many other things I create in the sweet department.

This is from the magazine page 126. You can see how they have stylized it.... and the ingredients!!

OK it has a plain biscuit pastry base (5cm discs) with lemon flavoured (I made mine lime) pink icing (which is the glue for sticking all the different parts together). Musk lollies cut in half for the handle, marshmallow for the tea cup and for the chocolate , chocolate with a smidgen of cream......

Not at all rich but lightly sweet.