Poached Pear Cupcakes

by 13 Comments

I'm a big fan of the delicate taste of pears, and while I don't particularly like the texture of a raw pear, I do enjoy seeing how creative I can be with them in my cooking.

Poached Pear Cupcakes

Makes: 12
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
 
  • 1 litre/1¾ pints water
  • 200g/7oz granulated sugar
  • 3 small pears, peeled, quartered and cored
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 75g/2¾oz plain flour
  • 70g/2½oz ground almonds
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • ¼tsp salt
  • 115g/4oz unsalted butter, softened
  • 200g/7oz caster sugar
  • 1tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1 eggs
  • 4tbsp double cream

Frosting & Decoration:

  • 150g/5½oz icing sugar
  • 225g/8oz unsalted butter
  • 1tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon
  1. Bring the water and granulated sugar to the boil in a saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the pears and cinnamon stick and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pears and set aside to cool, do NOT dispose of the liquid. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with paper cases.
  2. Beat the butter and caster sugar in a bowl until pale and fluff, add the vanilla bean paste and eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Add a little flour if the eggs start to curdle. Sift in half the flour and the cream, beat until well incorporated. Add the remaining flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt and mix through well.
  3. Spoon the batter into the paper cases and put a pear quarter into each. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until risen and golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl with the unsalted butter, and stir together. Add the vanilla bean paste and cinnamon, and beat until combined. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag with a star-shaped tip, and pipe onto the cupcakes.
  5. Reduce the poaching liquid down until it produces a sticky and slightly runny syrup, drizzle over the top of the cupcakes.

Poached Pear Cupcakes

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This recipe comes from Make, Bake, Cupcake: The Recipe Book, which is a wonderful recipe book full of imaginative cupcake ideas for bored bakers. My personal favourites are the White Russian, Mudslide, Limoncello, Caramel Appletini, and Salted Caramel cupcakes. With easy recipes, colourful photography, and cute illustrations throughout, the book is a joy to use. I particularly like the way that the chapters are easy to find with cut out cupcakes as the markers.

Make, Bake, Cupcake: The Recipe Book is published by Parragon Books with an RRP £14.00 but is currently £5.00 on Amazon.

I was sent this product for the purpose of review, my opinion is honest and unbiased.

Linked to Recipe Of The Week, Tasty Tuesdays and Share Your Stuff Tuesdays.

Espresso Cupcakes & Cappuccino Frosting

by 15 Comments

I am a big fan of coffee flavours, but not actually of the hot drink. I adore coffee ice-cream, frappuccinos and flavoured chocolates but have a real aversion to it as a warm liquid. However, there is always room for coffee cake!

Espresso Cupcakes with Cappuccino Frosting

Espresso Cupcakes with Cappuccino Frosting

  • Makes: 12
  • Preparation time: 10 minutes & 10 minutes for frosting
  • Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • Cakes:
    • 4oz/120g self-raising flour
    • 4oz/120g caster sugar
    • 4oz/120g butter
    • 2 eggs
    • 1tsp vanilla bean paste
    • 1tbsp vanilla yoghurt
    • 1 shot of espresso
    • 1tsp espresso/coffee powder
  • buttercream:
    • 5oz/140g butter, softened
    • 10oz/280g icing sugar
    • 1-2 tbsp milk
    • 1tsp espresso powder
    • chocolate spread
    • cappuccino cream wafer rolls
  1. Cream the butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy.
  2. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract, add a little flour if the mixture starts to curdle.
  3. Sift the flour in with and mix thoroughly.
  4. Stir through the vanilla yoghurt and espresso shot gently.
  5. Fold in the coffee powder.
  6. Divide into cake cases and cook in a preheated oven (200°C/Gas Mask 6) for 12-15 minutes.
  7. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  8. Mix the buttercream, but before transferring to a piping bag with a star nozzle, smear chocolate spread around the outside of the bag. When the buttercream is piped, there will be a gentle hint of chocolate in the topping.
  9. Break a section of cappuccino cream wafer roll and place on the top of the buttercream.

Espresso Cupcakes with Cappuccino Frosting

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Pear & White Chocolate Cupcakes

by 18 Comments

I absolutely love the flavour of pears, especially lightly cooked, but am not a huge fan of them uncooked as the texture is often too gritty for me. As I had a batch that were 'on the turn', I decided to whip up some cupcakes which would make good use of them.

Pear & White Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

  • 4oz self-raising flour
  • 4oz caster sugar
  • 4oz butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1tbsp vanilla yoghurt
  • 1 pear, peeled and chopped
  • white chocolate drops
  • buttercream
  • chocolate spread
  • white chocolate
  1. Cream the butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy.
  2. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract, add a little flour if the mixture starts to curdle.
  3. Sift the flour in and mix thoroughly.
  4. Stir through the vanilla yoghurt gently.
  5. Divide into cake cases and cook in a preheated oven (200°C/Gas Mask 6) for 12-15 minutes.
  6. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  7. Mix the buttercream, but before transferring to a piping bag with a star nozzle, smear chocolate spread around the outside of the bag. When the buttercream is piped, there will be a gentle hint of chocolate in the topping.
  8. Grate white chocolate and sprinkle over the top of the buttercream.

I'm sure that more than one is allowed, there is fruit in it after all?

Pear & White Chocolate Cupcakes
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Blackforest Gateau

by 58 Comments

I have a long history of failing to make 'big' cakes in my oven, but when I saw a recipe for a ring cake I remembered that I have a Bundt tin and I decided to have a go at making a cake for my dad's birthday. What else could I make for a man who thinks the 1970s were the best decade ever than a blackforest gateau, but 21st century style.

Blackforest Gateau

Blackforest Gateau

  • Preparation time: 20 minutes
  • Cooking time: 25-35 minutes
  • Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

  • 200g (7oz) softened butter
  • 200g (7oz) golden caster sugar
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 150g (50z) self-raising flour
  • 50g (2oz) cocoa powder
  • ½tsp baking powder
  • 1tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 4tbsp kirsch or brandy (optional and should be omitted if the cake is being given to a minor)
  • 4tbsp cherry pie filling
  • 150ml double cream
  • 1tbsp icing sugar
  • fresh cherries (with the stalks still on if possible)
  • bar of white chocolate
  • dark chocolate curls
  • You'll also need a 20cm (8inch) Bundt tin, well greased and floured (I actually then put mine in the fridge as it was a warm day and the butter was melting through the flour.)
  1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan, 350°F, gas mark 4.
  2. Beat the butter and golden sugar in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, adding flour if the mixture starts to curdle. Stir through the vanilla bean paste.
  3. Sieve in the flour, cocoa and baking powder and beat gently until smooth.
  4. Spoon the mixture into the tin and level the surface. Bake for 25-35 minutes until firm and well risen, test with a skewer which should come out clean.
  5. Place the cake in the tin onto a wire rack to cool. When cool (and not before or the cake will fall apart!) turn upside down and remove from the tin.
  6. Measure a line around the circumference of the cake halfway up the height, and carefully slice through this to have a top and bottom half.
  7. Whip the double cream up until stiff and it holds its shape. Stir through the icing sugar to sweeten. Spread this onto the bottom half of the ring, and spoon the cherry pie filling onto the top of this. Place the top half of the cake back on top.
  8. Melt the white chocolate in a bain marie (or in a bowl over boiling hot water, it shouldn't touch the water). Pour the chocolate over the top of the cake allowing it to dribble down the sides and hole to create. Place the cherries on top, and put the cake in the fridge to set.
  9. Once almost set, sprinkle the dark chocolate flakes on top (if this is done when the white chocolate is still warm, it will melt into it). Return to the fridge to set the white chocolate.

Blackforest Gateau

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Mummy Mishaps

The Ultimate Chocolate Brownie

by 5 Comments

These brownies are quite simply the best ever known to all of mankind in all of history.

A short while ago I was eavesdropping on a twittervation between a few friends and saw mention of something called 'slutty brownies'. Not a fan of the 's' term, I was slightly intrigued to see a chocolate cake described in such a way and followed the link posted to see this recipe on The Londoner's blog. Simple enough for anyone to make, it results in a brownie which is worthy of such a better title and is guaranteed to make grown men and women weep.

Ingredients are simple:

  • packet of chocolate chip cookie mix
  • Oreo cookies
  • packet of chocolate brownie mix
  • water

And my own additions to the original recipe:

  • Galaxy chocolate
  • white chocolate drops

slutty brownies

  1. Make up the cookie mix first following the directions and spread it on the bottom of the greased or silicon baking tray.
  2. Layer the Oreo cookies.
  3. Make up the brownie mix and place on top.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes on 200°C.
  5. Serve warm.

Toffee Apple Tart

by 12 Comments

When Mummy Mishaps announced that last month's theme on I Love Cake was toffee or caramel, I had a couple of ideas for my cake but the little minx got in there first! And then yet again, I missed the deadline! However, I thought I'd blog this regardless. I remembered her rather scummy toffee apple cupcakes that she'd made a few months previously and adapted the recipe to make a kind of Bakewell Tart.

Ingredients:

  • Condensed milk toffee (you'll need 100g of brown sugar, 100g of butter and a tin of condensed milk)
  • one cooking apple

Shortcrust pastry:

  • 125g/4oz plain flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 55g/2oz butter, cubed
  • 30-45ml/2-3 tbsp cold water
  • 2oz ground almonds
  • 1oz caster sugar

Frangipane filling:

  • 125g butter
  • 125g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 125g ground almonds
  • 1tbsp plain flour

bakewell tart

  1. The first stage is to make some toffee. Put the brown sugar and butter into a saucepan and melt. Add the tin of condensed milk and stir while it thickens for 20 minutes. Leave to cool slightly while making everything else.
  2. Make the shortcrust pastry in the traditional way. I added ground almonds and some caster sugar to in order to sweeten it. Put a layer of baking beans over the base and cook for 10 minutes at 180°C.
  3. While this is blind-baking in the oven, poach the cooking apples in 1 tablespoon of water, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of sugar for ten minutes until softened, then drain.
  4. Cream the sugar and butter for the frangipane mix, add the eggs, sift in the flour and ground almonds. Mix thoroughly.
  5. Put a spoonful of frangipane mix in the base of each tart case, then layer apples on top. Put a dollop of toffee on top of the apples and then another dollop of frangipane over the top again.
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180°C until a skewer/knife comes out clean.
  7. Serve warm with ice-cream or clotted cream.
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