Fat Friday #49 Natural Red Velvet Cupcakes

I've always loved the look of red velvet cakes and cupcakes. I've made them before but was always a little off put by the amount of red food colouring. I stumbled across this recipe in one of my favourite books and wanted to try it for a group of friends who were coming over for afternoon tea. Its made with beetroot and raspberries (there is a little food colouring to add a rich colour but you can omit this if you like) so its as natural as it can get. 

Recipe Adapted from Primrose Celebrations by Lisa Thomas and Martha Swift
Beetroot Puree :

• 1 raw beatroot
• 35g frozen raspberries
• 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 
• 1/2 tablespoon cold water

Equipment:

• Blender
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Peeler
• Bowl

Method:
1) Peel and chop the beetroot into cubes. Place in the blender with the other ingredients.
2)Whizz for 5 minutes, scraping the sides from time to time to make sure that the puree is really smooth.
3)Once smooth place in a bowl to one side. 

Buttercream Ingredients:

• 80g unsalted butter
• 160g cream cheese
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 560g icing sugar

Equipment:

• Handwhisk
• Bowl

Method:
1)Place all the ingredients into a bowl and mix with a hand whisk until light and fluffy.

Cupcakes Ingredients:

• 185g self-raising flour
• a pinch of salt
• 30g dark chocolate
• 60g unsalted butter
• 150g golden caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 55ml milk mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon natural red food colouring
• 115g of the beetroot puree

Equipment:

• Cupcake tray lined with cupcake liners
• Wire rack 
• Bowl x 2
• Hand held electric whisk
• Saucepan filled with hot water with a heatproof bowl on top/Microwave
• Sieve

Method:
1)Pre heat oven to GM 4/350f/180c.
2)Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. Set aside. 
3) Melt the chocolate either in the microwave or on the heatproof bowl with hot water in a saucepan. Make sure the chocolate doesn't burn.
4)Place the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in another bowl and mix until light and fluffy. 
5)Add the melted chocolate to the egg and sugar mixture, and whisk again.
6)Pour in the milk and lemon liquid and food colour and mix on a low speed. Then add the beetroot puree and mix again!
7)Add the dry ingredients to the batter, mix and divide into the cupcake cases, filling them about 2/3 full.
8)Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Once cool you can decorate as you like! I like to use a palette knife or a piping bag fitted with a circle nozzle. Of course sprinkled with some cute little sprinkle thingies too. 
Happy Friday! 

Classic Mini Vanilla Cupcakes

Its back to school time, and the weather is slowly changing from the mildly warm summer (we dont get hot weather in the UK), to the autumn (or fall to the USA readers). I think what I'm trying to say is that its time for adapting and changing. I had to adapt and pretend I was completely confident and that I was not nervous or panicky. I recently had to do a presentation on what I've been up to during my placement year. 

I didn't have an epic placement year. I swapped placements 3 times and felt like a failure for swapping so many times, I found that the last placement in an office worked out in the end and I completed my patisserie course. I wouldn't have been able to complete the course unless I moved around. So talking about a placement year that didn't start out great but ended well, was a little nerve racking. 

Standing in front of people who you may not understand where your'e coming from was awful and during the presentation my legs were shaking. 

I worried for nothing. People understood what I went through and they did enjoy the presentation. More importantly I got a little clap at the end. I think that the fact I brought in some mini cakes helped my case. 

Deciding on the 'keep it simple' theme, I choose the classic vanilla cupcakes. You can't go wrong with a classic. I got quite a few compliments on the cute-ness and the delicious-ness of the cupcakes so I was pleased. 

Oh and the presentation went well! Thank-you for those who listened to the presentation. 

Recipe-Makes 48 (Adapted from Cupcakes from Primrose) :

·       110g unsalted butter, at room temperature

·       225g golden caster sugar

·       2 large eggs

·       150g self raising flour, sifted

·       125g plain flour, sifted

·       120ml semi-skimmed milk at room temperature

·       1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Buttercream:

·       110g unsalted butter

·       60ml semi-skimmed milk

·       1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·       500g icing sugar, sifted

To decorate:

·       A colour paste of your choice

·       Sprinkles and decorations

Equipment:

·       Wooden spoon/ spatula

·       Bowl x 3

·       Jug/ small bowl

·       2 x Mini Muffin tray lined with 48 mini cupcake cases  

·       Piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle/ palette knife

·       Teaspoon

1.    Pre-heat the oven to 160c fan/180c/350f/Gas Mark 4 and line the mini muffin trays with cupcake cases.

Step 2. Butter and sugar until pale and smooth.

2.    In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until pale and smooth.

3.  Add the eggs one at a time, and beat until combined.   

Step 4. Combine the two flours and milk and vanilla extract

4. Combine the two flours in a separate bowl and combine the milk, and vanilla extract in a jug. Add one-third of the flours to the creamed mixture and beat well.

Step 5. The completed cake batter

5.    Pour in one-third of the milk mixture and beat again. Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk has been added.

Step 5. Fill the cupcake cases

6.    Carefully spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until slightly raised and golden brown.

7.    Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool. Once they are completely cool, you can ice the cupcakes.

Step 7. Wait until completely cold to ice

8.    To make the buttercream, in a large bowl beat the butter, milk, vanilla extract and half the icing sugar. I did this with a spatula and it took about 5 minutes with loads of elbow grease!

9.    Gradually add the rest of the icing sugar until the buttercream is incorporated, smooth and creamy. 

 These were a real hit in the classroom, it would have been weird if I took photos of people eating. I used confetti sprinkles, glitter sugar, and oreo's to decorate but you can use whatever you want. 

Anyway my main message in this post is no matter what's going on around you, don't lose your confidence and smile. It's not as bad as it seems.
Have a good weekend!

Matcha and Chocolate Cupcakes for Matcha May!

As mentioned in my previous posts I have been keeping a Matcha Diary and I promised to incorporate some teapigs matcha into a cupcake for Matcha May.

I feel that this combo really works, as the matcha is really understated. So if your a little unsure about matcha in a cupcake, the dark chocolate balances it out. These make a great snack to moonch on whilst at work, which I thought were really de-lish!  

Recipe: Makes 12 cupcakes (Recipe adapted from Making Cupcakes with Lola)

·       150g plain flour, sifted

·       2 ½ tablespoons of cocoa powder, sifted

·       1/4 teaspoon matcha powder

·       1 teaspoon baking powder

·       A pinch of salt

·       150g unsalted butter, at room temperature

·       265g caster sugar

·       120g dark chocolate, chopped

·       1 egg

·       150ml water

Buttercream

·       125g unsalted butter, at room temperature

·       1 tablespoon single cream, plus a little more if needed

·       ½ teaspoon matcha powder

·       500g icing sugar, sifted

Equipment:

·       Large saucepan

·       Bowl

·       Chopping board

·       Knife

·       Measuring Jug

·       Sieve

·       Tablespoon

·       Muffin tray lined with cupcake cases x 2

·       Whisk

·       Piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle or a palette knife to spread the buttercream

     1.  Pre-heat the oven to 180c/350f/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tray with cupcake cases.

     2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, matcha powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

     3. Put the butter, sugar and chocolate in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Heat until pale and smooth.

     4. Add 150ml water and whisk until combined let cool for a few minutes.

     5. Add the egg to the saucepan and whisk in.

     6. Finally, whisk in the sifted dry ingredients and whisk in well.

     7. Carefully spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes until slightly raised. To check they are cooked, insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cakes-it should come out clean.

     8. Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool. Once they are completely cool, you can ice the cupcakes.

     9.  To make the buttercream, mix the cream and matcha powder to make a paste.

    10. Put the butter into a bowl and microwave for 20 seconds until soft. Sift half the sugar into the bowl, beating until incorporated.

    11. Add the second half of the icing sugar and beat on a low speed using an electric whisk.

    12.  Add the matcha and cream paste and mix really well. If the mixture is a little thick add a tablespoon of cream and then beat again until loose. 

    13.   Spread or pipe the buttercream on the cooled cakes.

    14.  To finish off dust the top of the cupcakes with cocoa powder.

These really hit the spot when it you need a little sweet pick me up. In the buttercream alone is one daily serving of matcha, and I've heard that dark chocolate is good for you in moderation. So what's not to love?

Bake On! 

Matcha May is Here! Matcha Diary Days 1 and 2 (with a discount deal as well)

It's a little unsettling when you see that your morning coffee has been replaced by a very luminous green liquid.

Let me explain, this odd looking drink is Matcha Green Tea. To celebrate all things matcha related, teapigs,who pioneer in all things tea related, they have coined the month of May as Matcha May. This year they have asked tea loving UK bloggers to review their matcha green tea.

In this tea loving bloggers case, for Matcha May I'm going to be using my matcha in some sort of baking, so watch this space! (UPDATE:Published Here )
Also I'm going to be investing in a box of matcha and having a teapigs shot, (which is 30ml of hot water whisked with 1/2 teaspoon of matcha and drunk straight) instead of my morning coffee for the next two weeks to see if any of the health benefit's work for me. I'll try and be posting my status everyday when possible in the form of diary, which I have nicknamed, Matcha Diary. So we'll be seeing how that works out!

Here are some answers to some questions you may be asking: (Remember that this information is taken from the teapig website, if you have any further questions about matcha or any of there tea products contact them, after all they are the experts on this stuff)

So Matcha huh? Whats that?
As mentioned before, it's a highly concentrated version of green tea which is 100%  natural and organic, originally from Japan and has been used for over 900 years by Buddhist monks to help them stay focused during mediation. teapigs matcha is grown in Nishio, Japan and only uses the leaf rather then the veins which can cause that funny bitter taste you can get in green tea.

Alright so it's a green tea?
A super green tea. Have you not seen its muscles? 

Erm ok... So what makes it different from normal green tea?
When you have a teabag of green tea you eventually throw the bag away, and with that you away all the goodness! Matcha is ground up so finely that it can be whisked into water/smoothie/fruit juice/insert yummy thing here, so all the nutrients are drunk up.

What are these health benefits then?
 I'm glad you mentioned that:

• Matcha can help towards healthy glowing skin
• It can improve concentration and learning performance
• Also matcha can be assist in weight loss which is just fab for the summer if you want to slim up.
• It's also been said that matcha can chill you out as well as energise you.
• Lastly, it contains 137 times the antioxidants of normal green tea! (for more info please click here)

Wow! No way! Where can I get this stuff?
Yes way! It can be difficult to find but recently health shops and cafes have been seeing more of a demand, so it's becoming more widely availible. But to get it directly from the lovely tea experts themselves, check out their website: teapigs and they are also on facebook and you can follow them on twitter under: @teapigs

And whats even better you can get 15%* off at the teapigs by using code: BLOGGERS12 . How awesome is that? (*Enter at the checkout /offer not valid on gifts or cheeky deals)

So if your a tea lover and fancy a discount, why not give matcha tea it a go? I'll be keeping you posted on the blog!
Bake and Drink on!

Penny's Matcha Diary 
Day 1:
6:30am- Got up and not so awake. Wishes that I can get back to bed.
8am- At work and had my morning Matcha for the day
9am- feeling more awake and alert
10:45am- feeling wide awake and buzzing 
12pm- Had lunch with no morning snacks.
3:15pm-still feeling energised.
4pm- Had a sneaky cupcake made by a lovely lady from my pastry class.
5pm- Home from work, started to make Matcha and Chocolate Cupcakes but energy is flagging.

Day 2:
6:30am-Wake up and it's pouring with rain boo!
7:15am- Had my Matcha shot for the day.
8am- Got to work and feeling a little more awake.
9:30am- Had a glass of water with no snacks at all.
10:30am- Starting to feel hungry.
1pm- Had lunch.
2:12pm (It's so exact because I saw it on a computer screen)- Feeling a little tired but still feeling focused.