Snow Day Cupcakes!

Snow is a beautiful sight. Its fun to build snowmen, get into a snowball fight and generally have a day off. Sadly I still had to go into work. No snowball fights for me boo. (I did take a couple of photos but haven't got my camera with me. I'm on my nans iPad)
I am lucky because I've got more then half the week off to see my Portsmouth hospitality crew (Big it up for the Portsmouth crew!!!) 
I seriously miss you guys! Its going to be one amazing catch up!
And I get to see my lovely boyfriend, who I'm making a very special cake for. (Can't post what it is cause he'll guess and that ruins the surprise). More on that when its finished. 

In the mean time, I've been busy making some snowy cupcakes. I got this from a random recipe book. To be honest they didn't turn out the way I wanted them to. They taste so chocolately and moist but don't look so hot (or cool since there snow cupcakes). My suggestion is that you try the cupcake sponge with the icing from here. The yeti marshmallow icing is amazing and would go well with the chocolate sponge in this recipe. (Pictures soon to follow. Edit: Pictures added.)

Recipe: Chocolate Marshmallow Cupcakes.

•        2 Eggs
•        90g/ tbsp diced unsalted butter, room temperature
•        170g/ ¾ cup of caster sugar
•        140g/ 1 cup plus 2 tbsp of plain flour
•        1 teaspoon baking powder
•        30g/ ¼ cup cocoa powder
•        ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
•        125ml/ ½ cup milk
•        35g/ ½ cup mini marshmallow, plus extra to decorate
•        Store-bought chocolate sauce to drizzle

Recipe: Marshmallow frosting

•        180g/ 1 scant cup of caster sugar
•        ¼ teaspoon cream of tartare
•        3 egg whites
•        1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•        100ml/ 1/3 cup water

Equipment:

•        Sieve
•        Bowlx2
•        Mixer
•        Measuring jug
•        Scraper
•        12 hole muffin tin filled with cupcake cases
•        Saucepan
•        Sugar thermometer  
• 
  

1.    Preheat oven to 180c/350c/Gas Mark 4. Line the muffin tin with cupcake cases.

2.    Sieve together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder in a bowl.

3.    Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy using a mixer. Stop occasionally to scrape down the bowl.

4.    Crack all the eggs into a jug.

5.    Add the eggs a little at a time with the mixer on a higher speed. (if the mixture splits add a little bit of flour)

6.    Add the sifted dry ingredients and milk in alternate batches and beat on a low speed until combined. Fold in the marshmallows.

7.    Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted in the middles comes out clean.

8.    Place the cupcakes on a wire rack to cool.

9.    To make the frosting, put the sugar, cream of tar tar and water into a saucepan and mix well.

10.  Heat until the sugar has dissolved and a sugar thermometer in the mixture reads 115c/242f.

11.Meanwhile, in a separate, grease-free heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks forms.

12. Pour a thin, slow stream of the sugar syrup into the egg whites and doesn't hit the beaters otherwise sugar crystals will form. Stir in the vanilla and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

13.Spread the frosting over the cold cupcakes using a spatula. Top with mini marshmallows and chocolate sauce. 

Bake On!
Penny 

Yeti Cupcakes with a Snow Capped Marshmallow Frosting

It's only 3 more days until Christmas! 

I'm hoping that all of you have finished all of your Christmas shopping. No last minute panics. 

Because the big day is nearly here!

I'm still hoping for a snowy white Christmas, I think I may be dreaming only. So once again thanks to this idea I thought I would make some Yeti Cupcakes.

I think most people know the story of the huge snow coloured ape like creature, that lives on cold snowy mountains, that's what these cupcakes are named after. 

Recipe: Cupcakes makes around 18

•       300g plain flour
•        2 teaspoons baking powder
•        1 teaspoon salt, plus a little for egg whites
•        125g unsalted butter, room temperature
•        250g caster sugar
•        160ml milk
•        1 teaspoon vanilla extract (peppermint, lemon or almond extract works well)
•        3 egg whites
•        100g mini-marshmallows

Equipment:

•        Sieve
•        Electric hand mixer/mixer
•        Saucepan
•        Bowl x 3
•        12 hole Muffin tray  x 2 filled with 18 cupcake cases

1.    Preheat oven to 180c/350f/ gas mark 4.

2.    Mix flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

3.    Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk to the butter mix and beat until the batter is really smooth. Add the flavouring at this stage.

4.    Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl with a pinch of salt until stiff but not dry. It should still be shiny but stiff enough to tip the bowl upside down without the contents spilling. (Also avoid tapping the bowl or doing any unnecessary bowl banging, or you’ll lose the air in the egg whites.)

5.    Fold in the egg whites into the batter and fold the marshmallows.

6.    Spoon the batter into the cupcake cases, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a cake skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool. The cakes may look a bit lumpy and strange but that’s because of the marshmallows.

Recipe: Marshmallow Snow Frosting (Should mask 12 cupcakes generously or 18 if your sparing) 

•        3 egg whites
•        150g caster sugar
•        60ml golden syrup
•        Pinch of salt
•        1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Equipment:

•        Heat proof bowl
•        Whisk
•        Electric hand mixer
•        Saucepan filled with water
•        Timer
•        Spoon
•       Christmas Themed Decorations. (The edible snowflakes are from the lovely: SugarRobot)

      1. In a large heat proof bowl mix the egg whites, sugar, salt and golden syrup until combined.

      2. Place the bowl over simmering water and whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot. This should take about 3 minutes.

     3. Remove from heat (be careful as there is a burn risk here!) and beat for 7 minutes until the frosting is cool stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla extract.

    4.Spread using a spoon as this frosting doesn't hold its shape. 

  Have a very Merry Christmas and Bake On!

  Penny