Salted Caramel Cupcakes

As of recently. salted caramel has been my favourite flavour combination.

The salty and sweet taste just melts in your mouth, which is why I have been meaning to make these cupcakes for some time.

A vanilla cupcake filled with salted caramel, topped with caramel buttercream and salted caramel sauce, they're just divine, and my mouth is now watering thinking of how good they were. (so making these again later.) For the drizzle on top I used Tesco Finest Salted Caramel, this stuff is amazing! Drizzled on cupcakes, spooned onto icecream, poured into mouth...

Please just try these and you will understand what i'm saying!

Ingredients:
For 12 cupcakes:
-200g unsalted butter
-200g light brown sugar
-3 large eggs, beaten
-2 tsp vanilla bean extract
-200g self raising flour

For the caramel filling:
-100g butter
-100g brown sugar
-397g tin of condensed milk (I used carnation)
-1 tsp salt

For the buttercream:
-250g unsalted butter
-500g icing sugar
-2 tbsp leftover caramel

For the salted caramel drizzle:
- Tesco Salted Caramel (alternatively, save a bit of the salted caramel you made.)

Preheat your oven to 180c and line a muffin tin with 12 cases.

In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Gradually add your beaten eggs, then the vanilla extract.

Sift over the flour. then gently fold in with a large metal spoon.

Divide the mixture between the 12 cases and place into the oven for 15-18 minutes.

Once baked, leave to cool on a rack until cooled completely.

For the caramel, heat the butter and sugar together on a low heat until melted. Add
the condensed milk and salt,then simmer together for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool. (you don't want thick caramel)

To make the buttercream, beat the butter until pale in colour. Gradually add the icing sugar and caramel until combined.

To assemble, cut a hole out of each cooled cupcake and fill with a teaspoon of caramel. Replace with the lid.
Then pipe or spread the buttercream on top. Warm up the salted caramel, and drizzle on top.

Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes

Who doesn't love peanut butter? peanut butter on anything sounds pretty damn good in my books.

I have been waiting to make these cupcakes for ever but never got round to it. What inspired me this time were the peanut butter (yes peanut butter) oreo's my boyfriend bought for me. He's definitely a keeper. ;)

They're my favourite oreo by far, if you haven't tried them you gotta!

Vanilla cupcakes topped with crunchy peanut butter buttercream and a peanut butter oreo.
Because you can never have enough peanut butter. Or even say the words peanut butter (because I have far to many times in this post.)

Ingredients:

12 Cupcakes-

• 200g unsalted butter
• 200g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g self raising flour

Buttercream-

• 250g unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp crunchy peanut butter (or smooth if you prefer)
• 500g icing sugar
• 12 peanut butter oreos

Preheat your oven to 180c and line a muffin tray with 12 cases.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy.

Add the eggs, beating after each addition, adding the vanilla with the last.

Sift over the flour and gently fold in with a large metal spoon.

Divide between the 12 cases, then place into the oven for 16-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Once baked, leave to cool completely before icing.

For the buttercream, beat the butter until light in colour, gradually add the peanut butter and icing sugar until a nice spreading consistency. Add a drop of water if its too thick.

Spread onto each cooled cupcake and top with an oreo!

Banoffee Cupcakes

Banoffee pie is one of my favourite desserts, banana and caramel together is just so damn good.

It is also a very easy dessert and as I didn't want to post a recipe so simple,  I made it into cupcakes!

These cupcakes are amazing, really, my mum (who is extremely picky) just could not express how good they were after her first bite and the cupcake was gone in a second.

Banana cake topped with a caramel frosting, banana chips, grated chocolate and drizzled with even more caramel. You can never have enough caramel, am I right?

Ingredients:
(makes 12)

For the cakes-
-200g unsalted butter
-200g caster sugar
-3 large eggs, beaten
-1 banana, mashed
-200g self raising flour

For the topping-
-200g unsalted butter
-350g icing sugar
-3 tbsp caramel (I used the carnation brand)
-2 tbsp full fat cream cheese
-1 tsp vanilla extract

-banana chips
-grated chocolate
-1 tbsp caramel

Preheat your oven to 180c, and fill a muffin tray with 12 cupcake cases.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy.

Gradually beat in the eggs until combined. Add the mashed banana and mix.

Sift over the flour and fold in gently with a large metal spoon.

Divide between the 12 cases, then place into the oven for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Once baked, place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before icing.

For the frosting, beat the butter until light in colour, gradually add the icing sugar, caramel, cream cheese and vanilla until a thick but spreadable consistency.

Pipe or spread on the top of each cooled cupcakes.
Top with a couple of banana chips, sprinkle over the chocolate and drizzle over the caramel.
(To loosen the caramel pop into the microwave for 30 seconds.)

Enjoy!

Chocolate Zombie Cupcakes

My boyfriend and I have become obsessed with The Walking Dead.
We kinda got on the bandwagon late but instantly we were hooked.

We also now just seem to be obsessed with zombies, anything zombie makes us excited, so I couldn't wait to bake these cupcakes!

Moist chocolate sponge topped with chocolate buttercream, grated chocolate 'dirt', a fondant zombie hand and drizzled blackcurrant 'blood'.

Ingredients:
Makes 12 large cupcakes

Cupcakes-
-180g unsalted butter
-180g light brown sugar
-3 large eggs,beaten
-4 tbsp cocoa powder
-180g self raising flour
-1tbsp golden syrup
-1tbsp milk

Decoration-
-250g unsalted butter
-500g icing sugar
-1tbsp golden syrup
-150g milk chocolate, melted
-50g chocolate grated
-green fondant
-1tbsp blackcurrant jam

Preheat your oven to 180c and line 12 muffin  holes with cases.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Gradually beat in the eggs.

Sift over the cocoa powder, add the golden syrup and mix together.
Sift over the flour and the dash of milk then fold in gently with a large metal spoon.

Divide between your cases then place into the oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Once baked, leave to cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating.

For the buttercream, beat the butter until pale in colour. Gradually beat in the icing sugar, golden syrup and melted chocolate until a spreadable, but thick consistency. Spread over each cupcake to cover.
Grate the 80g chocolate into a bowl then dip each cupcake in to cover for the 'dirt'.

To make the zombie hands I rolled a ball of fondant into a tear drop shape. On the large end, with a knife, I cut in to make 5 'fingers' then rolled each piece into a finger shape. Push a hand into the top of each cupcake.
Heat the blackcurrant jam in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to loosen, then drizzle over each cupcake.

Zombie and chocolate fix sorted!

Simple Chocolate and Raspberry Cake

Raspberry seems to go with everything, and so does chocolate in my mind ;)
So what better way to combine the two then a big sponge cake. I baked this for my nan's birthday, chocolate cake is always the winner in her eyes.

Its simple but delicious and never lasts longer then a day around here.

Ingredients:
For the cake-
-200g unsalted butter
-200g light brown sugar
-3 large eggs, beaten
-2 heaped tbsp cocoa powder
-200g self raising flour

For the buttercream-
-250g unsalted butter
-400g icing sugar
-250g milk chocolate, melted
-fresh raspberries

Preheat your oven to 180c and grease and line two sandwich tins with baking paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Gradually add in your eggs.

Sift over the flour and cocoa powder, then fold in gently until all incorporated.
Divide between the two cake tins then place into the oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Once baked, leave to cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating.

For the buttercream, beat the butter until it is pale in colour, then gradually add the icing sugar and melted chocolate. You may need to add a splash of milk so its spreading consistency.

To decorate, spread a third of the buttercream onto one layer of the cake, top with raspberries. Add the other layer, then spread on another third of the buttercream.
With the rest of the buttercream, I piped around the edge with a 1M wilton tip then filled the inside with more raspberries, yummy!

Caramel Apple Popcorn Cake

When throwing together random ingredients, sometimes it can go bad, but sometimes it can go reaally reaally good. This is that time.

Moist apple cinnamon cake, filled with a layer of caramel, caramel buttercream, topped with popcorn and drizzled with even more caramel.

Yeah you drizzle that caramel!

Ingredients:

Cake-
-180g unsalted butter
-180g light brown sugar
-3 eggs, beaten
-180g self raising flour
-1 tsp cinnamon
-2 apples peeled,cored and grated

Buttercream-
-250g unsalted buttercream
-500g icing sugar
-2 tablespoons caramel

Decoration-

-1 package microwave popcorn (I used this brand,Butterkist Microwave Sweet Popcorn )
-2 tbsp caramel

Preheat your oven to 180c and grease and line two sandwich tins with baking paper.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

Gradually beat in the eggs.

Sift over the flour and then add the cinnamon and fold in until just before incorporated.

Add in the grated apple and fold in until everything is combined.

Divide between the sandwich tins and place into the oven for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Once baked, leave to cool on a cooling rack completely before decorating.

For the buttercream, beat the butter until pale in colour then gradually add the icing sugar and caramel until a spreadable consistency.

Spread a layer of caramel onto one sponge cake then top with half of the buttercream, sandwich on top the other sponge cake then spread on the rest of the buttercream.

Cook your popcorn in the microwave for how ever long the package tells you (burnt popcorn smells awful!)
then sprinkle all over the top of the cake.

Place the 2 tablespoons of caramel into the microwave for about 20 secs, enough so its easier to drizzle.

Then drizzle that caramel goodness all over the top of the cake, yum!

Pink Lemonade Cake

This weekend it seems that spring has sprung! (in Kent anyway)
We've had sunshine and blues skies all weekend and its been very welcome!

So I thought why not celebrate with a bright pink lemon cake!
Decorated with multicoloured sprinkles and ombre buttercream, this will definitely bring a smile to anyone's face.
It is lemon but doesn't actually have lemonade in it, strangely though it tastes like lemonade!

Ingredients:

For the cake-

• 200g unsalted butter
• 250g caster sugar
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 200ml lemon juice
• 2 tsp pink food colouring
• 350g self raising flour
• zest of 2 lemons 

For the buttercream-

• 400g unsalted butter
• 550g icing sugar
• 3 tsp lemon juice
• pink food colouring 

Preheat your oven to 180c and grease and line two sandwich tins with baking paper.

In a large bowl beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Slowly beat in the eggs and lemon juice until incorporated. Then add in your pink food colouring until a vivid pink colour (may need more or less then I used.)
Sift over the flour and add the lemon zests. Fold in gently to combine.

Divide between the sandwich tins and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Leave to cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating.

To make the buttercream, beat the butter until pale in colour then add the icing sugar and lemon juice until a thick but spreadable consistency.
Divide into two bowls and add pink food colouring too each, so you have two shades of pink.

To decorate, sandwich each cake together with a bit of buttercream.
For the outside, start at the bottom of the cake and spread around the sides with the darker buttercream.
Then cover the top with the lighter buttercream and blend into the sides.

Top with sprinkles.

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

As valentines day is tomorrow I thought I'd get into the spirit and bake some cute cupcakes!

A milk chocolate sponge topped with white chocolate buttercream, the cake is incredibly moist,with the addition of buttermilk,and the frosting deliciously sweet.

Either give to your loved ones or just eat them all yourself! (Sounds like a day well spent to me...)

Ingredients-

For the cupcakes (makes 8)-
-150g unsalted butter
-150g light brown sugar
-2 eggs
-4 tbsp cocoa powder
-150ml buttermilk
-150g self raising flour

For the buttercream-
-200g unsalted butter
-400g icing sugar
-2 tsp milk
-200g white chocolate, melted

Preheat your oven to 180c and line a muffin tin with 8 cases.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Sift in half the cocoa powder and half of the buttermilk and beat, then sift in the rest of the cocoa powder and buttermilk and beat to combine.

Sift in the flour and fold in gently.

Divide the mixture between the cases and place into the oven for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Leave to cool completely once baked, before decorating.

For the buttercream, beat the butter until light in colour and gradually add the icing sugar, milk and white chocolate until a thick consistency.

Pipe or spread on top of each cupcake and decorate with any sweets you like!

Jack Daniels Chocolate Cake with Oreo Truffles

As you can probably tell from the photos, this was a birthday cake I made for my boyfriend, who looooves Jack Daniel's!

Filled with Jack Daniels buttercream, covered in chocolate ganache and decorated with Oreo truffles, this cake is definitely one to show off!

Ingredients:

For the Oreo truffles:
- one package of Oreos
- one tub of cream cheese
- 200g chocolate

For the cake:
-200g unsalted butter
-200g caster sugar
-3 eggs, beaten
-3 tbsp cocoa powder
-100ml jack daniels
-200g self raising flour

For the buttercream-
-250g unsalted butter
-400g icing sugar
-2 tbsp jack daniels

For the ganache:
-300ml double cream
-250g milk chocolate
-250g dark chocolate

For the truffles, place the Oreos in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin until you're left with fine crumbs.
Place into a bowl and mix in the cream cheese.

Roll into balls and place on a lined baking tray, into your fridge, for at least half an hour.
Once they're nice and cooled, melt your chocolate and roll each ball in it to cover them completely, place them back onto the baking tray, and put them into the fridge to set.
Decorate with whatever your fancy, I used white chocolate and crushed hazelnuts.

To make the ganache.
Heat the double cream in a small saucepan, until it starts to simmer in a small saucepan. Take off the heat, break up the chocolate and place into the cream, making sure it's mostly covered. Leave for 5 minutes to melt.

Once melted, stir to combine and leave to cool. I placed it into the fridge until I needed it, but had to microwave it for 30 seconds before using to make it easier to spread.

Preheat your oven to 180c, grease and line two sandwich tins with grease proof paper.

In a large bowl, best the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Slowly beat in the eggs.
In a mug combine the cocoa powder with a tiny bit of boiling water to dissolve, then mix in the jack daniels. Add this to the batter and mix well.
Sift over the flour and gently fold in with a metal spoon until combined.

Divide the mixture into each sandwich tin and place into the oven for 20-25, minutes.
To test if it's ready, stick a toothpick into the middle, if it comes out clean it's ready.
Once baked, leave to cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating.

For the buttercream, beat the butter until light and fluffy, slowly add the icing sugar and jack daniels until a thick but spreadable consistency.
Sandwich the cooled cakes with the buttercream then cover the whole cake with the ganache, I just did this with a spatula.

Place your Oreo truffles on top and then wallah!

Lemon and Raspberry Cupcakes

After baking a few things the past couple of weeks, nothing to me was blogable. I like to put things on that I would want to see myself (quality over quantity, I'm aiming for), so I hope you like this one!

Lemon cupcakes, with lemon buttercream, filled with raspberry jam, these cupcakes are perfect with a cup of tea in the afternoon and everyone seems to love them.

I still can't find my 1M Wilton tip that I basically use for ALL my cupcakes, and I think I'm going have to get a new one soon because someone has thrown it out (someone meaning my dad) so I just used a piping bag for the buttercream. They still look pretty though I think!

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes-
•180g unsalted butter
•180g caster sugar
•3 eggs, beaten
•zest and juice of 2 lemons
•180g self raising flour

For the icing and filling-
•10 tbsp raspberry jam
•200g unsalted butter
•400g icing sugar, sifted
• zest and juice of one lemon

Preheat your oven to 180c and line a muffin tray with 10 cases.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Gradually add your beaten eggs and then the zest and juice of the lemons.

Sift over the flour, and gently fold in with a metal spoon until incorporated.

Divide between the cases and place into the oven for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Leave to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Once cooled cut a lid out of each and place a tsp of jam in each, then place the lid back on top.

For the frosting,beat the butter until pale in colour, then gradually add the icing sugar, lemon zest and juice until a thick consistency.

Pipe or spread on top of each cupcake, I decorated mine with white chocolate buttons.

Chocolate Caramel Torte with Peanut Brittle

I know I have only just posted a chocolate recipe, but really, who can get enough of chocolate? Or caramel... Which is why I have made this!

Looks difficult and a bit fiddly but is actually very simple and doesn't use too many ingredients.

Best served warm with cream or, my favourite, vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients:

For the torte-
•200g unsalted butter
•100g milk chocolate
•100g dark chocolate
•1 tsp almond extract
•4 eggs
•200g soft brown sugar
•200g self raising flour

For the caramel-
• 2 tbsp condensed milk
• 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
,
For the peanut brittle-
•80g caster sugar
• a couple of handfuls of salted peanuts


Preheat your oven to 180c and grease and line a 20cm springform pan with baking paper.

In a medium saucepan, melt together the butter and chocolate, once melted stir in the almond extract and take off the heat.

In a large bowl beat together the eggs and sugar until doubled in volume and light in colour. Slowly drizzle in the chocolate mixture and gently fold in.

Sift over the flour and again, fold in gently until incorporated.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes.

Once baked, leave to cool completely before removing.

To make the caramel, put all three ingredients into a frying pan and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and continue stirring until golden and thick.
Spread on top of the cooled torte.

For the peanut brittle, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Carefully melt the sugar in a medium saucepan, shaking the pan now and again, until it reaches a golden colour.
Add in the peanuts and then pour onto the baking tray to harden.

Once set break into small pieces and sprinkle on top of the torte.