Monday 21 July 2014

Carrot cake cupcakes

I LOVE carrot cake but I'd never actually made my own before, and making a whole big cake seemed a little bit daunting (even though it did look amazing), so instead I went on the hunt for carrot cupcakes- smaller, easier, quicker. I decided to use this Martha Stewart recipe, because how can it go wrong if it's Martha Stewart?
They were delicious, so you should make them. Like, now.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons plain low-fat yoghurt
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (from about 4 medium carrots)

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg; set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, egg, yoghurt, and vanilla. Stir in grated carrots. Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture mixing until well combined. Divide among muffin tin. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a cupcake comes out clean.
Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
To frost: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and confectioners' sugar until smooth; beat in vanilla and orange zest. Top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons of frosting and spread to cover.

I accidentally ate all the frosting before it reached the cakes, and I can't even say I'm ashamed.
But seriously, make this.

Love, Shay. xo

Sunday 6 July 2014

Chocolate cornflake cakes

Long time no see! A couple of days ago I had a major craving for chocolate cornflake cakes. I don't know where it came from, but I was determined to make some. So I did. I also made some with shredded wheat, but cornflake are definitely my favourites.


To make about 15 cakes, you'll need around 75g of cereal and 250g of chocolate. I know this is a lot, and you could do less if you wanted, but I wanted mine to be really chocolatey.
Line a muffin tin with cases. Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 2 minutes in 30 second lots, stirring in between each. If you want to make cakes with different cereal, pour half of your chocolate into a separate bowl and mix the cereal in. Put about a tablespoon and a half of mixture (is chocolatey cereal considered a mixture?) into each case. Using your spoon make a dip/well  in the cake, and top with whatever you want to fill your 'nests' with- I used blueberries and chocolate egg sprinkley things. Put the cakes in the fridge to harden, and devour them all as soon as they're ready.

Love, Shay. xo

Okay, so I know you probably don't actually need instructions for this, but I really wanted to share them and I thought the measurements might be vaguely helpful. Right?