Mint chocolate cupcakes

For these delicious mint chocolate cupcakes I used my favourite recipe from the Primrose Bakery cookbook p21 but switched the icing for mint instead.

You can use any chocolate cupcake recipe, then for the mint icing you need:

115g unsalted butter (softened)
40ml milk 
1 tsp peppermint essence

1/2 tsp green food colouring
500g icing sugar

Put the butter in a bowl and mix until softened, gradually add the icing sugar and the milk. Add the peppermint essence to taste.

To create a two tone icing effect put half the icing into another bowl and add green food colouring until you get the desired colour.

When you put the icing in the icing bag keep the colours seperate and you will get a nice design like in the picture below.

For the finishing touch I added an After Eight mint chocolate and a mint chocolate Matchmaker. Simple but effective :)

Baileys chocolate cupcakes

Last week I found myself surrounded by Christmas leftovers, including some Baileys chocolate truffles and a bottle of Baileys so I created this delicious recipe for Baileys cupcakes which went down a treat with my friends.


As the Baileys is only in the icing, you can use any cupcake recipe here, below is my favourite.


For the chocolate cupcakes you will need:
115g dark chocolate
85g Stork margarine
175g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
185g plain flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
250ml milk
1tsp vanilla extract


Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. Line your muffin trays with 16 muffin cases.


Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl and stir together. Then measure the milk into a jug and  add the vanilla extract.


Melt the chocolate in a separate bowl and leave to the side to cool slightly.


In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together using an electric whisk. Once the mixture is smooth add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add the melted chocolate and beat well again.


Add one third of the flour mixture to the large bowl and beat well, add one third of the milk mixture and beat well again, continue to add one third at a time until all is combined.


Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake in the oven for 20-25 mins.


For the icing:
115g unsalted butter (softened)
60ml Baileys irish cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
500g icing sugar


Beat the butter, baileys and vanilla extract with half of the icing sugar with an electric whisk. Gradually add the rest of the icing sugar. This should create a smooth and creamy icing with a subtle baileys flavour.


For the finishing touch, use an icing bag to ice the cupcakes and add a truffle to the top of each cake.


You can either buy the truffles or make some yourself using the recipe from the Baileys website http://www.the-baileys-lounge.baileys.com/en-gb/recipes/sweet-treats/Baileys-Chocolate-Truffles.aspx.

Chocolate orange cupcakes

My sister's birthday was a perfect opportunity to try out a new cupcake recipe and practice my icing technique.


For the cupcakes:

140g self-raising flour

70g drinking chocolate

1 tsp baking powder

140g caster sugar

3 eggs

175g margarine

1 orange

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Line your muffin tray with 12 muffin cases.

Sieve the flour into the bowl and add the drinking chocolate and mix well with a wooden spoon.

Add baking powder, sugar, eggs, margarine and orange zest and mix well (save the rest of the orange for later). Don't worry if you can't get the mixture completely smooth, that's just the orange zest.

Spoon your mixture into the muffin cases and put in the oven to 20-25 mins. Check the muffins are cooked through by sticking a toothpick in the centre and see if it comes out clean.

Leave to cool before you add the icing.

For the icing:

115g unsalted butter (softened)

orange juice

500g icing sugar

A few drops of orange food colouring

Mix the butter and sugar together using an electric whisk, then squeeze some juice from the orange into the icing. Continue until you have the consistency and flavour you want.

Add a couple of drops of food colouring to get the orange colour. To create a nice contrast only colour half of the icing.

Christmas baking workshop

Today I went to a Christmas baking workshop at You Make A Cake in Wandsworth, London.

We made carrot cupcakes with cinnamon icing (above), chocolate orange cupcakes (left) and gingerbread men (below).

I learnt how to use an icing bag and some cool different ways of icing. I love the funky icing technique where you separate two different colours. It looks awesome.

The simplest thing was learning how to do a rose. Instead of icing from the outside in, you go from the inside out. I've not quite perfected the technique in this photo but I'll get there with a bit of practice.

Even if you're an accomplished baker, I recommend a baking workshop to anyone if just for the luxury of not having to do any washing up and all your ingredients being brought to you!

Novelty cakes

I recently bought a silicone dome shaped cake mould and have been having fun icing the cakes.

I used my favourite chocolate cake to make this bumblebee. I added some black food colouring to make the cake extra dark and then bright yellow buttercream icing for the bumblebee stripes. Simple but effective.

I made the mummy and baby hedgehog using the same chocolate cake recipe, iced them with chocolate buttercream icing and Cadbury chocolate fingers make great spikes.

These would be great for a kids party.