Cupcake Goddess

smiley face cupcake

2012-10-30T15:58:00.000+13:00

i wanted to decorate some cupcakes quickly the other day. and using very minimal coloured fondants seem to make more sense. so some smiley faces cupcakes seem easy enough to execute quickly.


even made 1 that looked like my husband!

anyway, happy baking!

coconut raisin cookies

2012-10-29T15:53:00.002+13:00

i wanted to make butter cookies but when i looked in my pantry i had some small bags of coconut, raisins, chia and flax seeds. so i wanted to get rid of them by putting them in my cookie batter.

it actually turned out great! to make the cookies, you need:

1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup oats
1 cup coconut threads/dessicated coconut
1/2 cup raisins (that's how much i had left)
1/4 cup soft brown sugar
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp flax seeds
1 tbsp honey (or less)
180g butter, melted

preheat the oven 160C on fan-forced. that's how you get the nice colour on the cookies.
put all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
mix the honey with the melted butter and pour into the dry ingredients.
stir until all dry ingredients are wet.
roll into balls and slightly flatten.
place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
i baked mine for 22 minutes because they were big.

in a way, the ingredients are mostly similar to anzac biscuits. the extra ingredients are the raisins, chia and flax seeds.

anyway, happy baking!

car on the cake

2012-10-28T15:52:00.002+13:00

i know it's been a while since my last post but i made it a point to bake and decorate a cake for my husband's birthday a few weeks ago.

as always i had heaps of fun. that cake topper was not as easy to model as i thought it was. it's supposed to be a mazda mx5 that my husband drive but i don't think it looks like that at all.

anyway, happy baking!

first love...

2012-01-13T10:21:00.000+13:00

this blog has nothing to do with first love whatsoever! it's just that i'm still feeling a bit smitten from watching a show about the world's greatest first love. there was just so much falling sakura blossoms on every romantic scenes!

the sakura blossoms reminded me that i've always wanted a decorated cake with sakura tree design. so i attempted to decorate my first ever cake!

so my first blog for this new year is about my first decorated cake!

the colour scheme is inspired by one of my favourite things of 2011:

as for the cake, i've made a vanilla victoria sponge with raspberry and vanilla butter cream filling

i wrote a separate blog for making the sakura blossoms here.

it was my first time decorating a big cake so i took the time to sketch my design:

it was a lot of fun!

sakura blossoms

2012-01-13T10:04:00.000+13:00

i don't have a specific flower cutter for making sakura blossoms. but sakura blossoms are fairly easy to make if you have the basic tools for making roses.

the essential tools needed are:
5 petal flower cutter
ball tool
foam pad
knife
most important to have is gumpaste.

to make sakura blossoms:

roll the gumpaste as thinly as you can on a dusted surface, icing sugar or cornflour.

use the 5 petal cutter to cut out the flowers.

use a knife to cut a small slit between the flower petals.

cut a V shape in the middle of each petal. tip: i've used the end of a heart shape cutter.

put the blossom on the foam pad and with the ball tool, slide the edge of the petals to thin it out. then, cup the center of the blossom and petals by pressing it gently.

leave to dry.

when dry dust the edge pf the petals lightly with pink lustre dust. in my case, i dusted my blossoms with ivory.
to make the loose petals, just separate the petals from the whole blossom.

victoria sponge

2012-01-13T09:53:00.000+13:00

i have to say that this is one of my favourite cake recipe because it's very versatile and easy.

the recipe is enough to make a 18cm round cake or 12 regular cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes.

basic ingredients:

200g each of margarine, caster sugar & self-raising flour

6 eggs, pre-cracked

flavourings:

1-2 tbsp vanilla/vanilla paste/lemon/almond/orange/etc.

coffee - 2 tbsp instant coffee diluted in 1 tbsp hot water

chocolate - replace 50g of flour with 100g of cocoa diluted in 100ml of warm water & 100g of melted cooking chocolate.

steps:

cream margarine & sugar until pale.
add chosen flavouring & mix until combined.
add a third of the eggs with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix until combined. repeat this step until all eggs have been added.
add remaining flour and mix until combined.
divide batter into tin.
bake in preheated oven: 180C.

baking times

round cake: 20-40 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean

regular cupcakes: 15-20 minutes

mini cupcakes: 10-15 minutes

spring countdown...

2011-08-18T17:44:00.000+12:00

i am looking forward to dig my hands again in my little vegetable patch & definitely grow more sunflowers!

oreos

2011-08-15T17:16:00.000+12:00

twist lick dunk and make cupcakes:

i don't really want to blow my own trumpet but these cupcakes are so yummy, they get me thinking about some things that i am missing out on like participate in an organized crime and not get caught... yeah right!

quickie cupcakes

2011-06-23T14:27:00.000+12:00

i don't have a lot of free times these days but i won't let that stop me from baking & decorating cupcakes. these cupcakes here were really quick to make & decorate:

roll the fondant, texture it using small cookie cutters & cut a disc to fit the cupcake

mark the lines with ruler then add silver cachous on the overlapping lines

cut mini flowers with flower ejector, add the flower centres & roll thin sausage to make the vines


hand mold the hearts to make the petals & texture the round centre with a mesh/strainer

which one is your favourite?

flirting cupcakes

2011-05-21T17:06:00.000+12:00

my flirting cupcakes design is a continuation of my food doodling adventure from my previous post, like to doodle? .

my inspiration for this design came from Paris Cutler's Flying Hearts design from her book, Planet Cake Cupcakes.

the design itself is really straightforward: a disc of black fondant for the base which i textured with hearts (i hope the photo is close enough for you to see it) and red fondant for the face. i left the hearts to set overnight so i'll have a hard surface to draw the face. i wanted to use a bright coloured foodoodler but i think black is more effective.

it was fun!

like to doodle?

2011-05-21T10:47:00.000+12:00

i am a serial doodler and it's the thing that got me through all the lectures back in college. i stumble upon these awesome food safe markers, foodoodler when i was doing one of my usual online window shopping :D

i found mine here http://www.cakestuff.co.nz and i'm sure you can buy it at your local cake decorating supplier shop.

after i got mine, i've doodled on some of my cookies:

i've covered my cookies with white fondant and leave it to set overnight so i'll have a hard surface to doodle on. it was a lot of fun!

if you are interested, click on the bottom image link to go & get it....

cookies, anyone?

2011-05-14T11:14:00.000+12:00

animals are cute and i think they are cuter when they are in pairs. this is dedicated to all lovebirds out there especially to all my mates tying the knot soon...


love birds!

thinking of ewe

my personal favourite would be thinking of ewe. which one's your favourite?

recommended readings:

The Cake Decorators Motif Bible 150 Fabulous Fondant Designs With Easy-To-follow Charts and Photographs - 2007 publication.

Easter celebration cupcakes

2011-04-24T10:48:00.001+12:00

Easter is a new beginning for all Christians all over the world. It concludes
the 40 days of fast, and it is also the beginning of the 50 days of feast. Let's celebrate with cupcakes!

So, what are you waiting for?

bears take over the world!

2011-04-16T14:08:00.002+12:00

been plotting the perfect plan to take over the world and created the perfect weapon of mass destruction. behold the mighty bears!!

world domination is easy:

fun cupcake toppers!!

2011-04-06T14:32:00.004+12:00

i am moving on to figure modelling after sugar flowers. this little sheep (Timmy from Timmy Time) looks super cute on top of the cupcake.

a big shout out to all mums & dads, call me to make your child's favourite cartoon character for their next birthday cake =D !

i got my inspirations from:

cupcake garden

2011-04-06T12:11:00.000+12:00

as a follow up from my last post, i welcome you to my cupcake garden. i'm too lazy to write a lot but i'll have to write a few words so this post will be at least a decent post. enjoy the photos!

Awesome books to check out:

flower power

2011-03-16T15:16:00.001+13:00

i love flowers and i think that flowers on cupcakes are just so pretty. in my fondant adventure, i think it's only natural to start sugarcrafting flowers. i only made daisies though and i can't wait to put it on my cupcakes.

on another note, i think it's also fair to know how to pipe simple flowers with royal icing or buttercream if one knows how to make sugar flowers. so, after a few youtube videos later:

and did i mention that these cupcakes are my birthday cupcakes...teehee...

it's amazing what you can learn from youtube. but i also learn some basic stuff from:

fondant fun

2011-03-09T13:36:00.001+13:00

i've been playing around with decorating cupcakes and biscuits with fondant. i've to say that i like fondant best on vanilla cookies. for me, the crunchiness of the cookie goes really well with the sweetness of the fondant.

i enjoy decorating cookies with fondant more than decorating cupcakes. in my opinion, simple cookies becomes very elegant when decorated with fondant whereas fondant decorated cupcakes are just cute. but i think cupcakes are best swirl with lots of soft frosting on top.

Sunday funday

2011-02-28T13:58:00.001+13:00

I make it a point now to only bake on weekends. This week, I baked on Sunday and I was also taking my decorating skills to the next level by using fondant. I bought ready to roll fondant because it's convenient but I do try to knead in the colouring myself. I started with basic cut outs. Will definitely try more fun decor projects in the future...

Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate ganache underneath the fondant.

Carrot and cream cheese cupcakes. This was so good that I didn't want to share with anyone else!


Butter cookies with fondant & very runny royal icing

Just photos

2011-02-14T16:01:00.001+13:00

Here's what I've been up to since my last post a few months ago...

Chocolate cookies

Chocolate cupcakes with homemade chocolate fondant

Dark chocolate cupcakes & ganache

Christmas trees butter cookies

Chocolate cupcakes with meringue butter cream


'No-eggs, no-butter' chocolate cupcakes with 7 minutes frosting

Maltesers Chocolate Cupcakes: Photo Guide

2010-11-24T09:34:00.002+13:00

sI'm not a great baker. So, I always choose a recipe that is super easy. This recipe is not only super easy but it also involves less clean-up. I like this recipe a lot. I know I will get tasty cakes and it's not so much of a hard work. Here's the photo guide:

Baking chocolate cupcakes

Line muffin pan with 12 baking cases and pre-heat oven to 170C.

Put the mixing bowl and sifter on top of the scale. Then sift 85g self-raising flour with 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

Set the scale to zero. In the same bowl with the sifter on top, sift 110g caster sugar with 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder.

Remove the sifter. Add 110g softened margarine.

Then, add 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons milk or cream. I used cream in the picture. Attach the mixing bowl to the mixer and beat until everything is combined and smooth.

Break the Maltesers into chunky pieces. I used the aid of a wooden spoon.

Fold in the broken Maltesers into the batter.


Then, spoon the batter into the baking cases. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until top of the cake is firm to the touch.

Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Finally, decorate the cupcakes.

This recipe is really fuss free and easy to the core. From the photos, I used very minimal kitchen utensils. Than means, less things to wash. There are plenty of ways to decorate cupcakes too. I like to use a piping bag and pipe the frosting on. It's just so simple and yet so elegant. I hope this photo guide helps.

Happy Baking!

coconut meringue cupcakes

2010-10-31T13:15:00.002+13:00

i had some leftover coconut cream after making a spicy thai noodle soup the other night. i thought it was such a waste to just leave the leftover coconut cream forgotten in the fridge. so, i decided to make cupcakes with it.

i've eaten countless of sweet treats made with coconut before and i loved every bit of it. i found a recipe from the many cupcakes recipe book i collected from the library. i tried it out and here's how it turned out....

it was delicious. i like the texture the most. it was soft and light, it almost feels as if it was a marshmallow. and that's just the cupcake on its own. after spreading the frosting on, i felt like i was in my own little paradise. it was definitely a divine experience for me.

anyway, here's the recipe:

cupcakes

90g butter

115g cater sugar

25g coconut cream

2 eggs

100g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

25g dessicated coconut

lemon zest from 1 lemon

2 tbsp milk

preheat oven to 180C and line muffin tray with 12 baking cases. beat butter, sugar and coconut cream until pale and fluffy. beat in eggs one at a time. sift in flour together with baking powder and mix until combined. fold in dessicated coconut, lemon zest and milk. divide into tray and bake for 17 minutes or until firm to touch. transfer cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely.

the above is the original recipe from the book. i made some adjustments, instead of 25g coconut cream, i added in about a 100g and omitted the milk. i also added more dessicated coconut. the cupcakes still turned out well.

as for the frosting, i made a different one from the book. the book uses a cream cheese frosting. i didn't have cream cheese ready. so, i made a meringue frosting instead. in a bowl over a simmering pan, whisk 2 egg whites and 100g caster sugar until sugar dissolves completely and mixture is warm to the touch. then remove bowl from heat and continue whisking until it forms stiff peaks. pipe or spread over cooled cupcakes. then, sprinkle some dessicated coconut on top.

happy baking!

i got the recipe from this book

Lemon_Lemony Cupcakes

2010-10-29T10:07:00.002+13:00

the weather here is getting warmer. as much as i love chocolate cupcakes to bits, i sometimes feel that the rich texture of chocolate is too much too handle when the weather is warm. i wanted to have something fresh and lighter. so, i think lemon cupcakes are just perfect on a spring sunny day....

Cupcakes
200g plain flour
125g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup safflower oil
1 large egg
1/4 cup reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

Icing
180g icing sugar
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp lemon zest

preheat oven to 180C and line muffin tray with 12 baking paper. sift together all the dry ingredients in a bowl. in another bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients until combined. add the wet mixture into the flour mixture and combined until smooth. divide into muffin tray and bake for 20 minutes or until firm to touch. leave in the tray for 5 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely. while cupcakes are cooling, combine all the icing ingredients and mix until smooth. spread the glaze over each cupcake and let stand for a few minutes before serving.

FYI, i got the recipe from The Flat Belly Diet Cookbook. so, it's whole-food and good for you. all in moderation of course!

happy baking!

you might want to check the book out:

chocolate: a cupcake creation story

2010-10-18T15:21:00.001+13:00

as much as i love everything cupcakes, i also love everything chocolate. chocolate cupcake is definitely my staple cupcake recipe. therefore, i am dedicating this post in honor of all the chocolate cupcake creations i have ever made and eaten with great pleasure...

banana and chocolate ganache cupcake

chocolate and mocha cupcake with chocolate sprinkles on top

mocha cupcake with maltesers on top

chocolate cupcake with nutella and coffee frosting

brownie cupcake

vegan chocolate cupcake

tiramisu cupcake

chocolate chip sponge cupcake

chocolate cupcake with nutella frosting and maltesers on top

chocolate and cocoa buttercream cupcake


double chocolate cupcake with nutella buttercream

here's a photo of what i had for afternoon tea yesterday :

it is the same recipe as my rich chocolate cupcakes but replace melted chocolate with 1 tablespoon instant coffee diluted in 2 teaspoon boiling water. you can find the recipe here.

happy baking!!!

Classic Chocolate Chip Sponge Cupcakes

2010-10-09T12:39:00.001+13:00

I love sponge cake. I think there's just something about the simplicity of a sponge cake that makes it so special. Maybe it's the lightness of the cake or maybe it's that special spongy texture. Whatever it is, I just love sponge cake. However, I seldom see sponge cake in a cupcake form. For this reason, I made an experiment with a chocolate sponge cake recipe that makes a whole 20cm cake and make it into cupcakes.

I'm sure by now you are familiar with my style of cutting the ingredients in half to make just 6 or 8 cupcakes in the event that it may not yield good results. I wasn't sure how many cupcakes I would get by using just half of the ingredients from a whole 20cm cake recipe. Well, only one way to find to find out and that's just to go for it.

I got the recipe from the book 500 Cakes. It's a really good recipe book. So I think it's worth checking it out from your local library or better yet buy the book! Anyway, my recipe for the classic chocolate chip sponge cupcakes goes like this:

Ingredients

85g margarine/butter, softened
70g caster sugar
2 small eggs (size 6), leave at room temperature
70g self-raising flour
23g cocoa powder
45g plain chocolate chips.

Before starting to mix ingredients, pre-heat oven to 180C and line a muffin tray with baking cups.
Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.
While the mixer is still going, add the eggs one at a time. Ensure the eggs are not cold or the butter mixture will curdle. If it curdles, just continue mixing until it will eventually comes together.
When the mixture looks like cream, sift in flour and cocoa powder. Fold in until combined or mix using electric mixer at Speed 1 no more than a minute.
Then fold in the chocolate chips.
Divide evenly onto baking cups. Bake for 15 minutes. The cupcakes are ready when it's firm to the touch or a skewer comes out clean from the center of cupcake.

I think I should give these sponge cupcakes a little credit by not putting any frosting on it. So, I believe that just a dusting of icing sugar should do the trick.

Happy Baking!!

Check out these books: