Birthday Baking

So it's finally happened. My little sister has turned 21. Not only was this a very strange feeling (my little sister a real proper can't deny it anymore grown up?), it also meant a lot of baking for me, as official head chef for the celebrations. Fortunately another friend wanted to make her a big cake, so I was left with cupcakes, millionaire's shortbread, brownie and flapjack. Phew.

So many of you have been really helpful with your advice and ideas that I thought it was only fair to share the finished products with you (links for back stories for those of you who missed me grovelling, and recipes are at the bottom).

Chocolate cupcake with stars and gold edible glitter

Some of the 48 chocolate cupcakes



Pink iced cupcake with lovehearts


There were 48 pink cupcakes too, topped with lovehearts, hundreds and thousands discs, white cholocate mice and flying sacuers. Yes, I know my icing skills still need some practice, but they tasted good and as far as I'm concerned that's the main thing. Thanks so much for all the help and ideas with these!

On top of these there were the 32 pieces each of millionaire's shortbread (here), chocolate brownie (here) and flapjack (coming soon)

For chocolate cupcakes click here
For the pink cupcake development click here
For the basic cupcake recipe click here

Chocolate cupcakes!

It's been much longer than I intended since my last post, but I've been busy busy busy with all sorts of things this week! I was invited to 3 interviews, but it turns out I got the job on the first one, yay! I don't start officially until semptember, but when I do there'll be a lovely class of 30 with my initial in their class name (I'm hoping it'll be 3p or 4p, but could be year 5 or 6, scary thought) beaming at me and waiting eagerly for their first lessons. I wish.

Anyway, what with all that baking has taken a bit of a back seat, but with my sister's 21st party less than 3 weeks away now, and me baker in chief for the event, I thought it was about time to get cracking on some practice attempts. What a good excuse to fill the house with cake!

This weekend it was the turn of some chocolate cupcakes. I used the basic cupcake recipe here, replacing about a tablespoon of flour for cocoa powder. When the cupcakes were cool I iced them with buttercream made from butter, icing sugar and cocoa powder (I normally do this by eye, adding more sugar until the consistency seems right rather than measuring out ingredients) and topped with some white chocolate stars.

Definitely need to work on my icing skills I think...

Oh, and whilst you're here, any other suggestions for these?

Chocolate Brownies

I've spent a while struggling to find a brownie recipe that works consistently, is straight forward and of course results in perfect chocolate brownies! This is the best I've found so far, not too gooey and not too cakey and more or less bang on in the chocolatey stakes. It makes about 12 decent sized brownies, or more if you want to cut it into little bites. The baking tin I use is 20cm by 30cm, but a slighter smaller tin would be fine too, it would just give you thicker brownies that take a bit longer to cook (see advice at the bottom on how to tell when the brownies are done). Oh, and it tastes especially brilliant just out the oven with a good scoop of ice cream :)

75g Margarine (butter works too, but it does take longer to melt)
340g dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
165g self raising flour
65g cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla essence (almond essence also tastes good)

• Preheat oven to 170c
• Melt the margarine in a pan over a low heat, remove once all melted
• Using a wooden spoon stir in the sugar
• Stir the beaten egg and vanilla essence into the mixture
• Gradually stir in the flour and cocoa powder, taking care to avoid lumps
• Pour into a baking tin (no need to grease or line) and spread out evenly
• Cook for 30 minutes (see below)
• Cut up and remove from tray whilst still warm

The real trick when it comes to telling if the brownies are cooked is in my experience the 'talking' and the wobble tests. When you take the tray out of the oven, carefully tilt it from side to side. If it still looks like it's moving under the surface then it probably needs longer. Also, hold it up near your ear (carefully, singed ear doesn't do much for the flavour) and if you can still hear the mixture 'talking' it isn't quite done yet.

The hearts on the borwnies in the picture were owing to a charity event I baked them for and were simply drawn on using a glitter icing pen.
Happy baking!