Friday 6 December 2013

Cupcakes for the Christmas Fayre

Now that Eddie is going to the nursery and Sasha to school, I had to do two lots of Christmas baking for the school fayre (not sure why they insist on the "olde" spelling of the word, maybe it sounds more Christmasy, according to them?).
I needed some rather easy recipes that would work well, and wouldn't contain any nuts.



Chocolate cupcakes (makes 12)
Ingredients:
2 medium eggs
150g caster sugar
30g cocoa
130g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
120ml milk
100g butter, melted
1tbsp cherry syrup (optional)
1 dark chocolate bar (100g)
30g butter
1tbsp golden syrup or honey
Maltesers and chocolate drops for decorating



In a mixing bowl beat the eggs with sugar and cocoa. Add the flour, baking powder, milk, cherry syrup and melted butter and mix well. Line the muffin/cupcake tray with paper muffin/cupcake cases. Spoon the cake mixture into the paper cases, about 2/3 full.
Place the tray in the oven preheated to 180C. Bake for 20 minutes. The cupcakes should be risen and quite firm to the touch. Take the tray out and remove the cupcakes on the rack. They should be completely cooled before icing.
Break the chocolate bar into pieces and put in a small bowl above the pan of the gently simmering water. Add the butter and syrup. Once the chocolate has melted, stir the ingredients together and take the bowl off the heat. Let it cool for a few minutes before using it. Use a spoon to pour some of the chocolate mix on top of each cupcake and decorate with Maltesers, chocolate chips or whatever you fancy.
I made six bigger cupcakes in muffin cases and six smaller cupcakes in cupcake paper cases.

perfect cupcakes for school fetes and fayre

Eddie thought I need some help with testing and tasting.



As Sasha is a big fan of Jelly Bellies, we also made a batch of vanilla cupcakes. That is, I baked, and he helped to decorate.




Vanilla cupcakes with Jelly Bellies (makes 12)
Ingredients:
3 medium eggs
175g caster sugar
1tbsp vanilla syrup (optional)
1tsp vanilla essence
50ml milk
160g butter, melted
175g flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2 orange (juice)
6tbsp icing sugar
Jelly Bellies

In a mixing bowl beat together the eggs with the caster sugar. Add the vanilla syrup (I used Gourmet Vanilla Syrup), vanilla essence, milk, flour, baking powder, butter and mix well.
Line the muffin/cupcake tray with paper muffin/cupcake cases. Spoon the cake mixture into the paper cases, about 2/3 full.
Place the tray in the oven preheated to 180C. Bake for 20 minutes. The cupcakes should be risen and quite firm to the touch. Take the tray out and remove the cupcakes on the rack. They should be completely cooled before icing.
Mix together the icing sugar and orange juice. Add the juice a bit at a time, reaching a yogurt-like consistency, you don't want it too runny. Spoon over each cupcake and decorate with Jelly bellies.


5 comments:

  1. Those chocolate cakes look delicious indeed Galina. Two lots of school baking is going it some though.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! I would have liked to add some ground almonds to the cake mix, but of course not for the school fayre.

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  2. Ooh I love jelly beans too, I'd never thought of putting them on cupcakes :)

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    Replies
    1. I don't buy them often, as we all will scoff them in 60 seconds.

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  3. They look delicious. Thank god there is no chocolate cake in the house.

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