The (multicolour) American Dream

For a friends recent 40th, I was tasked with baking the American themed cupcakes.
As he wanted a variety of flavours I opted to do 24 red velvet cupcakes, 24 chocolate cupcakes, and 24 vanilla mulicoloured cupcakes.

Vanilla Multicolour Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
• In a bowl sift cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir together with whisk, and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs and beat 10-20 seconds.  Add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed about 30 seconds.  Add vanilla and oil and continue to beat.
• Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture.  Add half of the buttermilk, then the rest of the flour and the rest of the milk.  Beat until just combined.  Scrap down the side of the bowl.
• Share batter out into 3 measuring jugs (I use measuring jugs so that I can make sure I have the same amount of batter in each)
• To one mixture add blue food colouring and to another red colouring. Add as much as needed to get the colour you require.
• Slowly pour one colour ( I wanted blue at the bottom) into teh bases of all your cupcake liners. pour about 1/4 full.
• Next, gently pour the next colour in (I used the uncoloured vanilla). Don't pour straight down the middle as it will drop below teh bottom colour. gently pour around the edges working in.
• Do the same with the last layer of colour.
• Bake cupcakes in pre-heated oven for 18 minutes.

To ice I just used my favourite cream cheese icing recipe.

Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

• 1 tub (about 230g) Cream cheese (cold - directly from fridge)  
• 1/3 cup butter ( room temperature) 
• 1tsp Vanilla Essence  
• 4 - 6 cups Icing sugar

Method

• Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth. 
• Add cream cheese and blend until fully combined, about 30 seconds. 
• Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar (one cup at a time) while mixing.  Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy. Keep adding sugar until you get the desired consistency. I find on hotter days I need to add more sugar as the cream cheese is a lot more melty.
• Frost cupcakes and decorate if desired

 

Is November too soon?

Are you getting festive yet?
I am!
I've already done so much Christmas shopping, wrapped pressies,  have got up a wreath and am currently online buying more Christmas albums!
Is November too soon to start getting in the spirit?
I think NOT! (clearly!)

Decorating the office Christmas tree

Wrapping pressies!

Home already looking festive!

Welcome to Americana...

It's a friend's 40th  this weekend and I'm making the cupcakes. 
As it is Americana themed I've been preparing some decor and props for my cupcakes...
Will add pics and recipes as soon as I've baked them all up!

Happy Friday!

Anthology Pop Up

Durbanites, if you haven't already been there, then take a swing past Windermere Centre to explore the gorgeous new pop up shop, Anthology.

Occupying the space of the previous Food Lovers Market you'll find a light, airy, spacious pop up shop selling a collection of carefully curated items, from gorgeous 'pre-loved' clothing to inspiring art and tasty macaroons. 

The vibe is relaxed yet sophisticated, the clothing old and new, the decor fresh and clean and the art is seriously cool. (I've got my eye on this flamingo piece that I'm just begging to bring home...)

The store will be open until January so be sure to swing past before it moves on.
  

Halloween kisses

Halloween, although big in the states, is hardly a big deal in South Africa.

However, pretty much everyone I know loves to dress up, so Halloween gets her fair share of celebrating, despite that fact that you won't see pumpkins or skeletons decorating any lawns. It's actually mainly the dressing up that we partake in, and that's about it. (Some kids trick or treat but they have to visit quite a few houses as many folk forget to buy sweets as the shops here don't make a fuss over halloween candy)

This year we headed to a friend's beach cottage down in Umzumbe for a  little shindig. I didn't take too many pics, but I did instagram a few...

I baked a batch of angry spider cupcakes

we may not have pumpkins but we do have oranges...

Day of the dead, pocahontas and a hobo

 

ghostly decor

The Boyfriend and I

and of course I had to make my nails halloween appropriate