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

 

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!

Sticky, Messy, Delicious...

This cake is not for sophisticated parties. 
This cake is not for high teas with the posh girlies. 
This cake is for indulgent moments with friends, where chocolate moustaches and licking fingers is totally acceptable. 
It is sticky, it is moist, it is messy but it is absolutely delicious! 

Sticky Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

2 cups white sugar

1 3/4 cups cake flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 extra-large eggs (at room temperature)

1 cup full cream milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Directions

Heat oven to 180C

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarb and salt.

Into the flour mixture add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.  Beat on a medium speed until blended. Be sure not to overbeat.

Stir in boiling water (the batter will look really runny - don’t panic this is the secret trick).

Spay cake tin with ‘spray and bake’ and fill with all batter (will be about half full).

I use an 11 inch tin so that the cake is big but not thick, producing far more ladylike slices.

Cook in heated oven for 40 minutes.

Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

Chocolate Cream Cheese icing

Ingredients:
½ cup butter (NOT margarine) Set at room temperature to soften.
1 tub of cream cheese (230g)  - directly from fridge.

½ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups icing sugar

Directions:
Place the butter in your mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
Mix the cream cheese in and continue to blend until smooth and combined.
Add vanilla extract.
Add cocoa powder to mixture
Add in the icing sugar, one cup at a time, blending in until smooth. Increase speed once all icing sugar has been added to fluff icing up.

Once cake has cooled, slice cake through the centre, ice the inside, then place the top half back on the iced bottom and ice the whole cake.
Decorate as desired. (I like to add strawberries to create a bit of a taste explosion, with the rich chocolate contrasted against the soft light strawberry)

 

Dress - Forever New

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Happy Birthday Sister

Siblings are the best! 

Growing up, having a sister was like having a slumber party with your bestie every single day. 

We shared a room for many years, and that room was our castle when we were princesses, our jungle when we were wild horses, a hospital when we were doctors, classroom when we were teachers, a stage when we were pop stars, an intricate obstacle course when we had hamsters, a barbie and ken luxury resort, a church when we were priests, a restaurant when we were mud chefs, a tent when we were camping, and so many more fun adventures!

Today my younger sister turns a year older.
You've been my best friend and partner in crime since the day you were born, so here's to so many more years of fun and adventure together!!