Eggshell Green

Black Forest Cupcakes

If you’re looking for something to bring to a Christmas lunch or dinner, here’s an idea.

I had been wanting to make black forest cupcakes for months but hadn’t gotten around to it – mainly because they have fresh cream instead of icing so it was best to wait until there was an occasion where the whole lot would be eaten in one day.

Finally I decided that our last barbecue of the year would be a great time to test these out.

Black Forest cupcakes

I based the recipe on my favourite for Scouts Cupcakes and made a few alterations. They turned out great and I will definitely make them again soon :)

Update 30 August 2009:
I’ve adjusted the flour and cocoa ratios to eliminate the need for two types of cocoa, and yet still get a rich but fluffy cupcake. The extra 1/4 cup of dry cocoa makes up for the juices in the cherries. Also, use cherry liquer in the cream if you have it.

Black Forest Cupcakes

• Break 2 eggs into a cup measure and fill to the top with fresh whipping cream.
• Pour into a large mixing bowl and beat on high with electric mixers for 1 minute.
• Add 1/4 teaspon of vanilla essence and 3/4 cup caster sugar.
• Beat for another 3 minutes.
• Stir through 1/2 cup of Morello cherries (you get these tinned or in a jar). Cut them up roughly first.
• Sift in 1 cup of standard flour plus 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt.
• Sift in 1/4 cup Dutch cocoa.
• Fold to combine taking care not to over mix.
• Spoon into 12 cupcake cases.
  Usually I end up with a couple extra – if you are making a double batch, you can get 30 cupcakes.
• Bake for about 12-15 minutes at 180 degrees Celcius until a skewer comes out clean.
• Remove from tins (they can be quite fragile for a few minutes after baking) and cool on wire racks.
• Whip some fresh cream with a dash of cherry liquer or brandy and pipe onto cupcakes.
• Decorate as you please.
  I used real chocolate hail, red sprinkles, and white chocolate drops. Maraschino cherries or shaved chocolate on top woud be good too.

Tags: baking, black forest cupcake, chocolate, cupcake, recipe

Tea Party Essentials

Tea Party Essentials

Eeee! Look at all my pretty things. Not just good to look at, but will be most useful at every tea party.

From top right going clockwise:

1. Cupcakes! The recipe I swear by is one for “Scout’s Cupcakes”. It’s a gorgeous recipe that’s so simple and makes really fluffy cupcakes – the best I’ve found. I make them chocolate sometimes.
   The orginal recipe is available from Taste.com.au but here is my version modified with some clarifications and suggestions:
   Scouts Cupcakes
   • Break 2 eggs into a cup measure and fill to the top with fresh cream. (In New Zealand we only have one type of cream but overseas make sure you buy the thick stuff that can be whipped.)
   • Pour into a large mixing bowl and beat on high with electric mixers for 1 minute.
   • Add 1/4 teaspon of vanilla essence and 3/4 cup caster sugar.
   • Beat for another 3 minutes.
   • Sift in 1 cup of self raising flour (I normally use standard flour plus 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt).
   • Fold to combine taking care not to over mix.
   • Spoon into 12 cupcake cases (or more if you have extra batter) and bake for about 12-15 minutes at 180 degrees celcius until golden and springy to the touch.
   • Remove from tins straight after baking and cool on wire racks before icing.
2. 3-tier cake stand to display all your goodies. This was a score from Ikea in London. I hadn’t been able to find any decent ones at home and any that I did find were hideous or really expensive. This is eagerly awaiting use!
3. Pretty teacups and plates. I fell in love with these when I saw them at Farmers – they were footed, red and with polka dots! And they remind me of Alice in Wonderland. I haven’t yet used these either because I only bought them a few days ago.
4. Sprinkles, and lots of them.
5. A large teapot so all your guests can fill up.
6. A simple, elegant and sturdy cakestand (it’s underneath the teapot in the picture) to display more cupcakes, or maybe a mega cupcake…
7. The middle picture is actually an ice cream bowl, but it has cupcakes painted on it and so pretty that it can’t be left out at a tea party. I see it more as a lolly dish, maybe to put some decandent truffles into?
8. Under the ice cream bowl/lolly dish is a wooden Lazy Susan. I purchased this with cake decorating in mind. This was another bargain from Ikea as cake turntables aren’t so cheap here in New Zealand.

I can’t wait for my next tea party where all these pretty powers can combine!

Tags: baking, cake, cupcake, recipe, scout's cupcakes, scouts cupcake

Cocktails and Obama Cakes

Having cocktails before having dinner can bear strange results. Political talks suddenly turn into politcal mish-mash especially when you throw in the words “penis cupcakes”. The idea came from the bachelorette cupcakes on another blog “Lick my cupcakes” and for some reasons I had slogans flying out of my mouth before I remembered I was still in a public area.

Come Saturday 8 November, after doing the decent thing and voting for our own relatively-boring New Zealand elections, I with the help of my trusty sidekick began creating some edible deliciousness with the primary goal of celebrating the United States President-elect Barack Obama…

Anyway, you may view the images below (when you don’t have bosses or kiddies prying), but don’t poke your eye out or anything.

Obama, I hope you see this as a compliment!

Show image: Made of America

Show image: Get used to it.

Tags: barrack, cupcake, obama