Playful yummy bakes for modern home bakers
Mince pie muffins. Tradition is such a comforting thing around this time of year; the nostalgia and memories of our holiday routines but sometimes it’s fun to mix things up and this is where this festive mashup comes into its own. Our family always made …
Fireworks white chocolate bark is far more of a creative assembly job than a recipe which in my mind makes it all the more fun to put together. It’s a process more than anything else, get familiar with how to make it and you can …
Themed bakes for special occasions, much like costume parties, always get my vote. I just love the theatricality and fun you can have with baking like this and halloween cupcakes are a brilliant way to get in the ghoulish party spirit.
The Matcha Mash Halloween cupcakes are a complete joy to make and eat. Matcha powder provides the natural colouring here, to add a ghoulish green to the classic vanilla sponge. The chocolate icing adds satisfying richness and sprinkles and goggly eyes complete the spooky vibe.
The happy consequence of these simple cupcakes is that they come with their own pun based song borrowed from the Halloween classic Monster Mash – Give into the tune as you bake 🙂
She did the matcha mash
(The matcha mash) It was a green tea smash
(The matcha mash) all you need is a dash
(The matcha mash) to do the matcha mash
Looking for more halloween food-spiration? Why not try my Monster cookie cups – a Halloween must have or my Devilishly dark chocolate liquorice truffles – perfect for Halloween
170g self rising flour
170g caster sugar
170g softened unsalted butter
3 eggs
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
3 tbsp matcha powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp milk
100g halloween sprinkles (optional)
400g sifted icing sugar
200g softened unsalted butter
50g sifted cocoa powder
75g melted dark chocolate (I like to use Lindt chocolate, works so well)
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
Choice of halloween sprinkles and royal icing eyes for decoration
Makes 12 cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 170°C, GM3.
Line a muffin tin with 12 cases and leave aside while you make the mixture.
Weigh out all of your ingredients.
In a separate bowl, sift the self rising flour, baking powder, matcha powder and salt.
Using a food mixer, or free standing whisk, combine the sugar and butter together until it forms a light, creamy consistency. This will only take a few minutes with a food mixer.
Then gradually add one egg at a time, leaving plenty of time for the egg to incorporate into the mixture before adding the next and keep the mixer running at a fairly high speed while doing this; this will help the mixture from curdling. You can also add a tablespoon of flour after each egg at this stage to help prevent curdling too.
Once the eggs have all been added, add in the dry ingredients and on a slow speed mix until they have only just combined. Then add the vanilla extract and halloween sprinkles (optional) and fold into the cake mixture.
Using a medium ice cream scoop or two spoons, portion the mixture out amongst the cake cases. Take care not to overfill the cases as the mixture will rise more as it bakes. Half fill each case with batter.
Bake in the middle shelf of the oven, turning the pan ¾ way through cooking time to help the cakes cook evenly. This should take between 17-20 minutes.
To test if the cakes are cooked, use a cake skewer and insert into the middle of one of the cakes and if it comes away clean then they are cooked. The cakes should also spring back when touched.
Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely before icing. Cupcakes cool down really quickly so this will take less than 30 minutes.
While you wait, you can prepare the icing.
To make the icing add the butter to a food mixer and cream it for a few minutes to make sure everything is very smooth before gradually starting to add the icing sugar and cocoa powder (and coffee) mixture.
Once the mixture is combined and everything is light and fluffy (the longer you mix, the fluffier the mixture will get) add the vanilla extract and salt and mix for a final time. Add milk to the icing if you think it needs to have a looser, more spreadable consistency.
Using a small palette knife, swirl the chocolate buttercream onto each green cupcake and then decorate as you like. Have fun with the positioning of the eyes and the sprinkles to create different spooky effects. Dust with cocoa powder.
The cakes should keep well in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
For baking, make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature, including the eggs, it will help all of the ingredients combine together well.
An ice cream scoop is a great tool to help ensure that your cupcakes are the same size when they are baked.
Weigh out all of your ingredients in advance; yes this means more bowls and more washing up, but the positive is that you have everything ready before you start, so you only have to think about the process of making the cake, instead of rushing to find the next ingredient and weigh it out while the mixer is running.
Jammie Dodger cupcakes are such a playful and stylish little bake. A nostalgic throwback to the childhood biscuits we loved to eat growing up. A simple recipe for vanilla cupcakes with sweet tangy raspberry jam is a winning combination and a crowdpleaser of a dessert. …
Quality Street chocolate cupcakes are definitely the sort of cake you could make and eat all year round but there is just something very comfortingly and joyously Christmassy about these with the addition of the Quality Street decorations. Any sweets in jewel bright wrappers have …
Banana bread is such a classic and comforting recipe and something that definitely became a lockdown staple recently. My version is a Chai Banana Bread, filled with chai tea to enhance the subtle warmth of the spices in the cake and also adds in lots of nuts and seeds for a tasty crunch. The maple syrup and orange icing is a gorgeous addition and really brings out all the rich banana flavours in the cake. One to try.
I am a huge fan of bananas in baking, they are brilliant versatile and add so much moisture to cakes. That means this cake will last in a tin much longer than other sponges, making them a great weekend bake to eat whenever you get a craving during the long work week.
Looking for other comforting classics to try? Why not have a go of my Lemon and ginger carrot cake cupcakes, they are scrumptious! Or maybe, Jam doughnut muffins – beautifully indulgent but minus the fuss and healthier than regular doughnuts.
175g softened butter
175g self rising flour
100g caster sugar
75g light brown sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp salt
3 medium sized bananas (mashed)
3 chai tea sachets
1 tsp ground cinnamon
50g chopped pecan nuts
50g chopped walnuts
50g pumpkin seeds
50g sunflower seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
200-230g icing sugar (sifted)
Zest of 1 orange and 2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp maple syrup
Mixture of banana chips, chopped nuts and seeds for decoration
Makes 1 1lb loaf cake
Preheat the oven to 170°C, GM3.
Grease and line a 1lb loaf tin and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper.
In a bowl add in the flour, salt and cinnamon. Sift together. Then open the chai tea sachets and add to the sifted ingredients.
In a separate bowl mash the bananas with a fork and leave to one side.
Using a food mixer or a free standing mixer, combine the butter, caster sugar and light brown sugar until light and fluffy. This will take a few minutes.
Then add the eggs one by one, leaving enough time for the eggs to be fully combined, this helps avoid curdling. (It isn’t the end of the world if the mixture curdles a bit at this stage but it might just stop the batter rising as much in the oven).
Add the flour and mix until just combined. (Do not over mix at this stage, otherwise it could make the cake tough).
With a rubber spatula, fold in the mashed banana, vanilla extract and the chopped nuts and seeds.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
Cook for about 50 minutes in the middle of the oven, covering with greaseproof parchment half way through if needed to stop the cake browning too quickly on the top.
To test if the cake is ready, add in a skewer to the middle of the cake and if it is clean when it comes out without any sticky batter on it, then it is ready. The cake will also spring back when touched.
Remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on the wire rack before icing.
To make the icing, sift the icing sugar. Zest the orange and then leave to one side for decoration.
Add the maple syrup and juice of the orange to the icing sugar. The icing should be a thick, pourable consistency, so that it can drizzle down the cake but thick enough so that it won’t all run off so you might have to add a little more icing sugar or orange juice or maple syrup to get to your preferred consistency.
Add the icing to the middle of the cake, encouraging the icing to fall down the cake as much as you like. Add the banana chips, nuts and seeds along the middle of the cake to decorate.
Enjoy with friends and a lovely cup of tea. The cake will last well in an airtight container for about 3 days.
On the look out for other banana recipes? Why not try BBC good food for more ideas. I also have a Strawberry and banana sunrise porridge which is lovely if you’re looking for more ways to use up those brown bananas.
Apple pie muffins. A playful respect for the classics has resulted in one of the most luscious mashups I’ve made, so far. I love fruity desserts and I always find a crumble, pie or cobbler hard to resist; really anything with custard makes the best pud. …
Iced baked doughnuts – a perfect, laid back springtime treat These iced baked doughnuts are very hard to resist, in fact pick your battles I say and give these a try. Light vanilla baked doughnut topped with smooth coloured icings. Great for kids and grownups, …
Baked. Doughnuts. I mean, this is a pretty seismic revelation for me. More than anything, doughnuts are my go-to-treat food; cupcakes, muffins, cheesecake all get pushed down the list when a doughnut is around. Baked doughnuts are as light as cakes but dispense of the need to even think about deep frying which is a big win for me. Quick, simple and delicious, the ultimate trifecta in treat making. Double chocolate baked doughnuts are perfect for any special occasion. Soft rich doughnuts coated in a luscious chocolate ganache icing and toppings of choice, seriously irresistible.
No mixer, just a bowl and spoon needed to make this treat. If you have special doughnut tins that’s great, if not, using a muffin pan and decorate with the ganache and mini eggs instead – it’ll be delicious.
225g self-rising flour
25g cocoa powder
75g caster sugar
50g light brown sugar
2 large eggs
¼ tsp salt
2tsp baking powder
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
180ml milk
100g dark chocolate
100g milk chocolate
200ml double cream
½ tsp coffee powder
½ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
Multicoloured sprinkles
Makes 12 in regular baked doughnut tins
Pre-heat the oven to 220°C (200°C in fan oven) Gas Mark 7.
Line the doughnut tins with baking spray and leave to one side.
Weigh out the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder) and sift into a large mixing bowl. Add the caster sugar. Stir to combine then leave to one side.
Measure the milk into a jug. Crack in the eggs and add the vanilla extract and oil into the liquids. Stir to combine.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry, gradually to avoid lumps. (Don’t worry if there are a few lumps, it’s a bit like making muffins, better not to overmix and have a light batter than to have a super smooth consistency and have heavy doughnuts.)
With a teaspoon, fill each mould ½ full (the mixture rises quite a bit).
Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for 7-8 minutes. (It honestly doesn’t take long at all – you just want the mixture to be springy to the touch and just coming away from the sides).
Leave to cool for 5 minutes or so, then using a knife gently go around the outside of each doughnut to loosen and take out of the tin. They should come out easily. Leave on a wire rack to cool.
While they are cooling, make the ganache icing.
Chop the chocolate and add to the double cream. Add in the coffee powder, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Melt and combine the mixture over a low heat in the bowl over a pan of boiling water. This will allow the mixture to combine gently and it will help prevent it getting too hot and burning. (Not what you want).
Once the mixture is combined, this will take about 5 minutes or so, remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly for 15 minutes. (It is important it is given time to cool a bit before icing, otherwise it will not be thick enough and will drip off the doughnuts.
Take each doughnut and using a palette knife (or spoon) spread the ganache over the top and ease it over the sides so it drips down. Then add your decorations of choice.
The doughnuts will keep in an airtight container for 3 days but are best eaten on the day they are made.
Are you a chocoholic looking for more inspiration? Why not try my Chocolate brazil nut cookies – You kooky monster you – they are pretty addictive. Or perhaps you prefer white chocolate – I’ve got you covered with White chocolate sparkle ice cream
Looking for other baked doughnut recipes? Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, is always one of my greatest baking idols and she was one of the first people that I’d seen use this method before, so I’m sure they are a tasty as they look.
I cannot resist a doughnut. There is something so special about them, such a treat. Baked doughnuts tick even more boxes, much healthier than fried (meaning, now I can have two 😊). Easter and chocolate just go together but as much as I love making …