Durban - Making cupcakes is not difficult, the trick is in how you present them.
Decorate your cupcakes beautifully with swirls of piped icing or meringue topping. Nothing too over the top, although for the right occasion this may be appropriate. There are so many ready-made decorations available in the shops you will be spoilt for choice.
Cupcakes will stay fresh for a few days, but if you use the meringue topping only, ice them on the day they will be used, as this does not keep well. Butter icing is not a problem and will last for up to four days.
Passion fruit meringue cupcakes
Makes 16-18
125g butter
250ml castor sugar
3 eggs beaten
5ml vanilla
375ml self-raising flour
125ml ground almonds
200ml buttermilk
80ml fresh granadilla pulp
MERINGUE TOPPING
180ml castor sugar
80ml water
15ml liquid glucose
3 egg whites
5ml vanilla extract
Cream the butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour and ground almonds and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in the granadilla pulp. Spoon the mixture into paper-lined muffin tins. Bake at 180ºC for 20-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean. Remove and cool on a rack. Top with meringue topping.
TOPPING: Combine the castor sugar, water and liquid glucose in a small saucepan, preferably one that has a long handle. Heat over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil without stirring until the soft ball stage is reached. Drop a small amount into iced water to see if it forms a soft boil.
Beat the egg whites until stiff then beat in 30ml castor sugar. With the machine running add in the boiling sugar syrup and beat on high for 5 minutes until thick and glossy.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe swirls onto the cooled cupcakes. Use a blow torch to slightly brown the meringue.
Chai spiced cupcakes
Makes 12
200ml milk
2 chai flavoured tea bags
125g butter
250ml castor sugar
3 eggs
5ml vanilla extract
500ml flour
7ml baking powder
3ml bicarbonate of soda
5ml ground cinnamon
3ml ground cardamom
3ml ground ginger
2ml ground nutmeg
ICING
125g butter
125ml condensed milk
625ml icing sugar
5ml vanilla
15-30ml milk
Ground cinnamon for sprinkling
Warm the milk to just boiling and add the tea bags. Set aside to infuse and cool.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices. Remove the tea bags from the milk, squeezing out well.
Add the sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk to make a soft dropping consistency.
Spoon the mixture into 12 paper-lined muffin tins filling them ¾ full. Bake at 180ºC for 20-30 minutes until a skewer inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.
Remove and cool on a rack. Top with icing and dust with a little ground cinnamon if desired.
ICING: Cream the butter and condensed milk until light and creamy. Add the vanilla. Add the icing sugar and enough milk to make a piping consistency. Fit a piping bag with a star nozzle, fill with icing and pipe swirls on to each cupcake. Sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon.
Sunday Tribune
Want to talk to IOL Lifestyle? Please email us on [email protected], or use our Facebook pages to comment on our stories - or talk to us on Twitter. The links are attached to the bottom of all our stories.