Raspberry and white chocolate cupcakes

Spring is in full swing and I am loving baking with fresh summery fruits! Raspberries are probably my favourite, especially with white chocolate, sooo good! 

This is one of my favourite cupcakes so I thought it would only be right to share the recipe with you all!

Raspberry and white chocolate cupcakes 

Ingredients

For the sponge

150g caster sugar

150g unsalted butter

3 eggs

150g self raising flour

100g white chocolate chips 

12 teaspoons raspberry jam

For the frosting

250g icing sugar

60g unsalted butter

30g melted white chocolate (cooled)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake cases. Start by creaming your butter and sugar together until it is pale and fluffy, this can take up to 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing between each one. Sift the flour in and mix. Make sure you are scraping the sides of your mixing bowl as you add each ingredient. Finally, stir through your chocolate chips.

2.Once everything has been evenly mixed, you can start filling your cupcake cases, I like to use an ice cream scoop so all my cakes are the same size. Pop these in the oven for 14-16 minutes, you'll know when they're done if you insert a skewer and it comes out clean, they should also be a nice light golden brown colour and springy to touch. Leave these to cool in the tin for around 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

3. Whilst the cakes are cooling you can make the frosting. I would start by melting the white chocolate, this can be done in the microwave or over a pan of boiling water. Once the chocolate has completely melted leave it to one side to cool. You can then put the butter in your mixer and beat it for a few seconds so it's not too stiff; gradually start adding the icing sugar. It will look like very fine breadcrumbs at this point, don't worry! Once your chocolate has cooled down, add it to the butter and sugar and beat for around 5 minutes, if you think it's too thick you can add a cap or two full of milk, this should be enough to loosen it up. 

4. Once your cupcakes have cooled, cut out the middle of the cakes, you can use an apple corer for this if you have one; fill the cavity with the raspberry jam and pop the top back on. You can now ice your cupcakes! I like to use a palette knife to frost mine, but you can use whatever you find easiest. I then popped a fresh raspberry on top, but you can decorate yours as you'd like! These will keep well for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Enjoy! 

Vanilla chocolate bunnies

I really think Easter is my favourite time of year for baking; there are so many cute little chocolate eggs and bunnies popping up that it's hard to resist them all! 

My absolute favourite (Creme eggs aside, maybe mini eggs too) has to be the Maltester Bunnys, preferably the mini ones! They're so adorable and ridiculously addictive; plus they fit pretty nicely on top of a cupcake! 

I decided to pipe some little carrots in their arms and pop the bunnies in a chocolate cornflake basket, very Eastery. So here's the recipe!

Vanilla chocolate bunnies.

Ingredients

For the sponge

150g unsalted butter

150g caster sugar

3 medium eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

150g self raising flour

12 tsp strawberry jam

For the frosting

250g icing sugar

80g unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Pinch of salt

2-3 cap fulls of milk 

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. One by one add in the eggs, mixing between each one. Add your vanilla and mix again. Finally sift in your flour and mix until combined. 

2. Line a muffin tray with cases. Evenly distribute the batter between the cases so they're 2/3 full. If you have cake mix left over make some more! Don't overfill these cases up as they'll overflow when baking and it'll look pretty sad :( Once you've filled them, pop them into your preheated oven for 16 minutes. When you take them out, pop a skewer/knife in the middle of one, if it comes out clean, they're done! 

3. Whilst the cupcakes are baking you can make the chocolate nests to go on top. You will need:

120g milk chocolate

100g cornflakes 

12 mini Malteaster bunnies

You can melt the chocolate in the microwave for around 2 minutes, checking it every 30 seconds. Or pop the chocolate in a bowl and melt it over a simmering pan of boiling water. 

4. Once you've melted the chocolate, chuck the cornflakes in and give it a good stir, making sure everything's covered (feel free to eat some to make sure it's ok, I like to call this quality control..) You can make 12 little nests out of this, take a golf ball size dollop and pop an Easter bunny on top, slightly pushing him in. Do this for all 12 and pop them on a baking tray and put them in the fridge to harden. 

5. To make the frosting, cream together the butter, icing sugar, salt and vanilla. This will look like powdery breadcrumbs, gently add the milk a bit at a time so that you get a good spreadable consistency, not too wet. You can take 2 teaspoons of the frosting in two seperate bowls and add colourings to make the carrots*.

6. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, cut a hole in the top and remove a small bit of sponge; put a teaspoon of jam in and pop the top of the sponge back on. You can then frost the cupcakes how you wish, I like to use a palette knife. You can then add your bunny Easter nests to the cupcakes! 

Alternatively, if you don't want the chocolate nests on top, you can always add some of these little guys and some sprinkles! 

*you'll just need orange and green food colouring and 2 piping bags. If you don't have any small nozzles, cut the very tip of the piping bag off, so your left with a really small hole. 

Cadbury Creme Egg Brownies

Who doesn't love a creme egg? 

They've always been a firm favourite of mine for as long as I can remember! Some of my fondest Easter memories are of our family Easter egg hunts around the living room and garden; my dad would hide them in the weirdest places! It was so much fun running around with my brother and sister looking for these tasty treats! But as I've got older I sadly no longer have to hunt for my chocolate! Instead I bake, quite frankly, the most indulgent of brownies with them! 

This is my take on the creme egg brownie! A squidgy brownie packed full of mini creme eggs, topped with white chocolate ganache and to top it all off,milk chocolate ganache! They're SO good!

I have used the same brownie recipe as my triple chocolate brownies, you can find the recipe here. Instead of the chocolate chunks, I've used mini creme eggs! So without further a do...

Cadbury Creme egg brownies.

Ingredients 

White chocolate ganache

100g white chocolate

100g double cream

Milk chocolate ganache

100g milk chocolate

100g double cream

A few small drops of yellow/orange food colouring

1. Once you have made the brownies you can begin the white chocolate ganache. Break the white chocolate up into small chunks and place into a heat proof bowl. Heat the double cream in a saucepan until it's just coming to the boil, don't let it boil or burn- it will taste vile! Once you've heated the cream, pour it over the chocolate and leave it for around 5 minutes. 

2. After the 5 minutes you can stir it, the chocolate should have melted and seem quite thick. You can then pop this in the fridge to stiffen it up. 

3. Do exactly the same with the milk chocolate as you did with the white chocolate ganache. You can leave these to chill in the fridge for around an hour or 2. 

4. Once the brownies have completely cooled, spread the white chocolate ganache over the top. You can splatter a few drops of yellow/orange food colouring. Use a toothpick to smear it around. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

5. Next, spread the milk chocolate ganache over the top and chill in the fridge for another 30 minutes.

Now all you need to do is cut them into squares and enjoy, little fluffy chicks are optional! 

Cookie cups

Cookie cups are pretty amazing, especially when they're warm. I don't think I've come across anyone who hasn't devoured them as soon as they're put in front of them! 

This is a basic cookie dough that works well with lots of flavours so you can fill your cups with literally anything you fancy! I really enjoy marshmallow fluff in the centre of mine, or white chocolate and raspberries, but chocolates such as Reese's peanut butter cups or Nutella also work really well. 

Cookie Cups.

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter

170g soft light brown sugar 

200g plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

15g porridge oats

1 egg 

120g chocolate chips 

Directions

1. Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees. You'll need a cupcake/muffin tin to bake your cookie cups in, it isn't necessary to grease but make sure it's really clean so that you can twist the cookies out once they've cooled. 

2. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt, mix well until it looks like large bread crumbs. Add in the porridge oats and mix again. 

3. Beat in the egg until the dough comes together. Stir the chocolate chips into the mixture. You should be able to pick up the dough with out it sticking to your hands. 

4. Make 12 balls, roughly the size of golf balls and flatten slightly laying them on some greaseproof paper. Pop these into the fridge for 30 minutes. Once you've taken them out you can begin to make the cups! 

5. Just like in the picture above, put the discs into the cupcake tray and push out to make a well in the middle. Bake the cookie cups on the middle shelf of your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.

6. Once removed from the oven, leave the cookie cups to cool for around 15- 20 minutes. Once they've cooled you can twist them out and fill them with whatever you'd like!

This recipe can also be used for regular cookies, you can substitute the chocolate chips for your favourite chocolate, I have a bit of an obsession with mint chocolate. I love it! So I like to use mint Aero's and Dairy Milk chocolate bars to make these delicious mint chocolate cookies! 

Happy baking! 

Chocolate cherry layercake

With Valentine's day around the corner (tomorrow!) it only seems fitting to share this recipe! 

Chocolate and cherry works really well together, it's probably one of my favourite combinations. This cake is 3 layers of chocolate sponge and has layers of black cherry jam with a fluffy marshmallow buttercream on the inside, with a rich chocolate frosting on the outside, delicious!

Chocolate cherry cake. 

Ingredients 

For the sponge

150g unsalted butter (room temp)

75g light brown sugar 

75g caster sugar 

3 large eggs (room temp)

140g self raising flour 

40g cocoa powder

4 tablespoons of black cherry jam

For the marshmallow frosting 

40g unsalted butter

125g icing sugar

2 tbsp milk 

2 tbsp marshmallow fluff 

For the chocolate frosting 

80g unsalted butter

250g icing sugar

40g cocoa powder

3 tbsp milk

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and grease three 6" cake tins.

2. Cream together the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy. Break in the eggs one at a time, mixing in between each egg. 

3. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and mix well. Divide the batter between each tin and bake on the middle shelf of your preheated oven for 16-18 minutes. When your timer goes off, insert a skewer or knife into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean then it's ready! Leave the cakes to cool on the tins for 10-15 minutes then remove from the tins and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

4. While the cakes are cooling you can make the frostings. To make the marshmallow frosting, beat the butter and icing sugar together on a low speed, you can do this with a standing or hand mixer. Gradually add in the milk, one tablespoon at a time. Once your buttercream has come together, add in the marshmallow fluff. Mix this well on a high speed then set aside.

5. To make the chocolate frosting, beat the butter, cocoa powder and icing sugar together. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time, this should bring your frosting together. Beat this for a further 5 minutes until well combined and thick. 

6. To assemble the cake, get a cake board and smear a bit of the marshmallow frosting, pop one chocolate sponge on top then put 2 tablespoons of the marshmallow frosting on to the first layer. You can then put 2 tablespoons of the black cherry jam on top of the frosting. Repeat this with the next layer of sponge.

7. Once you've completed these steps you can mask the cake. Apply a thin layer of chocolate frosting around the outside of the cake and on top. You can then put this into the fridge for 30-45 minutes; until it is quite firm to touch and the frosting/jam won't ooze out of the sides. 

8. You can now apply the rest of the Chocolate frosting, I like to use a palette knife to do this, but you can also use a piping bag. You can also decorate this cake with whatever you'd like, as it's Valentines, I thought hearts, hearts and more hearts would be appropriate! 

Happy Valentines day! 

Triple Chocolate Brownies

To say these are good would probably be a massive understatement. Dark, milk and white chocolate in a warm fudgey brownie with a crunchy top, AMAZING! 

So without further a do.. 

Triple Chocolate Brownies.

Ingredients 

• 200g dark chocolate
• 185g unsalted butter
• 85g plain flour
• 40g cocoa powder
• 60g white chocolate
• 60g milk chocolate
• 3 large eggs
• 275g caster sugar

Directions 

1. Cut the butter into small cubes and put into a heatproof bowl along with the dark chocolate. Get a pan and fill half way with boiling water, small enough for the bowl to sit on top. Melt the butter and chocolate, stir occasionally then set aside. 

2. While the chocolate cools, pre heat your oven to 180 degrees. Line your baking tin with greaseproof paper, I used a 20cm square tin. In a mixing bowl, sieve together the flour and cocoa powder and stir until well mixed. In a seperate bowl, break the eggs and tip in the caster sugar; using an electric hand mixer, whisk the sugary egg until it's pale and doubled in size. This can take up to 5 minutes.

3. Pour the cooled chocolate over the eggs and fold together using a spatula. Don't be tempted to mix it all together, if you do that you'll knock the air out of the eggs and the brownies won't be as fluffy and gooey! Once you've combined the chocolate and eggs, resift the flour/cocoa mix then fold it through.

4. Mix in the chunks of milk and white chocolate. Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared tin and pop it into the oven for around 30 minutes. I like my brownies a little under cooked so you may want to bake them for a further 5 minutes. Leave the brownies to cool in the tin for an hour then transfer to a wire rack to cool further before cutting. 

5. You can cut these brownies as big or small as you like, I cut mine into 20. They're so good when they are still a little warm! 

Now all you need to do is stuff your face! 

Here we go..

Sooo..

I've contemplated creating a blog for some time now and I kinda thought, why not? I absolutely love to bake, I have such a sweet tooth! This blog will be somewhere for me to share my latest creations and recipes. So if you're interested in all things cookies, cakes and bakes, have a little read!