RECIPE: STRAWBERRY BUTTER ICING

I used my basic butter icing recipe and added strawberry essence to the icing. You may half the measurement if you don't like to be 'over powered' by the strawberry smell.

Ingredients

175 g butter – softened
350 g icing sugar
1 tsp Queen brand strawberry essence
1/2 to 1 tsp Queen brand rose pink colouring

Method

Beat the butter until fluffy. Sift in the icing sugar and beat together until smooth and creamy. Add in the flavouring and colouring. Mix well and decorate your cake, cupcakes or muffins as desired.

RECIPE: SOUR CREAM AND WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

The sour cream in this ganache cuts down on the white chocolate ‘overload’.

Ingredients

200g Cadbury Dream™ white chocolate
90g sour cream

Method

Melt the white chocolate in a small saucepan over very low heat, stirring occasionally. When the chocolate is completely melted, remove from heat and quickly stir in the sour cream.

Use immediately or if the ganache is slightly runny, leave at room temperature for a few minutes to thicken it before spreading it on your cake.

Note: I used Wilton™ ready made chocolate paste to make some zigzag patterns on the top. This gives the cake a nice contrast.

RECIPE: WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTER ICING

Covers a 20 cm square or round cake.

Ingredients

125g butter – brought to room temperature
125g Cadbury Dream™ white chocolate – melted
¾ cup icing sugar

Method

Melt the chocolate in a microwave proof glass bowl in short bust of 20 secs in the microwave until completely melted. Make sure that you do not overcook the chocolate. You want it melted, not piping hot. Alternatively, melt it in a small saucepan over very low heat, stirring occasionally.

Cream together the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy and gradually add in the melted chocolate.

Spread the icing over the cake and allow to set in the fridge before serving.

RECIPE: BUTTER ICING

The creamy and silky smoothness of this BUTTER ICING is a hit in my house. Use this recipe to cover sides and tops of cakes, cup cakes or muffins; or to pipe designs. I used 1 ½ measurements to coat the top and sides of my PERFECT MADEIRA CAKE and to pipe the motifs.

Ingredients – for tops and sides of an 18 cm square cake or 20 cm round tin
75 g softened butter
225 g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 to 3 tbsp milk

Method

Put all ingredients but only 1 tbsp of the milk in a bowl. Blend well and using a wooden spoon or electric beaters, beat until light, smooth and fluffy, adding the extra tbsp of milk if required.

OTHER FLAVOURING

CHOCOLATE: Blend 1 tbsp cocoa powder with 1 tbsp hot water. Allow to cool before beating with the icing. Use in conjunction with the vanilla and milk.

COFFEE: Blend 2 tsp instant coffee with 1 tbsp hot water. Allow to cool before beating with the icing.Use in conjunction with the vanilla and milk.

LEMON/ORANGE/LIME: Substitute the VANILLA EXTRACT and MILK with 2 tsp of LEMON/ORANGE/LIME jest and 2 tbsp of juice.

RECIPE: NESTLÉ CHOCOLATE GLAZE

Ingredients
175 g Nestlé Dark Melts
½ cup cream

Method
Combine Nestlé Dark Melts and cream in a heatproof bowl, place over a pot of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth.

Refrigerate for 30 mins until thick and spread over the top and sides of NESTLÉ CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE.

RECIPE: BIRTHDAY PARTY FAIRY CAKES

Today is Mr G's birthday and looking at these cakes, anyone would think that he has just turned 5! Actually, the request was from the kids and since it is kids that enjoy birthdays more (who wants to be reminded that they are getting old), I made these fairy cakes to commensurate Mr G’s birthday and to appease the munchkins (sorry....I have been copping an ear bashing of 'The Wizard of Oz' this past few days....the joys of school holidays!) .

So here you go Mr G, happy birthday and many happy returns of the day.

This is one of the easiest cupcake recipes I have made and it turns out perfect every time. Make sure that the butter is softened and eggs are at room temperature (in other words, remove from fridge an hour or so before making the cupcakes). All you do is put it into a large mixing bowl and beat until combined. I used a Kenwood mixer and it took all of 30 secs for the batter to be ready. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients – makes 24 cupcakes

225 g margarine or butter (I used butter) – softened not melted
225 g caster sugar
4 eggs – I used xl (800 g) eggs
225 g self raising flour – sifted

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line bun tray or medium muffin pan with cupcake paper cases.


Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric beaters until combined. Evenly spoon the mixture into the paper cases and make for 15 to 20 mins.


Note: I turned my fan forced oven down to 170°C, turned the tray around on the 8 minute mark and the cupcakes were ready on the 15 minute mark.

Icing

175 g butter – softened
350 g icing sugar
Decorations – optional

Method

Beat the butter until fluffy. Sift in the icing sugar and beat together until smooth and creamy. Decorate as desired.


Note: I used only 325 g sugar and added 4 tsp hot water (from the tap) as I like my icing to be ‘softer’. I then added some colouring to the icing and used some mixed cachous (cake decoration balls) to decorate (some of) the cupcakes.

RECIPE: BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

This is the frosting I used on my VANILLA CUPCAKES. It is rich but not ‘sickening’ like some frosting. I used milk (the original recipe called for 2 tsp hot water) because I read somewhere that it makes the frosting more ‘white’. Very racist remark, tsk! tsk! But those were the words that were used! Anyway, the milk does make the frosting look ‘frostier’, if I may say so.

BTW, if anyone has a tried and tested frosting or icing recipe that uses condensed milk, can you please let me know? Would love to try it.

Ingredients

150g butter – softened
250g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
2 tsp hot milk

Method

Beat the butter and sugar until well combined. Add in the salt, vanilla and milk and beat until smooth and creamy. Ice cake or cupcakes as desired.

NB: I had trouble finding a good icing/cookie press in Canberra. If you are looking for one, I bought my press at 'Sauvage Urban' (Brand Depot, Fyshwick) on sale, for $49.95. You can find cloth icing cones at 'Your Habitat' in Civic.