Rose Cupcakes

So it seems I've been having a bit of a rosewater obsession at the moment. Fear not, it is not ending anytime soon.

I was originally really craving some chocolate cupcakes, so had intended on making some, but I wanted to give them a little twist. I googled (as I seem to do with everything these days. I now know how to mop a floor) possible flavour combinations to go with chocolate, and chocolate and rose came up. Hmmmm, I'm still a bit sceptical.

Then, on my quest for satisfying my craving and learning how to successfully pipe, I found a YouTube video on piping roses! (Don't go straight down to look at the pictures now, you'll see a very different image to the one on the video, lulz).

And then I ditched the chocolate idea. Sorry chocolate, I just didn't think I could handle your rich chocolately goodness...

Oh and once again this is a Hummingbird recipe. Someone needs to lock me away from that book.

Ingredients

80g unsalted butter

280g caster sugar

240g plain flour

1tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1tbsp rosewater

240ml whole milk

2 large eggs

For the frosting:

500g icing sugar

160g unsalted butter

3tsp rosewater

50ml whole milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas mark 5 and line a muffin tin with muffin cases

2. Whisk the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt together on a low speed until the consistency of fine breadcrumbs

3. Mix the rosewater with the milk in a jug, then add the eggs and whisk together by hand. Pour three-quarters of this milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix on a low speed to combine. Increase the speed to medium and continue to mix until smooth and thick. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the remaining milk mixture and keep mixing on a medium speed until all the ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth once again

4. Divide the batter between the muffin cases, filling each case by two-thirds. Pop in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until well risen and springy to the touch, then allow to cool completely while you make the frosting.

5. Slowly beat together the icing sugar and butter until the butter has been completely mixed in. Mix the rosewater with the milk, and, with the machine still running, gradually pour this into the beaten icing sugar and butter. Once added, increase the speed to high and whisk until light and fluffy.

6. *attempt* to pipe adequately 

So they may not look good enough to win 'Britain's best looking cupcake' but it's a work in progress (does that competition exist?)

Oh, and here's a rose-themed song. I do love Outkast.

Apple Blossom cupcakes

First of all, I'd like to apologise for my absence. Cakes have been a-bakin' in that time, but I'M BACK. with a vengeance, mwahahahaha (evil laugh)

I'm not the biggest fan of summer. I'm not saying I don't like it, I just don't like super hot weather, burning (I'm Scottish so this is a frequent occurrence) and people decided to bare all their flesh just because the sun has peeked out to say hello.
But I can't spend all eight weeks of summer wishing it to go away, so I thought I'd celebrate it (in the best way I knew how). I made summery cupcakes.

Ingredients

Makes 12 - 16 cupcakes

4tbsp apple iced-tea powder (I bought the Turkish Apple Tea in Whittards)

3tbsp just-boiled water

80g unsalted butter

280g caster sugar

240g plain flour

1tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

200ml whole milk

2 large eggs

For the frosting:

4tbsp apple iced-tea powder

50ml whole milk

500g icing sugar

160g icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas mark 5 and line a muffin tin with muffin cases

2. Place the apple tea powder in a bowl, add the just-boiled water and allow to dissolve completely. Whisk together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt on a low speed until all the ingredients are well incorporated and resemble fine breadcrumbs.

3. Place the milk in a jug with the eggs and apple tea and whisk together by hand. Pour three-quarters of the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix on a low speed to combine. Increase the speed to medium and keep mixing until smooth and thick. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the remaining milk mixture and continue to beat on a medium speed until everything is mixed in and the batter is smooth

4. Divide the batter between the paper cases, filling them up to two-thirds. Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until well-risen and springy to the touch. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin, then place on a wire rack to cool down fully before adding the frosting.

5. To make the frosting, dissolve the apple tea powder in a small bowl, with the milk. Slowly whisk the icing sugar with the butter until sandy in texture and no large lumps of butter remain. Gradually pour the tea-infused milk into the icing sugar and butter mixture. Once all the milk has been added, increase the speed to high and whisk until light and fluffy.

These cupcakes are absolutely delicious, I can't even put it into words. They were so delicate and flavoursome, and even kind of floraly (even though they were apple-y?). And oh my gosh, they have to be some of the moistest cupcakes I have ever tasted.

So, if like me, you kind of can't wait until winter so you can wear sweatpants all the time, and have an excuse for not leaving the house but you still want to celebrate the last few moments of summer, these babies are perfecto!