Coconut Cupcakes

Ok, I think I have made you wait long enough, sorry it has taken me longer than expected.

These recipes are based on Coconut Marshmallow Clouds from The Crabapple Bakery Cookbook, the cupcake batter smells and tastes absolutely scrummy, and the house smells like you are living on a coconut palm covered pacific island.

Coconut Cakes

makes 24, keeps 3 days, freezes 2 months

3/4 cups shredded coconut

2 1/3 cups plain flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 eggs

3 egg whites, extra

200g softened unsalted butter

1 3/4 castor sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup coconut milk (I used coconut cream)

Preheat oven to 170oC. Line two 12-hole muffin tins with cupcake papers.

Cupcaketastic tip: litely grease the top of your tin, it will make it easier to get cupcakes out if you have overfilled the papers.

Using an electric food processor, process the coconut until very fine - about 3 to 4 minutes. Add coconut to a bowl with sifted flour, salt and baking powder. Mix until evenly combined.

In a separate bowl combine eggs and egg whites. Do not beat.

In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until mixture is light and fluffy and the sugar has almost dissolved.

Add the eggs a quarter at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition or until mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Add a third of the flour mixture and beat a low speed until combined. Add a third of the coconut milk and beat a low speed until combined. Repeat until all of the flour and coconut is added, do not over beat as this will toughen the mixture.

Spoon mixture into cupcake papers, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 18 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the trays immediately and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before frosting.

Marshmallow Frosting

Makes enough frosting for 24 cupcakes, Does not keep, use immediately

3 egg whites

480g white sugar

3 teaspoons light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

150ml water

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Food colouring

In a metal bowl combine the egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and water. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water) and beat continuously with a hand-held electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy and forms soft peaks. Take the bowl off the heat and add the vanilla and a few drops of desired food colouring. Whisk the mixture until it forms stiff peaks.

This is word for word from the book, I actually find this not enough information for novice bakers experiencing marshmallow frosting for the first time. Having made marshmallow frostings before I was concerned that there is no advised temp to reach, normally beating for 12 minutes is the go or reaching a Temp of 160oF on a candy thermometer. But i made the frosting as instructed above to see the result. It never came to stiff peak, but it was firm enough to pipe and hold its shape. It remained very soft, had a lovely shine, but didn't form a crust (as far as I know). It maybe the addition of the corn syrup that assists in the shine.

I'd like to hear about how you all went with this recipe.

Happy Birthday Gala Darling

I bravely offered to make the most fabbo Gala Darling writer and blogger of Icing glittery cupcakes for her birthday (today) as she too is from Melbourne, and deserves to be spoilt. She accepted so we arranged a safe handover place with her and completed the transaction yesterday, kids in tow. Believe me she is gorgeous - pink hair, I love NY T, tall, stunning, she stops traffic.

So I came up with light and tasty coconut cupcakes, topped with super soft marshmallow in blue, pink or purple, styled with stars or hearts and metallic sugar balls. I didn't sample these but the batter was scrummy and the marshmallow frosting is super soft and sweet but doesn't hit you straight away. So I have to wait to find out what she thought.

If you get a chance check out her site Icing and you will be forever addicted to her outlook on life.

Light and tasty coconut cupcakes, topped with super soft marshmallow in blue, pink or purple, styled with stars or hearts and metallic sugar balls.

Happy Birthday Gala Darling

Maple Syrup Cupcakes

Do I realise that it is almost Winter? Well I do now, it is only a couple of weeks away and my favourite season - Autumn has just about passed me by. I need a cupcake warm, tasty not too sweet, and I wan to try a new recipe so I tried the Maple Syrup Cupcake. Delicious cupcakes based on the most scrumptious 'Camp' Maple Syrup. These cupcakes despite the 2 cups of maple syrup in the recipe are not overly sweet and are perfect with a cup of coffee or a strong tea.

Quite a dense cupcake, topped with cooked maple marshmallow frosting, sprinkled with brown sugar. The original recipe 'Maple Walnut Delights' in Cupcakes Galore by Gail Wagman. To which the only change I made is the removal of the walnuts, not my favourite.

Maple (Walnut) Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup/1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp

1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350oC.


2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.


3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Alternatively add dry ingredients and syrup and milk, blending well after each addition. (Fold in walnuts).


4. Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until a tested into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.

Maple Meringue Icing

2 egg whites

Pinch of salt

1 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (for decoration)

or

some extra brown sugar for sprinkling

1. To make icing: beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until peaks start to form. Set aside.


2. Boil maple syrup until if forms a soft ball when dropped into a glass of water (about 234oF on a candy thermometer). The time will depend on the maple syrup you are using but should be about 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from heat immediately. Slowly pour the hot syrup into the egg whites, beating constantly. The hot syrup actually cooks the egg whites. Add vanilla and continue beating until mixture is stiff and stands in soft peaks.


3. Ice the cooled cupcakes, forming peaks with the back of a spoon or a fork (I piped mine in swirls). Sprinkle with crushed walnuts or brown sugar before the icing hardens. It will harden on the outside and remain soft and creamy inside.

Note:

• Make sure your oven temp is correct otherwise the cupcakes can dry out.


• The recipe says you'll make about 18 cupcakes but I got 24.

Hi-Top Cupcake

Hi-Top Cupcake - Mini
Originally uploaded by cupcaketastic.

I made these cupcakes for the first time last year at the beginning of my cupcake odyssey, I had found the wonderful 52 cupcakes blog by cupcake queen and have never looked back.

Back to the first time, well I made them for a friends 'lights out' party (they hadn't finished their renovations - so lights out was to hide the unpainted walls - great idea don't you think), anyway, the cupcakes were perfect, mint instead of almond, nestled in a bed of mini licorice all sorts on my Allessi platter (forgot to take a photo). They looked a million dollars, and what did I do as I walked down the driveway. I rolled my ankle and dropped the lot - upside down, not one was saved! They still tasted fab, but what a disaster.

My dad ordered dozens of cupcakes to take to work for his birthday and left the selection up to me so I had another excuse to bake them in minis and regular sizes and this time as per the recipe, almond flavour. Oh so Divine, and this time I got pictures.

I highly recommend this recipe (orginally by Elinor Klivans), it takes a little time (you can, if you want, work over a couple of days) but the results are stunning and your cupcakes will be the talk of the town.

Once again, many thanks to the cupcake queen at 52 cupcakes. Her tireless work and dedication to the cupcake cause gives hope and calories to the whole world. Oh and Layla her pooch is a honey. How does she get Layla to pose for the pics.