Another take on my Galaxy Ganach Cupcakes, this time a scumptous ginger, lemon and creamed cheese pound cupcake topped with oh so dark chocolate ganache and styled with gold and silver balls and sprinkled with gold and red glitter, stunning.
I bought myself the new Crabapple Cupcake Bakery Cookbook by Jennifer Graham, and followed their Vanilla Cupcake with Vanilla Buttercream recipe to the letter. The result is a moist but on the coarse side, crumbed, cupcake (which tastes better on the second day) and a super sweet icing, which sets with a crust. For me the icing is nothing to rave about, especially as the icing is far too sweet in its plain state. I will try it again though but in a citrus or other flavour which will cut through the sugar. As the icing sets hard and it good for transporting it might be a good one for long transportation.
The decoration is their signature swirl, which they give instructions on how to do, and its fairly easy to follow, the swirl does take practice.Crabapple Bakery usually put sugar piped daisys and sprinkles on top. But you know me and my silver ball and glitter addiction.
I have the utmost respect for Jennifer and her family, they as far as I know have been a leader in Melbourne with regards to cupcakes, starting off with the markets, then working their way to a shop at the Parhan Markets and then opening a factory/bakery in Ferntree Gully.
Over the coming weeks I will be trialing more of their recipes and seeing what makes them so special.
1st - The Rainbow Paddle Pop Cake
In Australia we have stick icecreams called Paddle Pops, one of the flavours is basically a tasteless milky vanilla which looks extactly (maybe a little less pink) like the icing effect on this cake.
This one gave me grief, the Italian Buttercream just wasn't its usual beautiful self, tasted delish, but wasn't behaving. The cake was supposed to have delicate swirls covering in but the buttercream just wouldn't pipe without cracking (you can see a little bit of the problem on the bottom piping). So I got out my trusty balls and went nuts. I love silver balls, they are so effective. If look closely enough you should be able to see me reflected. As for the inside its the Orange Buttercake filled with Marmalade Italian Buttercream.
