Lemon n Passionfruit Meringue Cupcakes

I'm so sorry the photos aren't better, however these are wonderfully light and fluffy to eat! I made the Cupcakes and the Frosting, but cheated when it came to the Lemon n Passionfruit filling (I bought the filling at New World and the brand was "Barkers"), however I'm sure you could easily make your own....hehe.
So here's the delicious Cupcake recipe!

Ingredients:
Makes approximately 30
31/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
240g unsalted butter
2 cups caster sugar
3 eggs
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250g sour cream

Preheat your oven to 150° fan bake. (See "The Oven" tab on my blog before starting your oven).
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
In a mixing bowl beat up the butter until light and fluffy this takes about 2-3 minutes, then slowly add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add your eggs one at a time making sure you scrap down the bowl after each egg.
Mix in your vanilla extract and zest.
Finally add 1/3 of your dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream. Repeat this process and make sure you start and finish with the dry ingredients.

Use a 1/4 cup to fill your cupcake papers and bake for about 20 minutes.

Insert a baking skewer into your cupcakes and when it comes out clean thats when your cupcakes are cooked. Transfer them onto a wire rack immediately to cool.

Once cooled you can fill them with the Barkers Lemon n Passionfruit filling and then frost with the below Meringue.

Meringue ingredients:
5 egg whites
1 cup caster sugar

Fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil.
In your mixing bowl hand whisk the egg whites and the sugar until just combined.
Then pop the egg mixture over the boiling water and hand whisk for about 4 minutes (note: this is very hard and sore on your wrist, but hang in there). Your egg whites will become frothy and the sugar should be completely dissolved.
Then take your bowl and attach it to the mixer and whisk the egg whites until thick and glossy (this can take up to 8-10 minutes). Once the mixture is completely cooled you can then frost the cupcakes. I used a Wilton tip 1M, and a mini heat torch to slightly burn the Meringue......yummy!!!!

Jaffa Cupcakes

Well well well....don't these look scrummy. Well I can testify that they are!!!
For those of you outside of New Zealand or who doesn't know what a Jaffa is. It's a small lolly, inside is a dark orange ganache and covered in a hard reddish shell. They are my favorite all time lolly, so it was fitting to make these and eat them. It's just a basic Dark Chocolate Cupcake with Dark Chocolate Jaffa flavored buttercream (I added orange essence to achieve this). 
I hope you enjoy these eye catching heavenly delights.......praise Jesus!!!!

Ingredients: Yields approx 24-30 cupcakes
75g dark chocolate
1 1/2 c strong hot coffee (brewed)
3 c sugar
2 1/2 c plain flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 c dutch cocoa
1 1/4 salt
3 eggs
3/4 c oil (I used cooking and salad oil)
1 1/2 c buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 150° Fan Bake. (See "The Oven" tab on my blog before starting your oven).
In a mixing bowl sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and cocoa powder. Put aside.
Place the chocolate in a bowl and pour over the strong hot coffee and whisk together to the chocolate is melted and combined.
In another mixing bowl add the oil, buttermilk and vanilla.
In a mixing bowl beat together the eggs until light, creamy and fluffy. Then slowly add the oil mixture and the coffee mixture into the egg mixture until well combined.
Lastly add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Divide mixture into the cupcake liners, 3/4 full and bake in oven for about 15-18 minutes (depending on your oven).

Once the cake skewer comes out clean, the cupcakes are ready.

I always transfer them straight onto a wire rack to cool.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

250g butter

75 g dutch cocoa

150ml a mixture of milk and cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

500g icing sugar

2 teaspoons orange essence

Beat butter for about 2-3 minutes until light and creamy. Had half the icing sugar, cocoa and half the milk/cream mixture. Beat again for another 2-3 minutes. Add the remainder of the icing sugar, milk/cream mixture and the vanilla extract. Beat until creamy.

You can add more or less icing sugar to the consistency you like.

Chocolate, Raspberry Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Hello cupcake lovers! Well I got this recipe idea from a girlfriend (thank you Tania). She suggested the Dark Chocolate cupcake filled with Raspberries and Cream Cheese frosting. The cream cheese is so silky and gloriously delicious mixed with the dark rich chocolate cupcake. And of course who can forget the tart Raspberries that leave your mouth in a watering mess!!! Hehe.
I pray you enjoy baking and eating these!!! Don't eat too many though!!!


Cupcake ingredients - yields approx 30

75g dark chocolate (I used chocolate drops)

1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee

3 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups of plain flour

1 1/2 cups of dutch cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

3/4 cup oil (I used Salad and Cooking oil)

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

I used frozen raspberries

Preheat your oven to 150° degrees fan bake (please read "The Oven" tab on my blog before turning on your oven).

In a bowl sift the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt as set aside.

Put the chocolate in a bowl and add the hot coffee, let it stand for 2 minutes and then whisk it until smooth and melted.

In a mixer beat the eggs until thickened and pale yellow, then slowly add the oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and the melted chocolate/coffee mixture, mix until well blended. Then add in the sifted dry ingredients and mix until smooth, but only beat until just incorporated.

Fill into your cupcake liners, about just over 1/2 full.  Once the mixture is in the cupcake papers, you can now put the berries into the mixture. I put 2-3 into the cupcake batter.

Then bake in oven for 18 minutes (depending on your oven). Insert a baking skewer into your cupcakes and when it comes out clean thats when your cupcakes are cooked. Transfer them onto a wire rack immediately to cool.

Once cooled you can frost them with the Cream Cheese Frosting. I used the Wilton tip 6B.

Cream Cheese Buttercream

125 g butter

400 g cream cheese

2 teaspoons lemon juice (approx)

700g icing sugar

One handful of Raspberries

Cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, usually this takes me about 2-3 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and 1/2 the icing sugar.

Beat for about 4 minutes until light and fluffy.

Then sift in the remaining icing sugar and beat until creamy.
I then added the Raspberries (I defrosted these in the microwave before putting into the frosting)

Regarding the icing sugar, you may need to add more or less, depending on the consistency you need.
Then pipe onto cooled cupcakes and decorate. Awwww so yummy!!

White Chocolate Mud, and Raspberry n Cream Cupcakes

This is the easiest Cupcake recipe I have ever made. The good thing is that you can half this recipe to make 12 Cupcakes or use the one below to make 24 Cupcakes.
I must admit these are addictive and I would be quite happy to serve them up as a dessert even before I frost with the Buttercream, and this is because the white chocolate makes these cupcake dense and the raspberries make it very moist and tart....delicious - ness!!!!
Ok, I made the raspberry compote a couple of days before I made the Cupcakes, and the compote will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
So lets get started.

Raspberry Compote Ingredients:
400g raspberries (I used frozen)
1/2 caster sugar
1 cup water
4 tablespoons cornflour

Put all ingredients into a saucepan and gentle heat up, making sure you don't turn the heat up too high and burn the bottom. Keep an eye on the saucepan at all times and gently stir until the mixture thickens. Once thickened, pull it off the stove and pour into sterilized jars. Leave the lid off until the compote cools down and then refrigerate. This mixture is sweet n tart....yum yummy!

Cupcake ingredients:
250g unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup caster sugar
200g white chocolate
1 cup water
1 cup plain flour (sifted)
1 cup self raising flour (sifted)
2 eggs
1 cup raspberries (I used frozen)

Preheat your oven to 150° degrees fan bake, (please read "The Oven" tab on my blog before turning on you oven).
In a saucepan add the butter, sugar, chocolate, and water and melt all ingredients until just melted. I then poured the hot mixture into a steel bowl to cool for about 15-20 minutes.
Then I whisked in the sifted flours once the mixture was cooled and until thoroughly mixed, and no lumps visible.
Then I whisked in the eggs until combined. Finally add the frozen raspberries.
Take a 1/4 cup measuring cup and use this to transfer the mixture into the cupcake papers.
Bake for 20 minutes or until your baking skewer comes out clean, thats when your cupcakes are cooked. Transfer them onto a wire rack immediately to cool.

Once cooled frost with the below recipe. I used a Wilton tip 1M to frost.

Whipped Cream Buttercream

215 g butter (softened)

950g icing sugar

2 tablespoons boiling water

1/2 c thickened cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream butter for about 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 the icing sugar and the boiling water and mix until creamy. Add the remainder of the icing sugar, thickened cream and the vanilla extract and beat until creamy. You made need a little more icing sugar, will depend on the consistency you are after.

Happy baking xxx

Boysenberries, Raspberries and Double Chocolate Cupcakes Frosted with Chocolate Ganache

Oh boy, oh boy, these are lush Cupcakes. Very rich and moist and I can quite easily eat 3-4 at one time....naughty I know!!! In this recipe some of the Cupcakes have raspberries and some have boysenberries. You can decide, or if you want you can add Blackberries instead. Purely your decision, but either way you won't be disappointed, because they are just yum!

I made the chocolate ganache first.

Chocolate Ganache
450g dark chocolate
375ml cream

I heat the cream up in a pot and then pour it over the chocolate. Then I let it stand for a couple of minutes. Then I whisk until smooth and glossy. However you can also do it the bain-marie way in which you put the cream and the chocolate into a bowl and let it stand over a pot of boiling water. And whisk until smooth and glossy. Remember make sure your ganache is well and truly cooled before you put it in the fridge to set.

Cupcake ingredients - yields approx 30
75g dark chocolate (I used chocolate drops)
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups of plain flour
1 1/2 cups of dutch cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup oil (I used Salad and Cooking oil)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
I used about 600g frozen berries

Preheat your oven to 150° degrees fan bake (please read "The Oven" tab on my blog before turning on your oven).

In a bowl sift the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt as set aside.
Put the chocolate in a bowl and add the hot coffee, let it stand for 2 minutes and then whisk it until smooth and melted.
In a mixer beat the eggs until thickened and pale yellow, then slowly add the oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and the melted chocolate/coffee mixture, mix until well blended. Then add in the sifted dry ingredients and mix until smooth, but only beat until just incorporated.
Fill into your cupcake liners, about just over 1/2 full.  Once the mixture is in the cupcake papers, you can now put the berries into the mixture. I put 2-3 into the cupcake batter.

Then bake in oven for 18 minutes (depending on your oven). Insert a baking skewer into your cupcakes and when it comes out clean thats when your cupcakes are cooked. Transfer them onto a wire rack immediately to cool.

Once cooled you can frost them with the Chocolate Ganache. I used the Wilton tip 6B.

Recipe sourced and adapted from Annie's Eats.

Feijoa Cupcakes with Creamy Vodka filling and Limey Whipped Buttercream

Well well well, you have to make these little treats! Ok, so firstly my friend Lisa said to tell you that these are adult only Cupcakes, this is because the Vodka filling is quite strong, delicious but strong. And in my first batch friends told me that they could hardly taste the feijoa, so I have added a few more feijoas to give them a bit more of a tarty bite. And also the frosting can be Vanilla if you prefer a sweetness to the Cupcake, or you can make a Lime Frosting which has a real fruity sweetness to the Cupcake. Me I'm not fussy, I love both ways.

The last thing I need to tell you before I give you the recipe is that make sure you make the Vodka filling the night before and refrigerate. It will then set perfectly and be ready to be used in the Cupcake.

Creamy Vodka Filling
395g tin of condensed milk
65ml lime juice
65ml vodka

Combine all the ingredients and mix. The mixture starts out very runny, but once it's refrigerated over night it will thicken up.

Feijoa Cupcakes - yeilds approx 30
415g plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
230g unsalted butter
330g caster sugar
4 eggs
Feijoa pulp - I used 8 feijoas
125 ml milk

Preheat your oven to 150° degrees fan bake (please read "The Oven" tab on my menu bar on the blog.
Sift the flour and baking powder and set aside.
Pulp the feijoas and set aside.
Beat the butter, sugar and 2 eggs until light and fluffy. Then add the remainder eggs one at a time, making sure you scrap down the side of the bowl after each egg.
Lastly beat in your dry ingredients alternately with the milk and feijoa pulp.

Then divide the batter into the cupcake papers, about 2/3 full.
Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes (depending on your oven).
Once your baking skewer comes out clean then you know your cupcakes are cooked. Pull them out of the oven and put immediately onto a wire rack to cool.

Now you can make your Buttercream.

Limey Whipped Buttercream
250g butter
800g icing sugar
3 Limes juiced
25ml milk approximately
2 tablespoons cream

Beat the butter for about 3-4 minutes until light and creamy. Then add half the icing sugar, the lime juice and the milk, and beat until light and creamy. Add the remainder of the icing sugar and the cream, and beat for 2-3 minutes, it should be white and creamy. You may need a little more icing sugar and or cream, depending on the consistency you require.
You can add some gel food color into the frosting if you wish.

Ok from here take a little knife and cut out little craters in the middle of your cooled cupcakes, and put a small amount of the vodka filling into the cupcake. Then once you've done that you can frost your Cupcakes. I used a wilton tip 1A. Yum yum!!

Happy baking xxx

Recipe Sourced from www.northernadvocate.co.nz, via the book "Celebration Cupcakes" by Tamara Jane.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

These are gorgeous!! For all you Peanut Butter fans out there, you are gonna love these.
If you have ever had Reece's Chocolate (American chocolate) before then these Cupcakes are like that. In New Zealand they could be compared to a Snickers Bar yum yum!!!
Also very easy to bake, and they smell amazing when they come out of the oven. Let me know when you've baked them, what you think.

Just remember when making these to make your filling first and lay it aside.

Filling Ingredients:
1 cup icing sugar
190g Peanut Butter (Smooth)
65g unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Cupcake Ingredients:
1 2/3 c plain flour
3/4 c dutch cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 c sour cream
4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
130g unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
250g cream cheese
65g unsalted butter
1/2 c peanut butter (smooth)
4 cups icing sugar

Firstly preheat your oven (remember to read my "The Oven" tab on my blog before turning on your oven). For me these made 24 cupcakes, so at this stage you can line your papers into the cupcake trays ready for baking.

Ok we are going to make our Filling first. Its real basic just put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat the ingredients until mixed. Then roll into little balls about 1/2 the size of a golf ball and lay on baking paper until ready to use once your cupcake batter has been prepared.

So to make the Cupcake batter. In a bowl sift the following ingredients, plain flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and set aside.
In another bowl mix together the sour cream, milk and vanilla essence and put aside.
In your mixer add the butter and the sugar and beat it all up, it will take about 2-3minutes. Then add the eggs one at a time making sure you scrap down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
Then lastly you can add your dry ingredients alternately with your wet ingredients, making sure you start and finish with the dry ingredients, I do it over 3 goes.
Ok the fun part. Put a spoonful of the cupcake batter into your cupcake liners and then put one of the peanut butter balls on top. Finally add another spoonful of batter and put the cupcakes into the oven. I baked them for 18 minutes, and when my baking skewer came out clean, I knew they were cooked.

Once the Cupcakes are cooled you can frost them.

To make the frosting. In a bowl add the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter and beat until smooth and creamy. Then slowly add the sifted icing sugar until you get the consistency and thickness you like. I used a Wilton tip 1M to frost the cupcakes and then sprinkled with grated dark chocolate shavings. Yummy!!!! Recipe sourced and adapted from Annie's Eats.

Happy Baking xxx

Turkish Delight Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

I originally tried this cupcake in "Delish Cupcakes" (cupcake store) one day and decided to make it for myself. It's basically a Rose Cupcake and frosted with Dark Chocolate Ganache. It's an Old Fashioned Dreamy Morsel! To me it tastes like a cupcake version of a piece of Turkish Delight, and that's why I baked them in miniature cupcake papers rather that the usual size. So they are bite sized delicious, morish little blessings!! All the glory to God for giving us these ingredients and the skill and ability to bake them x

Just a note, I made the Chocolate Ganache first and let that set and then I made the cupcakes.

So here is the recipe.

Chocolate Ganache
375ml Cream
450g Dark Chocolate

I put the chocolate and cream into a tin bowl and put it over a pot of boiling water. Then I whisked it until completely smooth. Once smooth I pulled it off the pot and left it to cool on the bench.

Once it's completely cooled you can then put it into the fridge to really set it, and ready for piping onto the cupcakes.

Cupcake Ingredients - Makes approximately 48 minis
115g unsalted butter
225g caster sugar
2 eggs
150g self raising flour
125g flour
1 tablespoon of rose water
180ml milk

Preheat your oven to 150° fan bake. (See "The Oven" tab on my blog before starting your oven).
In a mixing bowl beat the butter until light and creamy takes about 2-3 minutes, then add the sugar and beat a further 2-3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time and make sure after each egg you scrap down the side of the bowl.
Add the rose water to the milk and set aside.
Then take the sifted flours and add half to the mixture and then add half the milk into mixture. Then repeat this process and mix until smooth and creamy, but be careful not to over beat the mixture.
Then spoon the mixture into your miniature cupcake cases. I used a melon ball scooper to measure the mixture evenly into the liners.
I baked mine for about 8-12 minutes. To test if your cupcakes are cooked use a baking skewer and insert into the cupcake if it comes out clean then cupcakes are cooked.
Transfer them immediately to a wire rack to cool.
Once cooled you can pipe on the Ganache. I used a Wilton 63 tip to frost the Cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Cranberry Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Buttercream

I have to say that these little blessings are the bestests, yummiest cupcakes that I have had to date! They are a mix of sweet cupcake and tart cranberry, just Perfect!! I sourced/adapted this recipe from Krissy's Creations.
The recipe asks for Cake Flour, and in New Zealand we can't buy cake flour off the shelf, so I had to make it myself. But don't freak out, its really easy to do.

So firstly let me tell you how to make the Cake Flour Sourced from Joy the Baker.
Ok, firstly measure out the amount of flour in the recipe you are using.
Then for every cup you use, take out 2 tablespoons of the flour and replace it with Cornflour. I sifted together 6 times just to make sure it was fully integrated together. Its a easy as that!!


Cupcake Ingredients - yeilds 24-30
205g unsalted butter
250g cream cheese
2 c sugar
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 c cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 c almond milk (I found this in Pak n Save)
2 c frozen cranberries (rolled in 1 tablespoon flour)

Preheat oven to 150° Fan Bake. (See "The Oven" tab on my blog before starting your oven).
In a bowl sift the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
In a mixer bowl beat the butter and cream cheese until buttery and creamy. Then add the sugar and beat until fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time and make sure you scrap down the bowl after each addition.
Mix in the almond and vanilla extract.
Then add half of the dry ingredients and half of the almond milk. Mix until combined. Repeat this adding the remainder of the dry ingredients and the almond milk. Mix until just combined.
And finally stir in the cranberries.
Divide the mixture between the cupcake liners, and bake in oven for about 15-18 minutes (depending on your oven).

Once the cake skewer comes out clean, the cupcakes are ready.

I always transfer them straight onto a wire rack to cool.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

250g cream cheese

100g butter

2-3 c icing sugar

2 teaspoons maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy and creamy. Start adding in the icing sugar and half of the maple syrup and half of the vanilla extract. Beat until mixed and creamy.

Then repeat adding the remainder of the maple syrup and vanilla extract. And the remainder of the icing sugar. You may need a little or less icing sugar, depending on the consistency you want.

Then pipe onto your cooled cupcakes.

I decorated the cupcakes with white chocolate heart shapes. Totally delicious and very eye catching.

Happy baking xxx

Decadent Chocolate Cupcakes filled with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Whipped Dutch Chocolate Buttercream

I made these for my friends Daughter's 12th Birthday. These are incredible rich and decadent. I filled the cupcakes with dark chocolate ganache, so they are yum yummy!! In the buttercream I used certified Dutch Cocoa, not the normal supermarket cocoa. The Butterflies and Blossom flowers on top are made out of Red Fondant. Also if you want to be a little adventurous you can add lollies, chocolates or easter eggs into the middle of the cupcake mixture just before putting them into the oven.

The cupcake recipe is sourced/adapted from Annie's Eats. The ganache and buttercream recipes I have had for ages and use all the time in other Cupcake Recipes.

Happy baking xxx

Ingredients: Yields approx 24-30 cupcakes

75g dark chocolate
1 1/2 c strong hot coffee (brewed)
3 c sugar
2 1/2 c plain flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 c dutch cocoa
1 1/4 salt
3 eggs
3/4 c oil (I used cooking and salad oil)
1 1/2 c buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 150° Fan Bake. (See "The Oven" tab on my blog before starting your oven).
In a mixing bowl sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and cocoa powder. Put aside.
Place the chocolate in a bowl and pour over the strong hot coffee and whisk together to the chocolate is melted and combined.
In another mixing bowl add the oil, buttermilk and vanilla.
In a mixing bowl beat together the eggs until light, creamy and fluffy. Then slowly add the oil mixture and the coffee mixture into the egg mixture until well combined.
Lastly add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Divide mixture into the cupcake liners, 3/4 full and bake in oven for about 15-18 minutes (depending on your oven).

Once the cake skewer comes out clean, the cupcakes are ready.

I always transfer them straight onto a wire rack to cool.

Once cool you can fill the cupcakes. To do this, I just take a little but sharp kitchen knife and cut out the middle. Once you have cut out the cake piece, inside the cupcake with look like a grater, perfect for filling with yummy chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

225g dark chocolate

2/3 c cream

2 tablespoons butter

Place the chocolate in a bowl and then gently heat the cream. Once the cream heated, pour over the chocolate and whisk until smooth and glossy. Then add the butter and whisk until combined.

I put the chocolate into the fridge to cool and thicken. Once the chocolate is thickened you can dollop spoonfuls into your decadent cupcakes.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

250g butter

75 g dutch cocoa

150ml a mixture of milk and cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

500g icing sugar

Beat butter for about 2-3 minutes until light and creamy. Had half the icing sugar, cocoa and half the milk/cream mixture. Beat again for another 2-3 minutes. Add the remainder of the icing sugar, milk/cream mixture and the vanilla extract. Beat until creamy.

You can add more or less icing sugar to the consistency you like.

Fill the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe onto your cupcakes.