This is my food guide on how to make the most out of National Cupcake Week.
Cupcake Recipe
Unfortunately some people can’t do dairy so I thought I’d give you an extra treat. Charlotte Gamble at www.restorationcake.co.uk shows you how to make your very own Vegan friendly dairy free cupcakes.
Banana Villiers is Restoration’s cheeky homage to Barbara Villiers, one of Charles II’s most prolific and influential mistresses.
Vegan Banana Villiers Cupcakes
Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees
Combine 100ml Smooth Orange Juice, 100ml Sunflower Oil, and 1 tsp Vanilla Essence in a jug and mix.
Sift 200g Self-Raising Flour and 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder into a mixing bowl and stir in 50g Caster Sugar.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir in 2 mashed Bananas. Add enough Soya Milk to make a smooth dropping consistency.
Add a dash of Cider Vinegar to create a chemical reaction which will make the cakes light and fluffy.
Pour or spoon the mixture into 12 Cupcake Cases and bake for 10 – 15 minutes – until golden and risen.
Top these little beauties off with a swirl of Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.
250g Vegan Margarine
450g Icing Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla Essence
Soften margarine in a freestanding mixer. Mix in the vanilla and then slowly add icing sugar. Continue to mix for a few minutes to allow the mixture to become fluffy.
From this point on, you are limited only by your imagination – which is the great thing about cupcakes. Go crazy with the sprinkles!
www.restorationcake.blogspot.com 07794 469 689
Top Tips
Don’t worry if you’re no Nigella Lawson in the kitchen, Sam from Love Bakery offers some tips for making the perfect cupcake.
1. Use heaps of decorative sugar-paste cutouts to cover any decorating mistakes. And edible glitter adds the sparkle.
2. Use classic cocktail recipes as inspiration for grown-up flavour combinations – the Cuptail. I’ve made alcoholic treats from Margarita, Pina Colada and Pimms just to mention a few.
3. Use an apple corer to take out the centre of your cupcakes and put in jam or pulped fruit – a great way to change the flavour of your cupcakes instantly.
4. Use white wine vinegar in your red velvet cupcakes to make them lighter and fluffier.
5. Enjoy baking and remember you can eat your mistakes.
www.lovebakery.co.uk 319 Kings Road London SW3 5EP 0207 352 3191
Tea Party
For a truly vintage and sophisticated cupcake experience why not let The Tea Party organise you a tea party. Filled with all your favourite tasty treats, this is the way cupcakes should really be enjoyed.
www.teaparty.uk.com 143 Long Lane London N3 2QY 07779 635876
Cupcake DIY
If you’re feeling adventurous and want to try making them yourselves then I’ve found an easy way to do it. The Breville Cupcake Creations machine from John Lewis does all the hard work for you. Simply pour your own mixture into the cupcake moulds, wait for it to cook and viola you have cupcakes. It even comes with its own recipe book and guide to decorating.
£29.95 www.johnlewis.com 08456 049 049
Cake Stand
Display your yummy cupcakes on this cake stand from Creative Tops. The design was actually taken from the V&A archive.
