RAINBOW BRIGHT
How could I not create a fun and vibrant cake paying homage to one of my favourite cartoons - makes vanilla more awesome!!
125 g butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 & 1/2 cups plain flour
1 &
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
Red food colouring
Blue food colouring
Green food colouring
Yellow food colouring
Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced). Line a cupcake pan with liners.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about five minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat well.
Combine dry ingredients. Add to batter in thirds alternately with milk. Begin and end with dry ingredients. Mix well after each addition.
Divide batter into four equal parts in separate bowls. Add one colour per bowl and mix well until desired colour is reached.
Divide red batter evenly among liners, one large tsp per cupcake. Follow with the remaining three colours, spooning batter into the middle of the previous colour.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until tops spring back when touched gently.
Cool in pan for five minutes, then remove and cool completely before frosting.
VANILLA 'CLOUD' BUTTER CREAM
125 g butter, softened
4 cups icing sugar, sifted
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Beat butter and slowly add icing sugar until crumbly. Slowly add milk and vanilla until the desired consistency is reached. Add more milk if required.
Beat for three to five minutes until light, fluffy and creamy, but still firm enough to pipe. - Makes 12 cupcakes
FEIJOA
I eat feijoas by the bucket-load, straight off the tree. These are an in-season treat!
125 g butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 & 3/4 cups plain flour
1 & 3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup crushed feijoas
1/2 cup Charlie's Feijoa Smoothie
Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced). Line a cupcake pan with liners. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about five minutes. Add egg and beat well.
Combine dry ingredients. Add to batter in thirds alternately with milk. Begin and end with dry ingredients. Mix well after each addition. Add feijoas and smoothie and mix well.
Fill liners two-thirds full and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until tops spring back when touched gently.
Cool in pan for five minutes, then remove and cool completely before frosting.
FEIJOA BUTTER CREAM
125 g butter, softened
4 cups icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp Charlie's Feijoa Smoothie
A few drops green food colouring
Beat butter and slowly add icing sugar until crumbly.
Slowly add milk, smoothie and colouring until the desired consistency and colour is reached. Add more smoothie if required.
Beat for three to five minutes until light, fluffy and creamy, but still firm enough to pipe. - Makes 12 cupcakes
Reprinted with permission from Miss Melicious Cupcakes, published by Penguin Group NZ, RRP$30. Copyright Missy Fleming 2012. Image copyright Shadbolt