Miss English Rose

I Heart Cupcakes

This is the Cupcake recipe I've been using for a while, I baked these ones a few weeks ago but it's taken me a while to put the pictures and recipes up (sorry!).  Cupcakes are one of my favourite things to make, probably because you can get away with being amazingly over-the-top and girly when decorating them!  However I am still in search of the perfect recipe as I think this one doesn't taste cupcakey enough? Does that make sense? What I mean is that they taste too much like fairy cakes, they don't have that cupcakey taste, God I sound crazy!! So anyway, I'm going to scout down some more recipes and try them, I'll put them all up here as I go and give my verdict.  If anyone knows of any good recipes please let me know! It would be much appreciated! I am also very tempted to buy the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook!! 

INGREDIENTS

(for 20 small or 12 large cupcakes-I personally like large ones baked in a Muffin tin)

• 250g Unsalted Butter
• 250g Caster Sugar
• 250g Self-raising flour
• 4 eggs
• cupcake cases, muffin or cake tin

ICING

• 200g unsalted butter
• 200g icing sugar
• rose water to flavour (optional)
• red food colouring (optional)

TO MAKE & BAKE

• Preheat oven to 170 'C (150-160'C for fan assisted)
• Cream butter and sugar in large bowl until white and fluffy
• Beats all eggs in a cup
• Slowly add eggs into mixture whilst folding in flour
• When thoroughly mixed fill you cupcake cases
• Bake for 20 minutes

(as you can see it is all rather simple)

• Once removed from oven leave to cool on wire rack
• For the icing, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth
• Add flavouring and colouring as you wish
• Decorate your lovely cupcakes as you wish
• I like to use sprinkles, crystallised rose petals and many other little treats

 

Miss English Rose

xxx

Strawberry and Cinnamon Torte

So seeing as it was Father's Day yesterday I did a spot of baking for the occasion.  This was the first time I had tried this one and I must admit it was rather scrummy!!

Strawberry and Cinnamon Torte

Ingredients

• Firstly you need a 8"-9" cake tin with a pop out bottom, I would make sure it's relatively deep as well, maybe at least 2".
• 175g Golden Caster sugar
• 175g self-raising flour
• 175g butter (softened)
• 175g ground almonds
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (although I added a bit more than this as I love,love,love the stuff!!)
• 1 egg and 1 extra egg yolk
• 450g strawberries, hulled and sliced
• icing sugar to dust

To Make and Bake....

• To start grease and line the base of your tin and preheat oven to 180 degrees for non-fan assisted and 160 for fan assisted
• Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and then mix in the butter and eggs (you can do all this with a food processor but I rather like making my arms do the work)
• When all the ingredients are mixed in evenly put half of it in the bottom of your cake tin.  The mixture may be quite thick so you may have to spread it out evenly and smooth
• layer the strawberries evenly on top
• fill the tin with the rest of the mixture, spreading it smooth
• bake in the oven for 1 hour, it should be a deep, golden brown when it comes out.  If after 40mins it is starting to look a bit too dark loosely cover with foil.
• let cool slightly then remove from tin, using a sift, sprinkle with icing sugar
• I served with whipped double cream mixed with equal parts of greek yogurt

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Sorry the photo's are taken when its already half eaten, but the cake fairies got to it rather quickly! They must have been hungry!

Blueberry Muffins

So most weekends I am up in the big smoke visiting my sweetheart, however on the weekends when I am stuck in my far away land I enjoy a spot of baking.  Now Miss English Rose isn't exactly a master chef, but when it comes to baking she finds there is something rather therapeutic and rewarding about the smell and taste of freshly baked cakes.  So here I will begin to share my recipes and hopefully you too will pop on a floral Cath Kidston pinny and bake till your hearts content.  Also there really isn't anything lovelier than taking home baked goods for friends, co-workers and loved ones.  The warm fuzzy feeling you get is quite satisfactory and well worth the work!!! xxxx  

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients
(should make 16 muffins)

• 300g Self Raising Flour
  
• 150g Plain Four
• 1 teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda
• 200g Light Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 375ml Milk
• 180ml Vegetable Oil
• 200g Blueberries

To Make and Bake.....

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees
• Either grease holes in muffin tin or just buy muffin cases-a lot easier
• Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl
• Stir in the eggs
• Combine the milk and oil together and then slowly add this to the mixture whilst mixing it in 
• Fill the cases or tins until half full, then add half your blueberries (I tend to cut them in half as well)
• Then fill the cases with the remaining mixture and top with the rest of the blueberries
• Bake in oven for 20 minutes

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