HELLO!
Today is a good day. Not only have I started it by rocking out to Prince and the Rolling Stones with my kids in the kitchen but the sun is out too. Dancing and sunshine are all I need……apart from the odd Prosecco obviously.
But I knew that today would be a good day yesterday. Because today I am opening up a new section on my site.
I’ve split the food section in to two. Now I have Home Cooking and Home Baking. All of the sweet things, the pies, the brownies, the cakes, the cupcakes, the tarts etc. are all in one place now. One gloriously gooey, sweet, sugar filled place.
Click here for my weight conversion chart
What you will need for this recipe:
Makes 20 cupcakes
For the cakes-
- 8oz Butter (softened)
- 8oz Caster / Superfine sugar
- 10oz Self raising flour
- 4 free range eggs
- 1tsp baking powder
- 2tbsp milk
- Cupcake cases (I used silicone)
For the topping-
- 260g Butter (softened)
- 600g Icing / Confectioners sugar
- 2tsp Vanilla extract
- 500g pack White sugar paste (you won’t use the full 500g)
- Icing sugar for dusting
- Rolling pin
- Mint green food colouring
- Daffodil yellow food colouring
- Plunger Flower cutters (I used 3 sizes) – find them here
- Tiny metal blossom plunger cutters – find them here
- Edible glue or corn syrup
- Piping bag and large nozzle
- Edible Lustre Spray (I used Pearl colour) – find it here
Pre-heat oven to 190c
Start by creaming the butter and the sugar in a food mixer. Then sift in the flour and baking powder and add the milk and eggs.
Mix all the ingredients together until smooth.
Lay the cake cakes out onto a baking tray and use a teaspoon to transfer the cake mixture into the cake cakes, filling them about two thirds full.
Bake the cakes in the oven for approx 20 minutes and until lightly golden on top.
While allowing the cakes to cool move on to the next step
Take one third of the sugar paste and add 1-2 drops of mint green food colouring to it, knead the sugar paste until the colour has completely blended.
Use a rolling pin to roll the sugar paste out onto a flat surface and use a dusting of icing sugar if necessary to stop it from sticking.
I rolled my sugar paste out to around 2-3mm in thickness and then using my sugar paste flower cutters, I cut out 20 large flowers and 20 small flowers; I then rolled out another third of the plain white sugar paste and cut out 20 medium sized flowers.
So, in total, I had 20 large green flowers, 20 white medium flowers and 20 small green flowers
To make the little yellow centers of the flower (apologies, I forgot to take a picture of the yellow ones and only have green ones to show you) I used a tiny drop of my Daffodil food colouring on a small amount of the white sugar paste, kneaded it in, rolled it out (approx 2-3mm thick) and used a small flower cutter to cut the shapes out – find the flower cutter tool here
Set all of the sugar paste flowers to one side for the time being.
Now for the butter cream; add the softened butter and vanilla to the mixing bowl with the paddle attachment and sift in the icing sugar, mix together until the butter cream is smooth and has turned white in colour, three or four minutes in the mixer on full speed should do this. Transfer the butter cream icing into a piping bag with a large sized nozzle attached to it, then start piping around the top of the cake, on the outside only, leaving the middle of the cake free of icing.
Take the sugar paste flowers you have just cut out and starting with the largest flower first, lay it on top and in the middle of the of the cupcake and push down gently. Use a small amount of corn syrup to then stick the medium sized flower on top of the large flower, and do the same with the small flower, placing it on top of the medium flower. Finally, use some corn syrup again to hold the small yellow flower in place in the middle.
Spray the top of the cake with edible lustre spray to give it that romantic and whimsical Springtime glow.
Repeat the above with the other 19 cakes and serve to springtime guests.
Bahhhhhh! *
* I think that was meant to be the sound of a Lamb*
I told you Spring was here at my place. I feel like King Canute but I’m trying to keep the weather at bay instead of the tide.
It’s working though. The sun’s out today………oh, correction, it’s just gone in again…oh it’s out again. Phew.
I love you and I really hope that the new Home Baking section is helpful and fun and informative. I’ll certainly do my best to make sure it is.
Cherry x
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Thank you very much for these! I’ve just made them in pink for my daughter’s christening.
And the best bit…they look like they take a lot longer than they do, so the mother-in-law will be impressed!
xx
Great post
I know Pooh said ‘no one can be uncheered by a balloon’ but I have to say that I think the same could be said about your cupcakes!
Delightful.
K xx
Hey Cherry,
Another great Post today. Happy Spring to you.
When you going to get yourself on US Television? We love you out here.
Best,
Martha (NY)
These are beautiful! With everything so grey and dead outside, cupcakes like this will really brighten the day.
These cakes look so lovely, do you have a recipe on how to make macaroons by any chance? x
Dear Cherry! Those are simply a breath or taste of fresh air and Spring! You are so clever would you ever want to do some faux cupcakes, of course glitter instead of icing sugar? Just a thought of course. One of the fun things for you all living in England was who hears the first cuckoo, has one been heard yet, oh and the hares dashing around and acting mad! Oh I do so miss England, 3 years was not enough time!
Cherry, these are absolutely beautiful! I continue to be amazed at how you accomplish so much when you have those babies! They must have exceptional sleeping schedules!
ooh they look yummy!
Hugs
Mandy x
Your weather girl antics make me smile. Yes Spring is just around the corner. I drove home this evening from my daughter’s without having to put my headlights on and the sky was actually blue all the way home. Doesn’t the hope of Spring and warm weather bring us joy. The light nights, cricket on the village green, people sitting outside the pub instead of huddled round their fires. Oh I love it. And as for your cup cakes, they are gorgeous as were the fish cakes I did for lunch from yesterdays recipe. Roll on summer. I have two Christening parties this year so I’ll be churning out those lovely cakes.
Yum x
Hmmm, they look amazing Cherry.
The new baking section works really well, so much easier to find recipes in specific categories. Cupcakes look amazing too. Georgie
Very cute. x
I can feel Springtime in the air today and seeing your beautiful cupcakes and daffodils have made me want it to come around again even more.
Heather x
Lovely, but how long did these take to make?
Would be nicevto have approximate timings on all your recipes for those of us who are a bit haphazard in the kitchen!.
Merci.
Just love these. Right, now I’m off to my little cake shop to buy all I need to make them
Steph
I am a recent convert to your gorgeous website and I LOVE it. Your cooking, baking and crafts are all so lovely and totally doable. How do you do it? Have a great day. x
Ahh so cute! I have the same cutters and pearl lustre spray, I couldn’t live without them!
Morwenna ♥
Hi Cherry, I love your cakes, I recently made your fondant springtime mini cakes and they went down very well at home. I will definitely be giving these a try. Thank you.
x
Wow, they look amazing – too good to eat! Love the new section on the site.
B
These look amazing! And so fresh and brigh, perfect for Spring.
gorgeous.
x