Gingerbread latte

Those cupcakes were very delicious. Gingerbread flavour, soft and rich cake with cinnamon and coffee butter cream. Perfect ! The recipe comes form 'Making cupcakes with Lola' cookbook.

Ingredients for 12-18 cupcakes:

• 120g golden syrup
• 120g black treacle
• 200g heavy cream
• 250g flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 and 1/2 tbsp cocoa
• 1 tsp instant coffee
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 135g butter
• 125g brown sugar
• 2 eggs

Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa, coffee, ginger, mixed spice, nutmeg, salt into a big bowl and set aside.

Put the golden syrup, black treacle and heavy cream into a sauce pan. Heat the ingredients up until they turn into liquid. Do  not  let the mixture to boil.

Into an electric mixer bowl put the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. 

In a meantime preheat the oven to 180C. line muffin tin with paper cases.

When the butter and sugar turn into fluffy mixture add the eggs one at the time beating continuously. When the eggs well incorporated add half of the flour mixture and half of wet ingredients mixture beat until all ingredients combined and repeat with remaining ingredients. 

Spoon the batter into paper cases about 3/4 full. Bake about 25 minutes. When ready remove form the oven and keep for a while in muffin tin then transfer to wire rack to cool down completely.

Ingredients for frosting:

• 120g soft butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 300g icing sugar
• 3 tbsp milk
• mixture of 2 tsp instant coffee and 1/2 tsp boiling water and  1 tsp cinnamon

Place the butter into an electric mixer bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Then add the vanilla extract and sugar (reduce the mixer speed otherwise your kitchen will be dusted with sugar) and beat until well incorporated. The add the milk and increase the speed to high. 

In a meantime put the instant coffee, cinnamon and boiling water into a small bowl and combine them with a spoon until they turn into a thick mixture. When the butter cream is ready add thick mixture and beat until is well incorporated. 

Put the butter cream on top of each cupcake. Enjoy !

 

 

Banana and lemon muffins

This is 12th banana muffins recipe. This time with lemon. My children like them a lot. The cake was soft, spongy sweet thanks to bananas with lovely lemon fragrance. The recipe comes from 'Let's cook. 52 cakes, bakes and chocolate.'

Ingredients for 7-11 muffins:

• 70g banana chips + 11 whole ones for decoration
• 140g flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 5 tbsp milk
• 1 egg
• 50 ml oil
• 3 ripe bananas

Chop the banana chips and place them in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, sugar and freshly grated lemon zest. Combine them together and set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases. 

In separate jug whisk the egg. Add the oil and milk and combine them together. Set aside.

With a for or potato masher mash the bananas. Stir in one tablespoon of lemon juice. 

Pour the wet ingredients and the bananas into a bowl with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.

Spoon the batter into paper cases, 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes until well risen and gold. Keep them in muffin for a few minutes then transfer to the wire rack. While they cooling down prepare the icing.

Ingredients for icing:

• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Place the icing sugar in a bowl add one tablespoon of lemon juice and stir well. If the mixture is too thick add additional tablespoon of lemon juice and stir again.

When the muffins are cooled down spoon the icing over each muffin top and decorate them with hole banana chips.

 

 Enjoy !

Coconut mini cheesecakes

The idea for coconut mini cheesecakes came form coconut cappuccino muffins. The cream cheese filling was so tasty that I decided to bake it separately as small cheesecakes with of course coconut streusel on top. As it was an experiment I baked only 5 of them. They were divine :) 

Ingredients for 5 mini cheesecakes coconut streusel:

• 30g flour
• 40g sugar
• 20g dessicated coconut
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Melt the butter. Put all dry ingredients into a small bowl and whisk them. Then stir in the melted butter. Set the mixture aside.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tins with paper cases. I used slightly bigger ones so it was easy to remove baked cheesecakes form them to serve. 

Prepare the cream cheese layer.

Ingredients for cream cheese:

• 100g cream cheese
• 50g mascarpone
• 70g sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Put all ingredients into an electric mixer bowl and beat them until just combined. Set aside.

And now is the time to prepare the last layer. The cheesecakes bottoms.

Ingredients for cheesecakes bottoms:

• 73g digestives cookies (6 cookies)
• 20g margarine

Place the cookies and margarine into a blender and whisk them until well combined.

Take prepared earlier muffin tin lined with paper cases and place it font of you. Spoon the digestive cookies mixture on the bottom of each paper case. Press the crumbs with a back of the spoon. Divide evenly among all paper cases. Then put a layer of cheese mixture again divide evenly among all paper cases. Then sprinkle with coconut streausel.

Bake for 25 minutes. After baking time remove form the oven and leave in baking tin to cool down. Serve when completely cooled. You can keep them in the fridge to cool down. 

Enjoy ! 

 

Coconut cappucino muffins

When I found this recipe on Sprinkle Bakes blog I had to try to bake those muffins. I just thought they must have been delicious and believe me they were.  Coffee cake with chocolate chips, filled with creamy cheese and sprinkled with coconut streusel... what else to add. And they are not difficult to make, although I modified the recipe slightly.

 

First step to prepare those muffins would be coconut streusel.

Ingredients for coconut streusel:

• 60g flour
• 80g sugar
• 40g desiccated coconut
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Place dry ingredients into a medium size bowl and combine them. Put the 125g butter ( you will need it later for muffin batter) into a sauce pan or a bowl and melt the butter on a heat or in microwave. Pour two tablespoons of melted butter into dry ingredients, set aside the remaining butter. Whisk all ingredients together and set aside.

Ingredients for 12-18 muffin:

• 280g flour
• 150g sugar
• 2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 250 ml milk
• 2 tbsp instant coffee
• 125g melted butter
• 1 egg
• 100g chocolate chips

 In a big bowl whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. 

Pour the milk into measuring jug add instant coffee and whisk until dissolves then add the egg and whisk well. 

Pour the wet ingredients to the bowl with dry ones, add melted butter and whisk until just combined. At last, but not at least, gently fold in the chocolate chips. 

Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Prepare the cheese filling.

Ingredients for cheese filling:

• 200g cream cheese
• 100g mascarpone
• 140g sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Place the cream cheese, mascarpone  and sugar  into an electric mixer bowl and beat well. Then add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth and creamy.

Put in front of you prepared earlier muffin tin with paper cases, the muffin batter, the cream cheese filling and the coconut streusel. Put one table spoon of batter into each paper case, then put one heaped teaspoon of cream cheese filling and cover with muffin batter. Don not over load the muffin cases, 3/4 full is enough as the batter while baked rises and spreads on the sides. When all the muffin cases are full sprinkle the batter with coconut streusell. Bake for 20-25 minutes. When well risen and golden remove from the oven, leave for a few minutes into baking tin then transfer to the wire rack to cool down. Enjoy !

Carrot cake muffins

Carrot cake muffins were moist, sweet, aromatic, packed with nuts, raisins and of course carrots. Topped with mascarpone cheese frosting and decorated with walnut looked looked very elegant. The recipe comes from 'Easy muffins' cookbook.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 280g flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• pinch of salt
• 115g brown sugar
• 200g grated carrot (about 2 medium size carrots)
• 50g chopped walnuts
• 50 raisins
• 2 eggs
• 175ml milk
• 6 tbsp flavourless oil like grape seed oil, sunflower oil
• 1 orange juice (about 50 ml)

Peel of the carrots and grate them. Set aside. Chop the walnuts and set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Sift the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and salt into a big bowl. Add the sugar and whisk well. Then stir in the carrots well. Gently stir in the walnuts and raisins.

In separate jug whisk the eggs add the milk, oil, orange juice and whisk well. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients bowl. Stir gently until just combined. Do not over mix.

Spoon the batter into paper cases. Bake for 20 minutes. After that time poke the muffins with with toothpick if it comes out clean it means that cake is bake din the middle. Transfer the muffins into wire rack and leave them to cool down.

In a meantime prepare the frosting.

Ingredients for frosting:

• 140g mascarpone cheese
• 35g icing sugar

Put the icing sugar and cheese into a small bowl and whisk the with a fork. Be gentle as sugar may dust all around. Whisk until light and fluffy.

When the muffins are cooled place a spoon of frosting on each muffin top and spread. Decorate with the walnuts. Enjoy !

 

Pumpkin muffins with toffee sauce

Those muffins were loved by children. I was really surprised as for me they were just average. They tasted like pancakes, were soft and very moist a little bit sweet and spicy. But children ate them quite a lot. The recipe comes form 'Easy muffins' cookbook.

Ingredients for 12-16 muffins:

• 280g flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• pinch of salt
• 50g brown sugar
• 65g white sugar
• 1 egg
• 200ml milk
• 6 tbsp flavourless oil (I had grape seed oil)
• 425g pumpkin pure (I added 525g of homemade pumpkin pure)
• few spoons of toffee sauce from a jar 

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Sift the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, salt  into a bog bowl. Add the sugars and whisk well.

In a measuring jug whisk egg, add oil and milk and combine them all. 

Pour the wet ingredients into a bowl with dry ones, add pumpkin pure and combine all ingredients together. Do not over mix the mixture. 

Spoon the batter into prepared earlier paper cases about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes. 

Leave the muffins in a tin for 5 minutes then transfer to the wire rack to cool them down. While the muffins are cooling spread toffee sauce over the top of each. Enjoy !

Pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins

Very moist, sweet, chocolate rich muffins. The recipe comes form this website.

Ingredients for 12-16 muffins:

• 195g flour
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 113g butter
• 200g white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 180 ml pumpkin pure *
• 175g chocolate chip 

* to make home made pumpkin pure check here

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Place the butter and  sugar in an electric mixer bowl and cream them until white and fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, soda and spices. Add half of the flour mixture and half of pumpkin pure into a batter in an electric mixer bowl. Whisk all ingredients together until well incorporated.  Then add the rest of the flour and pumpkin and combine all ingredients. At last, but not at least, gently fold in the chocolate chips. 

Spoon the batter into prepared earlier muffin cases, about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes, check with tooth pick if baked in the middle. Remove from the oven and leave in baking tin for  a few minutes, then transfer to the wire rack to cool them down. Enjoy !

Pistachio cupcakes

This is my favourite type of cake. Fluffy, sweet with golden crust cake. And those pistachio nuts ! Just yummy :) . The recipe comes from 'Cake days. Recipes to make every day special. The hummingbird bakery'

Ingredients for 12-18 cupcakes:

• 190g soft butter
• 190g flour
• 190g sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 25ml yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 100g shelled, chopped pistachios

Shell the pistachios and chop them roughly. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 170C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Using an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. 

In separate bowl sift togetehr the flour, baking powder and salt. Then add them to creamed mixture in two batches and mix on low speed until just incorporated. 

Add the yogurt, vanilla. Then stir in the pistachios by hand.

Spoon the batter into paper cases, 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes. When ready transfer to the wire rack to cool down completely.

While the cupcakes are still in the oven prepare the glaze.

Ingredients for glaze:

• 120 icing sugar
• 40g ground pistachios
• 2-3 tbsp water

Shell the pistachios, place them in the blender and blend them. You can use ground pistachios instead if available in your area. 

Put the icing sugar into a bowl add 2 table spoons of water and mix together. The mixture should be relatively thick. Stir in half of ground pistachios. If you think the mixture is too thick add additional spoon of water and stir well. 

Spoon the glaze over each cupcake top and sprinkle with remaining pistachios. Enjoy !

Pumpkin and pecan microwave muffins

If I didn't know I wouldn't guess that those muffins were baked in microwave. Only 4 minutes !(for 900-watt microwave oven). Those muffins were moist, reasonably sweet and crunchy. The recipe comes from 'The Australian Women's Weekly'.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

•  225g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 75g Dark Muscovado sugar
• 80 ml grape seed oil
• 2 eggs
• 200g pumpkin pure
• 60 ml thick cream
• 75g pecans

Place 6 silicone muffin cases on microwave plate.

Chop the pecans into small chunks.

Put the flour, spices and sugar into a big bowl and combine all ingredients together. Add half of chopped pecans, save the rest to sprinkle on the muffins.

To the bowl with dry ingredients add the oil, whisked eggs, pumpkin pure and cream and combine. 

Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cases, abut 3/4 full. Sprinkle with pecans. 

Cook one 6 muffins batch at the time, uncovered, on Medium - High (70%) about 4 minutes or until just cooked. Stand 1 minute before turning muffins onto wire rack. 

Repeat with remaining batter.

Pumpkin muffins with cranberries and black treacle

This recipe comes from Carol Pastor cookbook '75 best - ever muffins'. We liked them very much. They were very tasty, spicy, sweet, moist.  The cake was fluffy and a little bit crumbly. Adding pumpkin pure to the batter  is a good idea to introduce veggies into a children diet

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 115g soft butter or margarine
• 150g Dark Muscovado sugar
• 60ml black treacle
• 225g pumpkin pure*
• 1 egg
• 225g flour
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 15g dried cranberries

 * I have bought a pumpkin recently so I made my own pumpkin puree. There is a method. Cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces. Remove the seeds (set them aside) and cut off the skin. Place the pumpkin on baking tray one piece beside another and bake them in the oven for 45 minutes in 180C. Poke the pieces of pumpkin with fork to check if they are soft. Then place them into a blender and bled for pure. You can store them in a jars in a fridge for a few days or freeze. If you like the pumpkin seeds, wash them and place on the same baking tray, keep them in a warm oven (60C) until they become dry. Then remove the with shell and enjoy !

pumpkin puree

Coming back to muffins.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Into a big bowl put the butter and sugar. Beat them together until fluffy. Then add black treacle and beat until well incorporated. 

Next add the pumpkin pure and and whisked egg.

In separate bowl combine the flour, soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Fold them into wet ingredients mixture. And last, but not  least, gently fold in the cranberries.

Spoon the batter into baking cases, 3/4 full. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over the top of each muffin. Bake 12-15 minutes. When ready transfer to the wire rack to cool down. Enjoy !

 

Yogurt muffins with Californian prunes and walnuts

Tasty, chewy, filled with prune and walnut chunks muffins that is the best description of the muffins I baked lately. The recipe comes from 'New Italian Cuisine. Muffins'.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 150g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
•  1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 125g natural yogurt
• 50g dark Muscovado sugar
• 45 ml grape seed oil
• 60g walnuts
• 150g pitted prunes

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Chop the walnuts and set aside. Chop the prunes into smaller chunks and set aside.

In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt. Set aside.

Into a separate bowl break the egg, add the yogurt, sugar and oil. With an electric mixer beat all ingredients together until smooth and fluffy. Then add the dry ingredients mixture, chopped  walnuts and prunes and combine them together with a spoon. Do not over mix the batter.

Spoon the batter into paper cases, bake for 30 minutes. When ready transfer to the wire rack and cool them down. Enjoy !

Cashew nuts and pear muffins

Cashew nuts and pear muffins are very moist, not too sweet they taste a little bit like pancakes. Although they like pancakes they are more adults treat than children one. The recipe comes form 'New Italian cuisine. Muffins'.

Ingredients for 12-18 muffins*:

• 4 pears
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 150g flour
• 100g wholewheat flour
• 2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 100g cashew nuts
• 2 eggs
• 100g sugar
• 90ml oil
• 250ml milk
• icing sugar for dusting

* I baked 6 in standard size muffin cases and 6 in large ones (on the picture)

Peel and core the pears. Then slice them on small chunks. Place the pears into a bowl and stir in the lemon juice. Set aside.

Chop the cashew nuts.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with paper cases or grease them.

Place the flours in a bowl stir in the baking powder, salt and nuts.

In separate bowl, using electric mixer, beat together the eggs, sugar, oil and milk until sugar dissolves. Then add all dry ingredients and using spoon combine them with wet ones. At last, but not at least, fold in the pears with juice. 

Spoon the batter into muffin cases. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Then remove from oven, leave in the baking tin for a few minutes and transfer to the wire rack. 

Dust with icing sugar and enjoy.

Dark chocolate muffins with almonds and chilli

Those muffins have interested flavour. Those who love dark chocolate and not too sweet treats will really enjoy them. They are rich, chocolaty, not too sweet, filled with almonds' chunks and spiced with chili. The recipe comes form 'New Italian Cuisine. Muffins'

Ingredients for 12-18 muffins:

• 125g dark chocolate (I had one with 74% cocoa)
• 125g butter
• 150g flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa for baking
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• pinch of salt
• 125g blanched almonds + some to sprinkle
• 2 eggs
• 100g sugar
• 250ml milk

Chop the almonds into small chunks. If you don't have the blanched ones try to remove almond brown skin on your own. To do this place the almonds into a small bowl, pour over boiling water and leave them for a few minutes to soak. Then pour out the water. Take one almond place it between your fingers as if you want to pinch and press. The skin  should release  the almond. 

Set aside the chopped almonds. 

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Break the chocolate into small cubes add butter and place them in a small bowl. Melt them together in the microwave. Stir the melted chocolate and butter well.

In a big bowl combine together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, chili and salt.

Break the eggs into electric mixer bowl, add the sugar and milk. Beat on a medium speed until well combined. 

Then alternately sift the dry ingredients mixture and add melted  chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Beat until the batter is smooth and creamy. At last, but not at least, gently fold in the chopped almonds.

Spoon the batter into prepared earlier paper cases, about 3/4 full. Sprinkle each muffin top with leftover almonds. Bake for 20 minutes until well risen and spongy. When baked transfer to the wire rack to cool down. Enjoy warm or cooled. When cooled may be decorated with a whipped cream.

 

Lime syrup coconut muffins

Very tasty sponge cake with bits of dessicated coconut coated with sweet and sour lime syrup. The recipe comes from 'The Australian Women's Weekly'.

Ingredients for 12- 16 muffins:

• 375g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 90g dessicated coconut
• 220g caster sugar
• 1tsp freshly grated lime zest
• 250ml buttermilk
• 125g butter
• 2 eggs

Melt the butter into a saucepan over a heat or in microwave.  Set aside to cool down.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

In a big bowl combine the flour, baking powder, soda, coconut, sugar and freshly grated lime zest. Set aside.

In a measuring jug pour the buttermilk, whisk the egg, add the cooled butter and combine them together. 

 Pour the wet ingredients into a bowl with dry ones. Stir them together until just moist. 

Spoon the batter into baking tin holes. Fill them up to 3/4 full. 

Bake them for 20 minutes until well risen and golden.

While the muffins are in the oven prepare lime syrup.

Ingredients for lime syrup:

• 110g caster sugar
• 60ml water
• 2 tsp freshly grated lime zest
• 80ml freshly squeezed lime juice

Put all the ingredients into a saucepan. Stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Then simmer uncovered for about 2 minutes without stirring.

Place baked and warm muffins on the tray and spoon hot lime syrup over each muffin top. To soak the cake better make small holes with toothpick in each muffin.   Enjoy !