Iron Cupcake - Vote

Iron Cupcake voting has begun - you can vote here (if you want to of course).

Iron Cupcake - Keep It Simple Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes

It is Iron Cupcake time again and this month the not-so-secret ingredient was apple. As soon as the ingredient was announced I started to rack my brain - toffee apples, apple pie, baked apples, apple crumble - arrrghh! What to do? I finally decided that you just can't mess with the apple and cinnamon combination, I know it isn't very inventive but it is darn tasty!

Apple cinnamon cake topped with cream cheese buttercream and dusted with ground cinnamon

Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes (from Confetti Cakes for Kids by Elisa Strauss)
Makes 24 cupcakes

3 3/4 cups plain flour
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup unsalted butter
3 cups packed brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup apple sauce
2 apples, peeled and chopped finely

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line 2 12-hole muffin trays with cupcake papers.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cloves. Set aside.
   
3. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping after each addition.
4. Alternately add the flour mixture and the apple sauce to the butter mixture in three batches, starting with the flour. Scrape down the bowl after each addition and beat until thoroughly combined.
5. Add the apples and stir them in just until they are incorporated.
6. Divide the batter among the cupcake papers and bake for 20-25 minutes.
   

Cream Cheese Buttercream

60g butter, softened

160g cream cheese, softened

3 cups icing sugar (approximately)

1. Beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually beat in sifted icing sugar until you reach the consistency you want.
   
3. Spread over cooled cupcakes and then top with a dusting of ground cinnamon.
   

Look at those yummy chunks of apple...


All lined up ready to be packed up in the cupcake courier...


Well this one didn't make it to the courier :P


Our Generous IronCupcake:Earth Prize Providers:

• The Demy™ by Key Ingredient
• Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
• Bella Cupcake Couture
• Cupcake Stackers by Gourmac
• The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrne
• Beautiful Baking Liners by Vestli House
• Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Bakery & Cupcakey Supply

Iron Cupcake voting is open!

Voting for Iron Cupcake is open, so if you feel so inclined please pop over to the Iron Cupcake blog and cast your vote.

Thanks guys!

If you like pina coladas...

Pineapple cake topped with Pina Colada buttercream and shredded coconut

Have you heard that Iron Cupcake is back? Another reason to bake some cupcake delights! To kickstart the second year of Iron Cupcake we have an interesting challenge - the theme this time was music. So of course I started to rack my brain for cupcake worthy songs, and I came up with... If You Like Pina Coladas!

So if you in fact do like Pina Coladas may I suggest that you try out these cupcakes, especially the buttercream (drool).

Pineapple Cupcakes (adapted from Planet Cake)
Makes 12

175g unsalted butter, softened
160g caster sugar
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 eggs
160g self-raising flour
100g plain flour
200ml milk
440g tin of crushed pineapple, well drained (reserve the juice for the buttercream)
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
1/3 cup honey
50g unsalted butter, extra

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line 2 12-hole muffin trays with paper cases.
2. Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and a pinch of salt until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift the flours together. Using a wooden spoon, fold the flour and milk alternately into the creamed mixture.
4. Spoon mixture into the paper cases. Top each cupcake with crushed pineapple and a sprinkle of coconut.
   
5. Beat the extra butter with the honey until creamy. Spoon some of the honey mixture over each cupcake - not too much!
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Leave in tray for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool.

Pina Colada Buttercream

160g cream cheese, softened
60g unsalted butter, softened
500g icing sugar, sifted
2 tsp coconut essence
2 tsp pineapple juice

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter until creamy.
   
2. Add the icing sugar, coconut essence and pineapple juice and beat until combined.
   

To assemble the cupcakes top each with a swirl of the buttercream, then flatten out the frosting and roll it in some shredded coconut. Decorate with a bendy straw and cocktail umbrella.


Our Generous IronCupcake:Earth Prize Providers:

• The Demy™ by Key Ingredient
• Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
• Bella Cupcake Couture
• Cupcake Stackers by Gourmac
• The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrne

And check out Iron Cupcake Earth - it really is a lot of fun!

Voting is open...

Please go to "No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner" and vote for me if you feel so inclined :)

Baking Mondays - ICE Entry: Soda Pop - Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

The magic ingredient in this month's Iron Cupcake Earth contest is soda pop or as we like to call it here in Australia - soft drink! My immediate thought was my favourite drink - a fire truck (lemonade and raspberry cordial)! So I made lemonade cupcakes with fresh raspberries in the middle of them then topped it with raspberry swiss meringue buttercream and then a dollop of lemon swiss meringue buttercream and a raspberry lolly. The result a very moist and tangy cupcake with a lovely sweet frosting. Here is one of the fire truck marvels:

The ratings?

Me - 7/10, loved the frosting combination - the lemon was awesome! The cake was very moist and extremely tangy - maybe a little too tangy.

Mat - 5/10, not a raspberry fan :P

And now the recipes...

Lemonade Raspberry Cupcakes
Makes 12

1/2 cup butter
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup lemonade
zest and juice of one lemon
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
24 fresh raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a 12 hole muffin tray with cupcake liners.
   
2. Beat butter until fluffy.
   
3. Add the sugar and lemon zest and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl in between additions.
5. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add to the butter mixture and stir until combined.
6. Add the lemonade and lemon juice, and mix to combine.
7. Scoop mix into cupcake liners to two-thirds full. Inserting 2 fresh raspberries in each cupcake.
   
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

4 egg whites
1 1/4 cups caster sugar
250g unsalted butter

1. Combine the egg whites and sugar into a heatproof bowl and whisk over a saucepan of simmering water until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is as hot as you can get it without the egg whites cooking.
2. With the whisk attachment on your mixer whisk the egg white and sugar mixture on high speed until a stiff meringue is formed and the mix has cooled down to room temperature.
3. Now put the paddle attachment on your mixer and with the mixer on a low speed add a tablespoon or two of butter at a time. Once all the butter is incorporated turn the mixer up to medium speed and mix until the mixture is light and fluffy again.
4. Divide the SMBC into two bowls.
5. To make the raspberry swiss meringue buttercream add raspberry jam and a little red food colouring until you get the desired colour and flavour. Mix on medium speed until you get a good piping texture.
   
6. To make the lemon swiss meringue buttercream add lemon juice and a little yellow food colouring until you get the descired colour and flavour. Mix on medium speed until you get a good piping texture.
   

And this month we are competing for the following prizes:

• A creation by FRUITFLYPIE, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=16748
• a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
• a sweet surprise from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery, http://www.acupcakery.com/
  
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

Voting will begin no later than Wednesday, April 29 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com and will be open through Monday, May 4 at 12 noon. But I will remind you of that later :).

Check out Iron Cupcake Earth at http://www.ironcupcakeearth.com to become a part of the excitement!!

Voting is open...

Voting is now open for Iron Cupcake Earth! If you feel so inclined please cast me a vote at http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com/ (see the poll on the right hand side).

Thanks guys!

Baking Mondays - Deluxe Hazelnut Cupcakes (ICE Entry)

This is my first ever entry into Iron Cupcake - and I have to say that it was a lot of fun! The theme this month was Nuts and Seeds. There were so many flavour options to choose from, caramel and pecan, macadamia and white chocolate, orange and poppyseed, peanut butter and jelly, the list goes on. I decided to settle on chocolate and hazelnut for my flavours and I have to say that is definitely a winning combination! These cupcakes turned out wonderfully - absolutely delicious! They are a moist hazelnut cake, filled with Nutella cream, topped with vanilla buttercream and crushed hazelnuts, then drizzled with dark chocolate ganache.

Here is one of the cupcakes:


A cross section of one of the cupcakes:


The recipes:

Hazelnut Cupcakes (taken from The Baker's Dozen Cookbook)
Made 29 cupcakes :)

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped (+1 cup extra for topping)
2 3/4 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bi-carb soda
1/2 tsp salt
226g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt, at room temperature

1. Preheat to 180 degrees celsius. Line 3 12 hole muffin trays.
   
2. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process 1/4 cup of the chopped hazelnuts with 1/4 cup flour until the hazelnuts are finely ground, almost a powder. Transfer to a medium bowl. Sift the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl and whisk to mix. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it is lighter in color, about 45 seconds. Add the granulated sugar in a steady stream, then stop the machine and scrape down the bowl. Return to medium speed and beat, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until the mixture is very light in color and texture, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Gradually, about a tablespoon at a time, beat in the eggs. Continue beating until the mixture is ivory-colored. The entire process of adding and beating the eggs should take 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla toward the end of mixing.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to low. In four additions, add the flour mixture, alternating with three additions of the yogurt. After each addition, scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup of the remaining hazelnuts. Spread the batter evenly between the cupcake liners.
6. Bake until the tops spring back when pressed lightly and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, around 15 minutes (but my oven is crazy so this may vary).
7. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes before removing from the muffin trays.

Nutella Cream
4 tbsp Nutella
300ml thickened cream

Whip Nutella and cream together until light and fluffy.

Vanilla Buttercream
250g butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp thickened cream

1. Beat butter until light and fluffy, add vanilla extract and beat to combine.
   
2. Add the icing sugar one cup at a time beating well with each addition.
   
3. Add the thickened cream and beat to combine.

Chocolate Ganache
250g dark chocolate, chopped
150ml thickened cream

1. Put dark chocolate in a bowl.
   
2. Bring the cream to the boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat as soon as boiling point is reached.
   
3. Pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk until chocolate melts.
4. Leave to cool slightly before using.

To put it all together cut a small cone out of the top of each cupcake, spoon in the nutella cream and replace the cone of cake. Pipe on the vanilla buttercream, top with some crushed hazelnuts and drizzle with chocolate ganache.

So the verdict?

Me - 9/10, these were yum, yum, yum! I think the only improvement would be to use a swiss meringue buttercream.
Mat - 10/10, these is his favourite cupcake so far!

Voting opens at http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com on March 29th - so please vote for me if you think the cupcakes look good!

The prizes for Iron Cupcake this month are:

• A Bunnycake Easter Plushie by DOGBONEART, http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21636297.
• A whimsical piece by CAKEASAURUS, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5729584.
  
• as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
• a collection of all new printed cupcake liners, 200 in all from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery, http://www.acupcakery.com/
  
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com . And as a special thank you, we would like to once again thank DIANAEVANS - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5599270 for her participation in the February challenge. An incorrect link was posted and we want to be sure that she gets the recognition she deserves. Thanks again Diana!