Pink Ribbon Day is being held on Monday 26 October, supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
One of the best ways I can think of supporting Pink Ribbon Day is to make and eat pink cupcakes!
I found some cupcake inspiration on Flickr – aren’t they beautiful?
I am the packet mix queen…yes, I can hear you gasping and fanning yourself. Packet mixes..the outrage! Was once even told (by a loon on AFW who has since been deleted) that you aren’t a real parent if you use packet mixes..pfft what a load of shit!
First we make the cupcakes. So for this, I used a Greens Vanilla cake mix. Mix the room temp egg and butter together, then milk..now you add the packet in. It does make a difference, so don’t be lazy and bung it all in at once! Then baked till..well, they are cooked..duh! Or, if you aren’t into packets, you could try out Rah’s perfect basic cupcake recipe.
Once they’re cool, cut little holes in the top for the Lemon curd. I just used some stuff from a jar (not the cheap stuff eww) but you could make your own I guess..if you were so inclined.
Then comes the fun! I wanted some of that spiffy soft and fluffy meringue, not that boring regular stuff. So I found myself a recipe for Italian Meringue at Gourtment Traveller. Took awhile to track down a candy thermometer.
So you will need..
)First, combine the sugar and 200ml water in a small pan and bring to the boil while continuously stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Then, Reduce heat to medium and brush down sides of pan with a clean, wet pastry brush to remove sugar crystals. And you’ve got your candy thermometer in there..right?
So you now cook until the syrup reaches 115c on your trusty thermometer, which takes about 15mins. Once you get there start whisking your egg whites with cream of tartar in a clean, grease-free bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Still cooking your sugar while your whisking away ( so you will need a stand mixer or a helper monkey) till your sugar reaches 121c.
Increase the speed to high and while it’s running, gradually pour syrup into meringue. Beat at medium speed until cooled to room temperature and meringue is thick and glossy (15-20 minutes).
You can pipe it or just spoon it on, which I preferred the rough look and you could fit more on.
The meringue is already cooked, but a little browning is nice. I stuck them under the grill for a bit. A blow torch would be ideal for a nice even brown.
Super nom-a-licious they were much better than those I have had else where!
Based in Melbourne, Narelle makes beautiful hand crafted silver jewellery.
She currently has this cute little cupcake charm on offer for just $20! What a bargain, but the best part is that 100% of sales for this piece are donated to the Lort Smith Animal Hospital Party for Strays campaign.
I have purchased mine already. Donation listings will close on the 19th of October, so hurry over and grab yourself one for a great cause. Be sure to check out her other great items while you’re there.
Are you looking for a cupcake recipe that’s easy to follow?
That will work every time?
That doesn’t need 3 separate bowls just to mix the batter? (a-la Crabapple Bakery recipes)
The perfect cupcake recipe?
You’ve come to the right place!
This is a recipe that I’ve been using for well over 4 years. For all the cupcake books I own (almost a whole row on our kitchen bookshelf!), I always find myself going back to this vanilla buttercake cupcake recipe. You throw all the ingredients in at once and it just works.
Technically, this is a recipe for patty cakes (anyone remember those??), so they’re slightly smaller than the now-popular “American-sized” cupcake.
Makes 24 “patty-cake” (slightly-smaller-than-average) sized cupcakes.
Based on this recipe, each cupcake contains 9.5g fat and 186 calories.
Cupcakes:
125g softened unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150g caster sugar (2/3 of a cup)
3 eggs (room temperature if possible)
225g self raising flour (1½ cups)
60ml milk (¼ of a cup)
Method:
Cupcake papers and my colour-coordinated decorations
Can’t we just eat the batter straight from the bowl?
Ready for the oven
Buttercream icing:
(Double this if you want to create funky swirls on your cupcakes)
125g softened unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
240g icing sugar or icing mixture (1½ cups)
2 tablespoons milk
Method:
Beat butter and extract in small bowl with electric mixer until as white as possible. Gradually beat in half the sifted icing sugar, milk, then the remaining icing sugar. Tint with food colouring, if desired.
Buttercream icing ready to be piped onto the cupcakes
I use a glass to make it easier to get the
icing into my disposable piping bag
VOILA! I piped the icing using the Wilton 1M swirl piping tip
Cupcake Camp is coming to Sydney!
A Cupcake camp is basically just a get together..with cupcakes! Sydney Cupcake camp will also be rasing funds for RSPCA Cupcake Day
Friday 28 August, 2009
5:30pm -7:30pm
CBS Interactive Sydney
Level 12,
50 Goulburn Street,
Sydney
Check out the invite for more details and to register!
Monthly desktop wallpapers have become quite popular of late. I love changing my wallpaper every month, and some of my favourites lately have been from the amazingly talented Definatalie.
This month she has out done herself again, I think they are the best yet! I just love the colours, and the nifty little spots for neatly sorting your desktop icons.
The wallpaper comes in a range of sizes, along with a matching wallpaper for your iPhone. Visit Definatalie to grab yours!
