Raspberry and cava cupcakes

         It's been a couple of weeks since I've seen raspberries at the super-market and...damnnn they look delicious! It's impossible to resist :D

The raspberries that I used in my cupcakes

        Just yesterday my husband and I went to do some groceries shopping and he tells me to buy  strawberries and raspberries as much as possible. And I did! Lots of kilos of strawberries and raspberries.
It's like last year once again, except one thing, my prego belly. I was in love with all berries on this planet and...watermelon ( I also have a cupcake recipe for it too).

So, instantly I knew that I have to make this recipe that I have seen with cava and raspberries.

Although I like the result, I'm not a big fan of this recipe dough. I love that you have to use butter, but the dough is more like... bread. And because you have to use baking power the cupcakes grow too much, as you'll see in my pictures. You have to cut the excess in order to have good looking cupcakes, but don't throw it away. Put it aside and eat it later ;) 
Best will be to fill the tints less than 2/3, if you use the same amount of baking powder as in the recipe, or use only half of it.
I have one suggestion if you are a big fan of raspberries, you can put 100 g in the dough.

The most interesting part of the cupcake it's a puree that goes inside and the frosting, with raspberry liqueur. Niceee, right? And this makes you forget about the simple ''bread'' dough.


The best part was that I haven't used any food coloring for the frosting, as needed  for the recipe, just some juice left from the puree. And I love the result! All natural color!

Ingredients:

•  115g butter
•  220g sugar 
•  250g flour
•  1.5 teaspoons baking powder
•  80 ml ​​of milk
•  40 ml of cava/ good white wine
•  2 eggs

For the filling:

• 200g of raspberries
•  4 tablespoons sugar

For the buttercream:

• 250 g butter at room temperature
• 300 g icing sugar
• 4 tablespoons good cava/ good white wine
• 1 teaspoon raspberry liqueur

Preheat the oven to 180 º.

Prepare the cupcake pan with 12 capsules.

Beat the butter and sugar until blended and mixture is clear.

Add the eggs and beat until all is incorporated. Sift the flour with the baking powder.

Add half the flour mixture and beat at low speed until incorporated. Then add the milk while beating on low speed.

Add the other half of the flour and finally the cava.

Split the mixture into capsules, without filling more than 2/3.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let them cool in pan for 5 minutes and then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack until completely cool.

This is how my cupcakes looked after I took them out of the oven

 To fill the cupcakes, prepare a raspberry puree. Put the raspberries in a small pan with 4 tablespoons of sugar at low heat for 5-6 minutes. Then let it cool for 10 minutes and fill the cupcakes with it by making a hole in the middle. Add the filling with a teaspoon.

The raspberries with the sugar on the pan

The cupcakes filled with puree

How the puree looks inside the cupcake

To prepare the buttercream, sift the icing sugar and put it in a bowl along with the butter, cava and liqueur. Beat all ingredients at low speed first and then at maximum speed for about 5 minutes. You can dye with pink.

Hope you enjoy my photos!

Photos by Emi Costache

Hummingbird cupcakes

        So I decided to try this recipe after I've seen it a  few times on internet. It really caught my eye and I guess it's obvious why :D

I have always seen this cupcakes decorated with this beautiful and interesting dried flower on top,  made out of ... pineapple. Yes, pineapple :) So I said "Hmm.. let's give it a try" 

At first it looks easy to make, but you'll discover lots of tricks that you have to do in order to have a great result. But more on this topic I will write later.

Let's return to our delicious cupcakes. The design wasn't the only thing that I loved about them. You'll see that the recipe has a lot of great things in it, fruits and nuts, and you can't really fail with it . I can guarantee you that! So easy to make. All you have to do is to follow all the steps.

Below you find the recipe I found, but I'll suggest one thing. I find the amount of  sugar too high. Really! You already have the fruits that are very sweet. What I recommend is to add just half of it. 
BUT if ''Very sweet'' is your middle name,  I'll say to go for it!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups/ 240g all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 to 3 large mashed bananas
• 2/3 cup/ 150g  chopped pineapple (fresh or canned)
• 2/3 cup/ 100g chopped walnuts or pecans
• 2/3 cup/ 100g shredded coconut
• 1 &1/3 cups/ 260g sugar
• 11 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

Frosting:

• 7 ounces/ 200g  cream cheese
• ½ cup/ 55g butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup/ 200g powdered sugar
• optional 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 180 degrees C.

Line the cupcake tins with paper liners and set aside. I used the white ones.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and set aside. In another bowl, stir together the banana, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut and set aside.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the banana mixture to the egg mixture, beating until combined. Stir in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula.

Fill each cupcake tin three-quarters. Bake until the cupcakes turn gold and test them with a toothpick until it comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

This is how my cupcakes looked before putting them in the oven 

And after :)

The cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.

Frosting

Using the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and mix to incorporate. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar, until it has all been incorporated. I added an extra 3 tablespoons of heavy cream.

After the cupcakes cooled down, I decorated them with frosting and the dried pineapples.

Photos by Emi Costache

Buttercream frosting recipe

                         

      This post is about one of the frostings that I use to decorate my cupcakes.

All I can say is that the combination between any kind of cupcakes you make and this frosting is CUPCAKELICIOUSSS!

      I just love the taste of butter in food! It makes it so much better ;)

      This frosting is called American Buttercream Frosting and I found the recipe on internet with the following directions and ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup / 225g salted butter 
• 2 cups/ 250g  powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream, half and half or milk

Directions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter (on medium speed) until completely smooth (30 seconds to a minute).
Add one cup of powdered sugar.
Add vanilla, or other flavorings and beat to combine.
Add about 1 tablespoon of cream and continue beating.
Add the remaining cup of powdered sugar.
Add an additional 1-2 tablespoons cream until desired consistency is reached. If you want to pipe the frosting on cupcakes, the frosting should be nice and thick. Continue to beat another minute or so. The frosting should now be smooth and fluffy.


Troubleshooting
* If your frosting is not smooth, it is likely because the butter was not fully smooth before adding the other ingredients.
* If your frosting will not hold up when piped on cupcakes, your frosting has too much liquid or is too warm. Put entire bowl of frosting in the fridge for 15-20 minutes and it will stiffen up. If it is still too thin, then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar, beat well.

I have one suggestion before you start making this frosting. I find the quantity of powdered sugar a little bit too much. I have only used half of it. But if you think that it's still needed, you can always add some more.

To color my frosting I have used purple powder from Crazy Colors.

Here is how I decorated some of my cupcakes.

Simple vanilla cupcakes

       Iata si prima reteta de cupcake! :)

       M-am hotarat ca pentru inceput sa postez o reteta simpla de cupcake cu gust de vanilie, reteta pe care eu o folosesc de cele mai multe ori. 

       Ce imi place cel mai mult la aceste cupcakes, este faptul ca le poti savura la o ceasca de ceai aromat sau  le poti manca dimineata, la micul dejun, cu un pahar de lapte.

       Un alt lucru care imi place la acesta reteta este faptul ca le poti consuma simple, doar cu putin zahar vanilat presarat deasupra, imediat dupa ce au fost scoase din cuptor, sau le poti decora cu o delicioasa crema de unt ( buttercream frosting) sau crema de branza ( cream cheese frosting) cu gust de vanilie.

        Ingrediente pentru 18 cupcakes:

• 6 oua mari
• 120g zahar
• 6 linguri ulei
• 220g faina alba
• esenta de vanilie
• un praf de sare
• zahar praf vanilat pentru decor

Incepem prin a separa albusurile de galbenusuri. 

Albusurile le punem in robotul de bucatarie  sau le amestecam cu mixerul pana devin spuma. Adaugam treptat zaharul.

Galbenusurile  le punem intr-un bol mic cu un praf de sare. Incepem prin a le amesteca cu o lingura si adaugam treptat cele 6 linguri de ulei.

 Continuam prin a adauga amestecul de galbenusuri peste spuma formata din albusuri cu zahar. Se amesteca tot cu mixerul sau in robot. 

 Cam asa arata amestecul meu.

Amestecul obtinut eu l-am transferat din robot intr-un bol mare si am inceput sa adaug faina treptat, amestecand usor cu o spatula. La final am adaugat esenta de vanilie.

Am umplut formele de silicon, dupa cum observati in poza de mai jos.

Bineinteles,  puteti folosi si tavile pentru cupcakes, in care sa adaugati mai intai hartia speciala de copt.

Eu am umplut ceva mai mult formele cu aluat, pentru ca vroiam sa le consum simple si imi doream sa iasa ceva mai crescute. Insa daca doriti sa folositi o crema deasupra, atunci sugerez sa puneti mai putina compozitie.

Se introduc in cuptorul preincalzit la 180 grade pentru 15 minute. Procesul de coacere difera in functie de fiecare cuptor, asa ca trebuie monitorizate tot timpul si le incercam cu o scobitoare din momentul in care incep sa devina aurii.

Este foarte important ca dupa ce s-au copt si le-ati scos din cuptor , sa le lasati sa se raceasca in formele initiale.

Asa aratau cupcakes-urile mele dupa ce le-am scos din cuptor.

 Le-am presarat putin zahar praf deasupra si le-am lasat sa se raceasca, dupa care le-am scos din formele de silicon si le-am transferat in hartie speciala frumos colorat. 

Cam asa arata produsul final! :)

I love cupcakes!

       Daca exista ceva pe lumea asta care ma bucura la superlativ , din domeniul bucataritului, atunci acest lucru este crearea acelor mici minunatii denumite “cupcakes”. Acestea  au aparut la inceputul secolului al 19-lea in Statele Unite ale Americii, unde gospodinele le coceau in cescute. De aici si denumirea de ‘’cupcake’’.


       Pentru mine, atunci cand fac cupcakes, este ca si cum as crea o bijuterie. Este foarte important sa fie frumos ornata, dar si gustoasa in acelasi timp.  Imaginatia este foarta importanta, dar si celelalte aspecte fac din micutul tort  un adevarat cupcake: textura, un blat pufos fara sa fie uscat,  aromele naturale si de buna calitate, glazura viu colorata si potrivit de dulce fara sa ne facem probleme pentru silueta daca mancam 2…3…cupcakes.

      Micul meu proiect este de a aduna cat mai multe si cat mai variate retete de cupcakes. Va voi prezenta reteta pas cu pas, in scris cat si prin poze, iar la sfarsit  gradiosul rezultat.

     Va doresc spor la ‘’cupcake-uit’’ si lasati frau  liber imaginatiei! ;)