Cardiff based food blog
Today’s National Cupcake Week post is a guest post from Debra of Love, Peace and Cupcake. Deb was selected to provide cupcakes for fashion week. Her cakes are delicious and you can read my previous review here.
Over to Debs…
A successful and exciting London Fashion Week came to an end on Tuesday and Welsh designer Jayne Pierson helped the conclusion by launching her new Spring/Summer 2013 collection, Brave.
In the planning stages of the launch Love Peace and Cupcake were approached by Jayne herself to provide bespoke cupcakes for the VIP goodie bags on the day. We thought it was fabulous to be asked to bake for such a momentous event and were keen to create unique individual cupcakes that would reflect the collection!
Jayne and her team provided verbal and visual clues to the collections projected look by sending snapshots of their research. They described the types of fabric and blends that were being considered. This was hugely exciting as we got a sneaky peek at the innermost secrets behind the new launch!
We took several aspects of the designs and planned a creation of black, white and royal blue. A bespoke cupcake with texture and visual sharpness fit for a style showcase.
Armed with our trusty Nikon D5000 we got started and recorded our journey from batter to bright lights!
Exclusive invitation to the show
The batter.
In the beginning 🙂
On the train
Arrival at Paddington
A cupcake nap
Quick tour of the sights
The wonderful Somerset House on the busy Strand
Modelling Jayne Piersons new collection
The goodie bag contents…oooo look there we are!
They disappeared faster than a blink!
Thanks to Debs and congratulations!
With the cupcake craze still going strong, cupcake classes are making their entrance into the market and are proving popular not only with people wanting to learn how to do it themselves but as a social event. Groups of friends are getting together and it is becoming a popular activity for Hen-do’s.
As part of my cupcake week feature, Sara from The Happy Cupcake Kitchen very kindly ran a cupcake decorating class for me and two friends in her beautiful kitchen.
I do bake quite often but the decoration part is my downfall. I’m not patient enough or skilled enough and I get cross when I can’t do something immediately and perfectly so I tend to avoid cupcakes in my repertoire and just admire the ones that other people make. However, I was excited to give this a try.
Sara was friendly and welcoming making us cups of tea and passing around macaroons. She chatted confidently and made us feel very at home. Before we went along to the class, I was asked to pick a theme for the cakes from a long list or to come up with my own. I chose ‘retro’ and Sara had already created some retro style cupcakes for us to start decorating. The cakes were a multicoloured sponge so Sara started the class by showing us how to make them using batters died different colours.
We worked at Sara’s kitchen table where individual stations were laid out for us with all the equipment we would need for the day. There were also ample supplies of colouring paste and ready-made butter icing and fondant icing.
We got to work dying our icing, starting with the butter icing and Sara showed us how to pipe, resulting in some quirky multi coloured designs as we mixed the colours together in the piping bag.
Moving on, we set to work dying the fondant icing for the next set of cakes. Sara encouraged us to try to think about how the box of cakes would look as a whole. I never thought about this but I’m glad she pointed it out because they looked really nice in the box and if I’d just been let loose to use all manner of colours and styles it just wouldn’t have worked.
Sara showed us how to cover our cakes in fondant icing. This is more tricky than it looks if you want to get it smooth and finger print free!
Once we’d covered the cakes, we were introduced to a range of cutters, ways to imprint patterns and letters and pens with edible ink. After some demonstrations from Sara we were free to make up our own designs. Some things were easier than others but it was a lot of fun playing around with different ideas.
When I bake I’m usually alone but I had such a good time doing it with friends and chatting and laughing as we decorated. I can see that with a bottle of wine for a hen-do or a birthday party it would be brilliant. Sara was a great teacher and she just seemed like one of the group (albeit a more talented member of the group when it came to cake).
I didn’t think I’d learn a lot from a cupcake decorating class but I did and even if you think of yourself as pretty knowledgable, it’s still great fun. I’d love to do this again and I highly recommend it for a group of friends. My cakes didn’t turn out too bad either!
A class like this is £48 and you get to decorate 12 cakes which you take away with you. It icludes the use of all equipment and ingredients and we had 4 hours worth of tuition. Cupcake parties are £20 per person and you get 4 cakes to decorate and take away. Sara also does children’s parties at £16 per person.
You can find out more on The Happy Cupcake Kitchen website.
Thanks to Sara for having us.
The second tutorial of the week is from Rachel Ellis of Oh Sugar Cake Company.
I’ve just looked back at my guest blog from Cupcake Week 2011 and this was my opening sentence –
‘I love baking, I love decorating cakes and I love sharing my cakes with anyone who’s happy to be called a taste tester. Cupcakes are perfect for all of these things….’
Nothing has changed, in that sense, since last time I wrote. There is still something lovely about baking, decorating and sharing these little cakes and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of them! I’ve also come to love the giant cupcake and it really is a great way to get started with decorating large cakes.
For anyone new to cake decorating it can be daunting, as there is so much equipment available -cutters, smoothers, tools, non-stick boards, tins…the list goes on and on. It also takes lots of practise to create the perfect finish. The giant cupcake doesn’t need much equipment and is a great way to create a professional looking party cake!
To create this cake you will need the following equipment –
Giant Cupcake tin
Rolling Pin
Cake board or drum
Alphabet set (optional)
Giant cupcake tins or silicone moulds are hugely popular which means there are bargains to be had, treat it as an investment as I’m confident you’ll use it again and again. To make the cake I used a vanilla sponge recipe.
Cake
250g Unsalted Butter
250g Caster Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Paste
5 Eggs
250g Self-Raising Flour
75g Plain Flour
4 tablespoons Milk
Method
Buttercream
175g Unsalted butter (softened)
350g Icing Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Paste
Method
To Decorate
Buttercream
Jam
500g Sugarpaste
Gel Colour
20g Flowerpaste (optional)
Method
Roll out icing, cut to size and roll up.
This cake is very forgiving and can be decorated simply if you are new to decorating. I am happy to answer any questions and can be contacted at enquiries@ohsugarcakecompany.com
I have happy memories of baking with my Mum when I was little. On the kitchen stall so I could reach the counter in my little apron, waiting eagerly to lick out the bowl. When I have children, I am really excited about teaching them to cook and these cakes are exactly what I can imagine baking.
Jayne from Teisen Deg baked these with her daughter during the wet and windy summer holidays and has been kind enough to share her recipe.
Use your imagination to create animal faces that can be represented in buttercream, chocolate buttons, sprinkles and sweets. Jayne made a monkey, bear and pig, but the choice is yours. Happy baking…
ANIMAL FACE CUPCAKES
For the buttercream:
Chocolate
125 g butter, softened
250 g icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp milk
30 g melted chocolate
Strawberry
100 g softened butter
125 g sachet strawberry icing sugar
1 tbsp warm water
1 drop red food colouring
To decorate
Marshmallows
Jelly beans
Assorted chocolate buttons
Chocolate sprinkles
Candy laces
Liquorice
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F) Gas mark 4.
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the side of the mixing bowl from time to time. Add the vanilla.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and add to the mixture in alternate batches with the buttermilk. Mix until smooth and divide between the cupcake cases, filling two-thirds full.
Bake on the middle shelf for 20 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the buttercream, beat the butter until soft and gradually cream in the sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the other ingredients and mix well to give a firm spreading consistency.
Cover the cakes with buttercream, spreading smoothly with a palette knife. Use marshmallows in assorted sizes to make noses and snouts. Cover these with buttercream to match the rest of the face and push into place. Use marshmallows or individually stacked chocolate buttons for ears and stick in place with a dab of buttercream.
Use halved jelly beans for nostrils or large eyes, and strips of liquorice or candy laces for mouths.
Teisen Deg make all kinds of delicious cakes. Have a look at my previous review and take a look at the website for further details.
As part of cupcake week, I thought it would be interesting to interview the passionate cake baking supreme that is Melanie Constantinou, the lady behind Baked By Mel.
I first met Mel when we got together for tea so I could review some of her cakes and I found her passion and excitement for baking inspiring. So, a few weeks ago, we met for yet more tea and cake and this time I took my pad and pen. Here’s what she had to say.
How long have you been baking?
Along time for fun but a year ago last February, I went self-employed and started Baked By Mel.
What made you set up your cake business?
I have two young children and I wanted to work around them to avoid all the issues with childcare. I knew it had to be home based and I love cake! There are cakes everywhere at the moment and I was aware of the revival of grow your own and make your own so it seemed like a perfect fit.
What sparked your interest in baking?
My Mum is very enthusiastic about food. My Dad is Greek so the food we ate when I was young was really interesting and unusual. We’d have things like stuffed vine leaves, macaroni pie, all made from scratch. My Greek Nan used to make yogurt in the bathroom so I learnt a lot.
Food is really important in my background. My Grandad owned a butchers on Brick Lane in London and my Mum ran a small fruit and veg stall next door. When she met my Dad who is Greek, his Mum taught my Mum how to cook. My parents now run two cafes in Southend so food has always been an important part of my life.
What sets your cakes apart from others?
I’ve been wondering this. Apparently they look polished! They are simple but I like things to be symmetrical and made with care. I genuinely love my cakes! They look so lovely when I look through the oven door and see them all cooking together and when I ice them I get all excited! When I deliver them to people and they are pleased it’s so exciting and I get a really warm buzz, it’s great!
Call me strange but I think that love and passion can get into food. When I see my boys eating something I’ve made I get all maternal. I feel like I’m doing my job properly.
So I guess what I’m saying is, what sets my cakes apart is ‘me’. That’s how I feel anyway. I am the biggest secret ingredient! All my love and passion goes into everything I bake and I think that’s important. Oh, that and music. I always play music while I’m baking, it’s good for the cakes!
What is your greatest creation?
Last Christmas, I asked my partner what he wanted for desert on Christmas day. I thought he’d say cheesecake but no, he wanted Dutch apple pie, just like his Mum makes. Well this worried me, I would have to compete with fond memories!
I looked at some recipes and I needed a variety of apple that I couldn’t get over here so I used Granny Smith’s and the pastry was just so rich, I had no idea how I would roll it. I had a new oven that I had never used before so I wasn’t used to the settings but it turned out to be absolutely gorgeous!
The fluted edges were perfect, the apples were shiny with a brandy glaze, it looked like it should be in the window of a French Patisserie. He was delighted that I had cooked it for him and he even said it was better than his Mother’s but don’t tell her!
Where do you get your inspiration?
I look at a lot of recipes but I also base my cakes on flavours that inspire me. I might see an ingredient I like, like some nice fresh strawberries, then I think about what flavours might go with them. I look at turning large cakes into cupcakes and I like to experiment using flavours from cocktails. I’ll think of something and wonder how I’ll get it in a cake. For example, Pina Colada. I’d soak pineapple in the cake mix and I’d add coconut milk to the frosting.
Often I’ll see something like a cake wrapper or a gorgeous plate and think of flavours that would suit them. This often leads onto a whole range of things. A beautiful vintage plate might make me think of Earl Grey as a cake flavour which leads me to think of more tea related cakes I could create.
Aside from baking, what else do you like to cook?
I love baking! I love making soda bread but that’s still baking. Soup! I love making soup! It’s straight forward, nutritious and rewarding. I would NEVER have soup from a can. Once you have the basics I think it’s impossible to go wrong.
What is the best meal you’ve had recently?
It was at the Purple Poppadom in Cardiff. I had mussels to start in a coconut sauce with different naan breads. I love dipping bread in food, it reminds me of my time living in Sinai.
If you could only have one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
….long pause. This is so hard! Hmmmm, it would have to be my Dad’s kebabs. They are so good! I have never tasted anything like it. He cooks it on real charcoal and infuses the meat for hours. It has to come with pitta and salad. Perfect!
Mel’s creations
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It was a pleasure to interview Mel. I totally agree, love and passion can get into food and you will definitely find them in Mel’s cakes. Have a look at her website to see what she can do.
It’s Cupcake Week 2012! To celebrate there will be a cupcake related post every day this week, starting with a tutorial from the very talented Natalie from Yes Please Louise.
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Being a huge foodie myself I love reading Nikki @ Your Last Mouthful’s blog and reviews and jumped at the chance to take part in her National Cupcake week special!
In this tutorial I will show you how to make these gorgeous fondant icing covered cupcakes…
Covering cupcakes with fondant icing is a great, elegant and neat way to cover your cupcakes.
It makes wedding cupcakes look that little bit more special, unique and a lot easier to create than you may think!
I learnt how to decorate cupcakes by watching YouTube Video’s, reading lots of books and searching for online tutorials!
After trying lots of different methods I believe this is the easiest.
As they say ”practice makes perfect”!
This is my first tutorial and had so much fun doing it… I really hope it helps you create some gorgeous cupcakes!
Many Thanks to Eleanor for the lovely photo’s and capturing all the steps beautifully! Please also check out her lovely work at www.eleanorjane.co.uk and www.eleanorjaneweddings.co.uk or www.facebook.com/Ffotogirl
Here goes….
How to Cover Cupcakes with Fondant Icing
Step 1
Add a generous mountain of buttercream to the middle of the cupcake, leaving a small gap around the edge from the cupcake case.
I always make my buttercream with a little extra icing sugar and added milk or water, so its nice and thick and holds it’s shape better.
Step 2
Dust your surface with a little icing sugar if you don’t have a non-stick board. Roll out your icing to around a 1/4 inch thickness.
Using a circular cutter (I use a 7cm circle cutter for a large muffin case cupcake) cut out your circle.
Step 3
Place your circle of fondant icing on top of the buttercream centrally.
Step 4
With your fingers smooth/stretch the icing down to the edges of the cupcake case (do not over lap the case) slowly and gently making sure not to tear the fondant icing. Try not to put too much pressure on the top of the cupcake as the buttercream may squish out of the sides! Make sure there are no gaps all around the edge of the cupcake.
Step 5
Smooth all over the fondant icing with the palm of your hand to make a neat even dome shape.
Now you are ready to decorate!
How to Make Fondant Icing Bows
Step 1
Roll out your fondant icing and cut a thick strip and thin strip.
The thick strip will be your bow so have the bow size you would like in mind when cutting.
Step 2
With the Thick strip of icing fold the edges into the middle and press the middle down so they stick together.
Step 3
Pinch the centre of the folded fondant icing to make a bow shape.
Step 4
With the thin part of the icing wrap it around the middle hiding the join and pinch the edges to stick. Turn over so the joins are hidden.
Step 5
Add another strip of icing to your cupcake if desired and place the bow on top. To secure the icing you can brush a tiny bit of water to the icing first to make it sticky.
How to Make a Petal Paste Ruffle Flower
You can get Petal Paste from any cake supply shop, it is different to fondant icing as it dries hard. So remember to work quickly with it and wrap any you are not using tightly in cling film to stop it drying out!
Step 1
Start by rolling balls with your Petal Paste icing. These will be the centre of your flowers. Put them aside.
Step 2
Roll out your petal paste and cut out four different size circles. I’m using a 6/5/4.5/3.5 cm circle cutters.
Step 3
Put your circles onto a foam pad and thin out/frill the edges with a ball tool. (if you don’t have a foam pad or ball tool you can use a surface dusted in icing sugar and roll the end of a cocktail stick around the edge of the circle for a similar effect)
Step 4
Place the ruffled circles on top of each other (largest on bottom/smallest on top). Use a tiny brush of water on each layer to stick them together.
Step 5
Use your ball tool to push the middle together (gently! don’t push the ball tool straight through!).
Place one of your petal paste balls into the centre of the flower and allow to dry for an hour or so until it holds it’s shape.
Step 6
Then place your flower onto of your already covered cupcake. Again attach with a tiny bit of water if necessary.
How to Make Small Petal Paste Flowers
Step 1
Roll out your petal paste and cut out your small flowers with your choice of cutters.
Step 2
Place your flowers onto a foam pad and gently thin/frill them with a ball tool.
Step 3
Put the flowers onto a curved foam drying pad (this will make the petals dry curved not flat) you can find these at most packaging suppliers (you could also use an empty egg box). Mix and match your flowers as desired and add middles if you like! Leave to dry.
Step 4
Decorate your cupcake with the flowers. Using a tiny brush of water to stick them if necessary.
I really hope this has inspired you to give this a go…. Please feel free to post a picture of your creations on my facebook page, I would love to see them!
If you have any questions or need any help in creating these cupcakes from my tutorial please don’t hesitate to contact me. You can contact me via my website and Facebook or Twitter @yespleaselouise. Make sure you ‘like’ and ‘follow’ me to see my creations and get updates on tutorials and offers in future!
Natalie 🙂
Monday 17th September until Sunday 23rd September is National Cupcake Week! To celebrate Emma Jane’s Cupcake Kitchen have gone all out with a Willy Wonka inspired ‘Emma Jane and the Cupcake Factory’ theme. To get the week off to a good start, they will be open on the Monday 10am – 6pm as well as their usual opening hours. There will be free samples and all flavours will be the Cupcake of the day (Only £1.50 each!)
Don’t miss the amazing Wonka window display complete with chocolate butter cream river and cupcake tree, it really is worth a look! Emma Jane has also created 4 NEW Flavours, Everlasting Gobstopper, Blueberry, Fizzy lifting Cola and Fudge Mallow delight.
Everlasting Gobstopper is a blue bubblegum flavoured sponge and pink bubblegum frosting topped with a mini gobstopper! (Not suitable for small children)
Blueberry is a delicious sponge full of fresh blueberries and blueberry frosting topped with real blueberries
Fizzy lifting Cola is a cola flavoured cupcake, both sponge and frosting, and is decorated with popping candy and fizzy cola bottle
Fudge Mallow delight is a fudge and marshmallow sponge and marshmallow frosting topped with fudge pieces, a marshmallow and fudge sauce!
Best of all, there will be a Golden Ticket Raffle each day. Every customer that makes a purchase will be given a raffle ticket and entered into our free prize draw. The draw will be held every evening and the lucky winner will get a Box of 6 cupcakes!
To celebrate cupcake week 2012, I am going to create a cupcake gallery of beautiful handmade cupcakes. Whether you are a professional baker or a keen amateur, whatever your age or your style, I need pictures of your cakes.
All you need to do is send me your photo, your name, the name of your cake and a link to your website or social media page if you have one to be included.
I will feature all of the cakes in the gallery and then I will shortlist the best and put it to you to vote for Your Last Mouthful’s Most Beautiful Cupcake 2012.
You have until the Friday 21st September to send me your cakes. Please email them to me at nikki@yourlastmouthful.com
Get decorating!
It’s almost cupcake week 2012!
Last year, my week long feature on cupcake week 2011 was my most popular search ever so this year I will be doing it again. Expect reviews, recipes, tutorials, guest posts and cakey interviews.
Cupcake week starts on 17th September so get involved and get baking. I’d love to see the cakes you make and will post them all on the blog if you send me photos.
Your Last Mouthful 