Banana Bread

I made this recipe without the chocolate and walnuts because my dad likes it plain to have before he goes to work. This recipe is from 'The Great British Book of Baking' cook book, it's on page 65. The banana bread always comes out moist and spongy. I mashed my bananas into pulp because I don't like big lumps of banana, but you can leave it as lumpy or smooth as you like.

Banana Bread Recipe

Makes One Medium Loaf

250 Grams Self-Raising Flour

Pinch of Salt

 150 Grams Caster Sugar

100 Grams Unsalted Butter, Melted and Cooled

2 Medium Free Range Eggs, Beaten

250 Grams Peeled Ripe Bananas, (about 3 medium bananas)

A 900 Gram Loaf Tin Greased with Butter

Optional

75 Grams Dark Chocolate, Chopped

100 Grams Walnut Pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 180'C/350'F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the melted, cooled butter and the beaten eggs.
4. Roughly mash the bananas with a fork and add to the bowl.
5. Add the chocolate and walnuts if using, then mix all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
6. Transfer the mixture to the loaf tin and spread it evenly using a spatula.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool fully before slicing.
9. Store in an air tight container.

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream

My dad asked me to bake him some cupcakes using coconut as he really likes it and this is what I came up with. Its a dark chocolate cupcake with morello cherry jam, topped with toasted coconut buttercream, toasted coconut shavings and a glacé cherry. I thought about making coconut cupcakes but whenever I had tried them before they were too dry, so by having the coconut in the buttercream it stays moist and keeps it flavour. The cupcake recipe is a Nigella recipe, I usually have successes with Nigella's recipes and love how indulgent she makes food, especially her cakes. I love my new cupcake stand, my parents bought me it for my birthday :).

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes 

125 grams unsalted butter (soft)

100 grams dark chocolate (broken into pieces)
300 grams Morello Cherry Jam
150 grams caster sugar
1pinch of salt
2 large eggs (beaten)
150 grams self-raising flour

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4.
2. Put the butter in a pan on medium heat to melt. When nearly completely melted, stir in the chocolate. Leave for a moment to begin softening, then take the pan off the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the butter and chocolate are smooth and melted. Now add the cherry jam, sugar, salt and eggs. Stir with a wooden spoon and when all is pretty well mixed stir in the flour.
3. Scrape and pour into the muffin papers in their tin and bake for 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before turning out.

Coconut Buttercream

(For best results use a hand mixer or free standing mixer. If you have neither of these, you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve a thick consistency for piping.)

110 grams butter

1/4 tsp of salt (if using unsalted butter)

250 grams icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

50 grams toasted coconut

2-3 tbsp whipping cream

Additional 50 grams toasted coconut for topping

12 glacé cherries (or one for each cupcake you managed to make)

1. In a bowl beat the butter until it is smooth, add the salt if you are using it. 
2. Add half of the icing sugar a quarter at a time, beating after each addition. 
3. Add vanilla and toasted coconut.
4. Add one tbsp of whipping cream and continue beating. 
5. Add remaining icing sugar a quarter at a time while beating. Add cream and beat until you achieve the consistency you want for piping.
6. Pipe onto the cupcakes however you would like or use a spatula to spread onto the cupcakes. Roll the buttercream in the left over toasted coconut for extra taste, decoration and texture. Place a glacé cherry on top to finish the cupcakes off. 

Honey Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream

This cupcake was inspired by a lovely honey cupcake recipe I saw on anncoo journal. I decided to swap the whipped cream topping with a honey buttercream because I knew my cupcakes wouldn't be eaten straight away, and I didn't want the whipped cream to spoil or melt. I will write the recipe down for you here, but if you would rather have the whipped cream frosting just follow the link to the anncoo journal I pasted earlier. My cupcakes have been topped with crushed Graham Crackers, because I had some left from my American cupcakes and I felt the slightly salty taste of the Graham Crackers would complement the honey in the cake and buttercream.

Honey Cupcakes

Makes 10

125 grams butter softened

110 grams caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp honey

2 eggs

185 grams plain flour (sieved with baking powder)

1 tsp baking powder

125 ml milk

1. Preheat oven to 170'C/325'F/Gas Mark 3.
2. Line a cupcake tin with 10 cases.
3. Beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and honey in a bowl until creamy.
4. Gradually add the eggs until combined.
5. Add the flour, baking powder and milk alternately and beat until combined.
6. Fill cases 3/4 of the way full.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until slightly brown on top and springy to the touch.

Honey Buttercream

115 grams unsalted butter

60 grams honey

280 grams icing sugar

2 tbsp milk

1. Cream the butter and honey together in a large bowl until it is light and fluffy.
2. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until creamy. 
3. Gradually add remaining sugar slowly while beating, until the buttercream is think.
4. Use the milk to thin out the buttercream if necessary. 
5. I decorated my cupcakes with crushed Graham Crackers to complement the honey flavour.

Oreo Cupcakes

The Oreo cupcake is the final cupcake to go with the other five American flavours inspired cupcakes I am making for my boyfriend's birthday. The Oreo cupcake will go with a Pecan Pie cupcake, a Mississippi Mud Pie cupcake, a Boston Cream Pie cupcake a Smore's cupcake and a Key Lime Pie cupcake. The cupcake is flavoured with crushed Oreos and has half an Oreo at the bottom waiting to surprise whoever eats the cupcake. It is topped with cookies and cream buttercream and a mini Oreo, but you can choose whatever decoration you like to finish the cupcake off.

Oreo Cupcake Recipe

Makes 20

20 Oreos

280 grams plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

335 grams caster sugar

110 grams unsalted butter

3 large egg whites at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

215 ml semi-skimmed milk

150 grams of crushed Oreos

1. Preheat the oven to 180'C/350'f/Gas mark 4. Line two cupcake tins with 20 cases.
2. Place half an Oreo, the half with the cream still on it into the cupcake cases, save the other half to smash into crumbs for the cupcake batter.
3. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer on a medium speed, or a wooden spoon, combine the butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy.
5. Blend in the egg whites one at a time beating well after each addition.
6. Add the vanilla extract and beat slowly to mix.
7. Beat in half of the dry ingredients.
8. Add the milk and beat until just combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients.
9. Crush the left over Oreo halves in a bag with a rolling pin, and pour them into the cupcake batter. Then gently fold them in with a metal spoon until incorporated. Its important to not over mix the batter at this stage.
10. Place into cases until the are 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until springy to the touch or a skewer comes out clean.
11. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes before taking them out and putting them on a cooling rack.

Cookies and Cream Frosting

 (For best results use a hand mixer or free standing mixer. If you have neither of these, you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve a thick consistency for piping.)

110 grams butter

1/4 tsp of salt (if using unsalted butter)

250 grams icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp whipping cream 

6 crushed Oreos

1. In a bowl beat the butter until it is smooth, add the salt if you are using it. 
2. Add half of the icing sugar a quarter at a time, beating after each addition. 
3. Add vanilla.
4. Add one tbsp of whipping cream and continue beating. 
5. Add remaining icing sugar a quarter at a time while beating. Add the Oreos and keep beating. Add cream and beat until you achieve the consistency you want for piping.
6. Pipe onto the cupcakes however you want to. Add an Oreo as a decoration, or use a mini Oreo like I did.

The finished box of American Flavours cupcakes.

Smore's Cupcakes

The Smore's cupcake is the fifth cupcake that I made to go in a six cupcake box inspired by American flavours for my boyfriend's birthday. The Smore's cupcake will go with a Pecan Pie Cupcake, a Mississippi Mud Pie cupcake, a Boston Cream Pie cupcake an Oreo cupcake and a Key Lime Pie cupcake. While thinking about different cupcakes I could make to go with the trios inspired by a Walt Disney World dessert me and my boyfriend had, I came across the website for the Stateside Candy Co. I saw I could buy Graham Crackers from them, which is something I have never been able to try living in England. I knew I had to incorporate them into a cupcake so I decided to make a Smore's cupcake. I did eat one or two of the Graham Crackers once I opened the box, they are tasty, almost as good as the cheese-its I'm addicted to when I go to America. I wish I could get them here. The cupcake has a graham cracker crust, there are graham cracker crumbs mixed into the cupcake batter. It has a vanilla buttercream frosting, decorated with half a Graham Cracker, a toasted marshmallow, a square of Lindt chocolate and a few Graham Cracker crumbs.

Smore's Cupcake Recipe

Makes 12

120 grams of Graham Crackers crushed into crumbs

2 1/2 tsp melted butter

1 tsp baking powder

150 grams plain flour

a pinch of salt

180 grams unsalted butter, cubed and soft

150 grams packed light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

150 ml milk

1. Preheat oven to 180'C/375'F/Gas Mark 4. Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases.
2. Mix 3/4 of the Graham Cracker crumbs with melted butter. Place 1 tsp into each cupcake case.
3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the remaining Graham Cracker crumbs and mix well.
4. Put cubed butter, sugar and vanilla into a bowl and beat using a hand mixer or a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. 
6. Pour in a third of the dry ingredients and beat slowly to incorporate into the mixture.
7. Add half of the milk and beat well.
8. Add another third of the dry ingredients, beat, then add the last half of the milk and beat again.
9. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat until everything is combined.
10. Put the mixture into the cases on top of the Graham Cracker crust.
11. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until springy to the touch.
12. Cool for 5 minutes inside the cupcake tin, then place on a cooling rack.

Buttercream Frosting

(For best results use a hand mixer or free standing mixer. If you have neither of these, you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve a thick consistency for piping.)

110 grams butter

1/4 tsp of salt (if using unsalted butter)

250 grams icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp whipping cream 

1. In a bowl beat the butter until it is smooth, add the salt if you are using it. 
2. Add half of the icing sugar a quarter at a time, beating after each addition. 
3. Add vanilla.
4. Add one tbsp of whipping cream and continue beating. 
5. Add remaining icing sugar a quarter at a time while beating. Add cream and beat until you achieve the consistency you want for piping.
6. Pipe onto the cupcakes however you would like.
7. Toast a marshmallow by putting it on a skewer and holding it over the flame of a gas hob. Or use a blowtorch if you have one, I don't. Leave the marshmallow to cool while you place half a Graham cracker on top of the cupcake, and place a square of any chocolate of your choosing on top too. Finally add the marshmallow and a sprinkling of Graham Cracker crumbs and your Smore's cupcake is ready to go.

The finished box of American Flavours cupcakes.

Pecan Pie Cupcakes

The Pecan Pie cupcake was the fourth American Flavours cupcake that I baked to go inside a cupcake box for my boyfriend's birthday. It is a brown sugar cupcake with chopped toasted pecans inside topped with brown sugar buttercream and a toasted pecan. It will be going with a Mississippi Mud pie cupcake, a Key Lime Pie cupcake, a Boston Cream Pie cupcake, an Oreo cupcake and a Smore's cupcake.

Pecan Pie Cupcakes Recipe

Makes 12

 130 grams plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

165 grams dark brown sugar

110 grams butter softened

2 large eggs

125 ml whole milk at room temperature

85 grams toasted pecans

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180'C/350'F/Gas mark 4. Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcakes cases.
2. In a medium bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large bowl beat the brown sugar and butter at high speed with a mixer, or with a wooden spoon, until light and fluffy. This shouldn't take longer than five minutes.
4. Slowly beat in the eggs one at a time. 
5. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture, then add half of the milk. Keep beating. Add the remaining half of the flour and the rest of the milk and beat until it is combined.
6. Using a metal spoon fold in the chopped pecans and vanilla.
7. Fill the cupcake cases to 3/4 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 or until golden and springy to the touch.

Brown Sugar Buttercream 

40 grams dark brown sugar

2 tbsp water

1/4 tsp salt

55 grams butter and a separate 2 tbsp of butter

500 grams icing sugar

2-3 tbsp whole milk

1. In a saucepan combine brown sugar, water and salt. Place it on a medium high heat and bring to the boil. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the 2 tbsp of butter. Leave to cool.
2. In a large bowl beat the cooled brown sugar mixture and the remaining butter with an electric mixer at medium speed, or a wooden spoon, until it is creamy.
3. Add the icing sugar slowly beating until it is combined. Then add enough milk to achieve a think consistency for piping.
4. Pipe onto the cupcakes using a large round nozzle to achieve a buttercream swirl. Place a whole toasted pecan on the top for decoration. 

 The finished box of American Flavours cupcakes.

Mississippi Mud Pie Cupcakes

This recipe is inspired by Mississippi mud pie, which was one of the desserts on the American flavours dessert trios my boyfriend and I had at the Wave restaurant in Walt Disney World. I wanted the cupcake to take inspiration from the mud pie but still keep the aesthetic of a cupcake. It is a moist chocolate cake with a layer of bourbon biscuits at the bottom. It has a swirl of chocolate buttercream on top and a spoonful of melted dark chocolate to be the mud on the cupcake, and it is finished with mini marshmallows. It will be going with a Pecan Pie Cupcake, a Key Lime Pie cupcake, a Boston Cream Pie cupcake, an Oreo cupcake and a Smore's cupcake.

Mississippi Mud Pie Cupcakes Recipe

The cake mix is from my Love Food, cupcakes and muffins book that I bought from WH Smith. 

Makes 12

8 tbsp soft butter

100 grams caster sugar

150 grams self raising flour

2 large eggs

2 tbsp cocoa powder

25 grams plain chocolate (70% cocoa) melted 

 50 grams bourbon biscuits

2-3 tbsp butter (to rub into the biscuits)

1.  Preheat your oven to 180'C/350'F/Gas Mark 4. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake cases.
2. Crush the bourbon biscuits in a bag using a rolling pin so they are evenly crushed. Place the crumbs into a bowl and rub the butter into them until most of the biscuit have butter on them. Spoon a little of the mixture into each cupcake case and press down with the spoon to create a base.
3. Put the butter, sugar, flour, eggs and cocoa in a large bowl and using an electric hand whisk or a wooden spoon, beat them together until smooth.
4. Spoon the mixture into the cases filling them 3/4 full. 
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until springy to the touch.

Chocolate Butter Cream and Chocolate Topping

110 grams butter

1/4 tsp salt (if you are using unsalted butter)

200 grams icing sugar

50 grams cocoa powder (sieved)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp whipping cream

1. Beat the butter until it is smooth, add the salt if you are using it.
2. Sieve together the icing sugar and cocoa powder then add a half of the mixture to the butter a quarter at a time. Beating after each addition.
3. Add vanilla extract now to add an extra depth of flavour to your chocolate buttercream. 
4. Add one tablespoon of the cream and continue beating. 
5. Add remaining icing sugar and cocoa powder mixture a quarter at a time, beating slowly.
6. Add cream until you have the right thickness for you to pipe onto the cupcakes. 
7. Using a nozzle of your choice pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes.
8. Melt 200 grams of dark chocolate and slowly drizzle it over the cupcakes, adding any decoration you wish. I used mini marshmallows.

The finished box of American Flavours cupcakes.

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

This cupcake idea is the second cupcake that will be going into my American Flavours cupcake box for my boyfriend's birthday. It is inspired by a key lime pie, and still keeps this name even though I couldn't source any key limes for my version, because I wanted the American theme to shine through in my cupcake box. It is a lime zest filled sponge with a lime curd filling and a lime zest buttercream. The lime doesn't overpower the flavour it gives the cupcake a light citrus flavour. Excuse the sloppy piping, I am practising my piping skills having just got all the equipment, I hope to be better in the future. The Key Lime Pie cupcake will go with a Pecan Pie Cupcake, a Mississippi Pie cupcake, a Boston Cream Pie cupcake an Oreo cupcake and a Smore's cupcake.

Key Lime Cupcakes Recipe

Makes 12

175 grams self raising flour

175 grams butter

175 grams golden caster sugar

3 eggs

2 limes zested

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp whole milk

50 grams digestive biscuits crushed

1-2 tbsp butter to add to the biscuits

1.  Preheat the oven to 190'C, gas mark 5, 375'F. Place 12 cupcake cakes in a cupcake tin.
2. Crush the digestives using a rolling pin, making sure they are evenly crushed. Rub in the butter until you get a sandy mixture. Add a layer of crushed biscuits to each of the cupcake cases, pressing the mixture down slightly so it forms an even layer. 
3. Whisk the butter and caster sugar together in a larger bowl until it is pale and creamy. 
4. Whisk in the eggs until they have just combined in the mixture. 
5. Add the flour, lime zest, baking powder and milk to the mix and beat slowly until combined.
6. Spoon the mixture into cases and cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden on top and springy to the touch.

Lime Curd Filling

25 grams butter cold and cubed

100 grams golden caster sugar

2 medium eggs beaten

4 limes juiced

Green food colouring (optional to give the curd a bright green colour)

1. In a saucepan cook the butter, sugar, eggs, lime juice and green food colouring (if using) over a low heat. Stir it continuously until it has thickened. Approximately 5 minutes. Do not overheat it or you will cook the eggs.
2. Pour through a sieve into a bowl, cover with cling-film and leave to cool.
3. When the cakes and lime curd are cool cut out a section of the top of the cake, using a melon baller or a spoon, and fill with 2 teaspoons of curd or until the hole is full. Leave this to set inside the cupcake.

Buttercream Frosting

 (For best results use a hand mixer or free standing mixer. If you have neither of these, you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve a thick consistency for piping.)

110 grams butter

1/4 tsp of salt (if using unsalted butter)

250 grams icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

half a lime zested

2-3 tbsp whipping cream

1. In a bowl beat the butter until it is smooth, add the salt if you are using it. 
2. Add half of the icing sugar a quarter at a time, beating after each addition. 
3. Add vanilla and lime zest.
4. Add one tbsp of whipping cream and continue beating. 
5. Add remaining icing sugar a quarter at a time while beating. Add cream and beat until you achieve the consistency you want for piping.
6. Pipe onto the filled cupcakes however you would like. Add extra lime zest on top for decoration.

The finished box of American Flavours cupcakes.

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

 How my cupcake looked after my second try to put in the box for my boyfriend's birthday. It has a swirl of vanilla buttercream on top, and then I covered it in dark chocolate letting it drip down the sides.

Hi. For my first post I wanted to share my Boston Cream pie cupcake recipe. These cupcakes were only a practise of the recipe, I think I might change the fudge cake to chocolate cake to give the cake extra lightness because the fudge cake was quite heavy. I will be baking six different American inspired cupcakes to go in a cupcake box for my boyfriend's birthday. I was inspired by a dessert we had together at the Wave restaurant in Walt Disney World's Contemporary Hotel when we were there on holiday. It was a dessert celebrating American flavours, and that's what I hope to do with my cupcakes for this project, because I know we won't be able to afford to go back to Walt Disney World for a while, having both just graduated from University, so I hope the cupcakes will remind him of the amazing memories we have there. The Boston Cream pie cupcakes will go with a Pecan Pie Cupcake, a Key Lime Pie cupcake, a Mississippi Pie cupcake, an Oreo cupcake and a Smore's cupcake.

Disney's the Wave dessert trios. American Flavours. Key Lime Cube with fresh Citrus Whipped Cream, Mississippi Mud Pie with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Boston Cream Pie.

Boston Cream Pie Inspired Cupcakes

Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe (if you want a lighter cake, feel free to use a chocolate cake recipe)

Makes 20 Cupcakes

200ml Water

85 grams butter

85 grams caster sugar

1 tbsp golden syrup

3 tbsp milk

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

225 grams plain flour

2 tbsp plain cocoa

1. Preheat Oven to  180'c/350F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Place the water, butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes turn the heat off and leave to cool.
3. Place the milk and vanilla extract into a bowl. Add the bicarbonate of soda to the milk and stir to dissolve. 
4. Sift the flour and cocoa into a separate bowl and add the cooled syrup mixture. Stir in the milk mixture and beat until smooth, then spoon the batter into paper cases.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until well risen and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Ganache Topping

200 grams dark chocolate (I used 90% cocoa)

284 ml double cream

2 tbsp golden caster sugar

1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl.
2. Pour cream into a pan and add the caster sugar.
3. Heat until it is just about to boil, where you can see small bubbles coming to the surface.
4. Take off the heat and add to the chopped chocolate.
5. Stir until the chocolate has melted and is smooth.

American Buttercream Frosting

This recipe yields quite a lot of frosting so if you aren't planning on frosting a lot of cupcakes halve the recipe.

227 grams butter

1/4 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)

512 grams icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp heavy cream

1. Beat the butter in a bowl until it is smooth. Add the salt if it's needed.
2. Add 128 grams of icing sugar then another 128 grams of icing sugar, beating after each.
3. Add vanilla or other flavours you might want to use.
4. Add 1 tbsp of cream and continue beating.
5. Add remaining icing sugar slowly, beating as you add it.
6. Add cream until you have a thick enough consistency for piping. 

Here I have two different ways of presenting my cupcakes. One is inspired by how a Boston cream pie looks, with the cream in the middle and the ganache covering the top and dripping down the sides. The other is a traditional cupcake design, with the buttercream frosting on top and the ganache dripped over the top. Both ways work as cupcakes, so I bet there are many other ways the Boston cream pie cupcake could be presented.

The finished box of American Flavours cupcakes.