Strawberry Cupcakes

The power of visuals proven! Just by watching DC Cupcakes on Youtube (I devoured all the episodes..) and I feel I need to get my hands on cupcakes - not just any cupcakes, it must look sweet, smell sweet and taste sweet.

I don't usually bake anything with cream or frosting because I'm not a cream person. Although frosting really puts the icing on the cake *literally* but I have the habit of scraping it off and only eating the sponge inside. However, for the pretty sake of it, I make these Strawberry cupcakes with PINK frosting. How cute is that!

Oh let me clarify, no colouring was put into the frosting, the natural colour came from the strawberry puree which tints the cream nicely.

So I did a little research, found this recipe at Gastronomyblog adapted from Martha Stewart and decided to give it a go. I've edited the recipe below a little to reflect our terminologies.

The cupcakes were spongy and soft, with mouthfuls of natural strawberry flavour. Nice!

Ingredients

For cupcakes


2/3 cup strawberries
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 egg whites
For frosting

1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch of  salt
1 1/4 cups icing sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

How to
Preheat oven to 175C. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
Place strawberries in a food processor and pulse until pureed. You should have 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary. Set puree aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree and set aside.

Cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

Slowly add half the flour mixture with mixer on low and mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture and mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, , until just blended.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 22-25 mins, until cupcakes are just dry to the touch. Let cupcakes cool completely before icing.

Make frosting

Place strawberries in a food processor and pulse until pureed.

Separately, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar and beat until well combined.

Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree, mix until just blended. Do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air.

Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream. Keep refrigerated if not in use.



Warm love,
Starningblue

Twelve Cupcakes - Celebrity Goodness

When a new cupcake store opens in town, I'm happy. When Jaime Teo sets up a cupcake shop, just have to check it out.

I've been a reader of Jaime's blog for some time, once in a while I will pop by her page and she shares about her bakes so I know she is a keen baker and I'd love to try her food someday.

Twelve Cupcakes first started at United Square with much hype, only just months later they have another shop at Millenia Mall.

Not sure if the cupcakes will be to our taste, I only bought 3 flavours to start with - Rum & Raisins, Red Velvet and Double Chocolate.

Rum & Raisins turned out soft and packs a punch of liquer, Red Velvet was sweet with a tinge of salty and the cream cheese topping was fluffy yet not too cheesy (perfect for someone like me who can't take cheese!), Double Chocolate did what it is supposed to do, very satisfyingly choc.

Overall, we loved the cupcakes, definitely just nice in terms of sweetness and the texture are soft. The frosting is not oily too. The only gripe is the size of the cupcakes are a teeny bit smaller than usual and they cost $3, Rum & Raisins being a specialty flavour is 50 cents more.

But then, because I like the taste as it suits my tastebuds, I don't mind going back for more.

Warm love,

Starningblue

Lemon Butter Cake

It was 2 years ago when I made Lemon cake and it unceremoniously cracked. Well, i blame it on the oven as I used a standalone convection oven and the air circulation is definitely not good. Now I have the privilege of owning a built in Ariston :)

This time, I wanted to make another citrus cake from a new recipe and hope it works. When browsing my favourite food blogs, I came across Nasi Lemak Lover's blog on Lemon Cake that had raving comments so I decided to bake this. I was so confident of the recipe only by reading it, I double the ingredients to make 2!

The topping for this recipe is different from the one I baked last time. This is not a icing topping, it is a glaze. Honestly, I love the lemon glaze, it gives the cake an extra zing. This recipe is a sure keeper! Thanks to Nasi Lemak Lover~

Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf tin

125g butter
100g sugar
1 lemon, finely grate the rind
2 large eggs
175g self-raising flour
4 tbsp milk

Lemon glaze

3 tbsp sugar
1 lemon, extract juice
1 lemon, finely grate the rind

How to

Beat the butter with the sugar until fluffy. Add in the eggs one by one, then add in lemon rind, mixing well.

Fold in the flour and milk, combine well. Pour the mixture into a loaf tin lined with greaseproof paper and bake in pre-heated oven at 180C for 40mins.

Mix sugar and lemon juice and cook over low heat till sugar dissolved, add in lemon rind, set aside.

When cake done, remove cake from the oven and prick all over with a skewer. Pour over the lemon glaze over the hot cake.

Leave cake to set overnight to have better flavour.


Warm love,
Starningblue

Blueberry Muffins

The blueberries on promotion price at the supermarket was literally shouting at me, I had to buy it to make something. At that point, I didn't know what but I just had to! :p

One of the most obvious thing to make with blueberries is blueberry muffin. The recipe was not too complicated and it doesn't take long to make so here we go.

Recipe from Noob Cook:

1 1/2 cups (190g) plain flour

1 1/2 eggs, beaten

1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 cup (225g) caster sugar
150g blueberries
1/2 cup (125ml) milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
65 gms butter, softened and cut to small pieces

Preheat oven to 200C. Sift flour, baking powder and sugar together, and mix well. Add milk, vanilla extract, eggs and butter in and stir till just blended and lumpy.

Fold in blueberries and spoon mixture into muffin cases till about almost full.

Bake for 20mins or until slightly golden brown. Best eaten warm, cool before storing.

Warm love,

Starningblue

New Camera - S95

Shots of food pictures with my new camera, a Canon S95.

I'm not good at photography technicals and hate the bulkiness of DSLRs, I need a  point and shoot cam which does the brainwork for me and ultimately take fantastic pictures.

Just lurve the clarity of macro shots!


Warm love,
Starningblue

Banana Cinnamon Muffins

I'm in a baking mode these days. When it is stressful at work, I crave to bake and will take mental stock of what is available in my kitchen to bake up in the evening.

Speaking of that, I realise it is so relaxing baking in the evening with dim kitchen lights and music playing. Ultimate de-stress session for me. Well, until the bake emerges unsuccessful then I'm left wondering what I did wrong.

The banana cinnamon muffin recipe came from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook gifted to me by Juan. I've tasted the cakes at Hummingbird when Kel and I were in London for our honeymoon, they were uber delicious so I trust their stuff.

However, the banana cinnamon muffins I baked turned out rubbery. Not cakey, not muffin-ey, it was rubbery. I could tear the muffin into half and it would bounce apart. Wonder if it is because I over mixed the batter?

Warm love,

Starningblue

亚华 Kuey Tiao

 亚华 Kuey Tiao has been around for ages, I feel very personal blogging this as our family were close to Grandpa 亚华 when he was still around cooking up bowl after bowl of noodles near where City Square is now. The original shop is old and dusty, some may say dirty but by no fail our family Sunday breakfast is eaten there followed by Dad having his Chinese Tea brewing session always on the same table.

Now, 亚华 Kuey Tiao is back with a vengeance in Taman Century, a fresh and renewed shop to conjure up my memory. Chef still remembers me after so many years, I'm glad to have him back in the scene.

I always like my noodles in soup and lots of minced meat, some like it the dry version with lots of vinegar.

It is funny how noodle soup reminds me so much of my childhood...

Location:
Jalan Serigala, Taman Century
Johor Bahru


Warm love,
Starningblue