CHRISTMAS STAR CUPCAKES

Go to the Archives and Cupcake Store for more ideas and recipes. Do not miss them!

CHRISTMAS STAR CUPCAKES
More cupcake recipes and ideas in the cupcake store and archives

These are some cupcakes decorated for Christmas with stars. I am collecting different shaped cutters so if I need to I can make a lot of a similar design. I made some icing and added green food colouring. I then rolled out some white icing and used my Star cutter to create the shapes. I then used writing icing to decorate and added the shiny balls. Not bad to start with but could develop this idea of decoration in lots more ways. I liked the reindeer cupcakes so I could now combine the cupcake recipe ideas for those with the cut out shapes and more colour ways. I could also think about making the stars look three dimensional.

For the cupcake recipe I used the basic cupcake recipe but I added sultanas that had been soaked in Port. I could also have added sultanas or raisins soaked overnight in whisky, brandy and cherry brandy. It would also be good to add some spices to the cupcake mixture such as ground ginger, ground cloves, grated nutmeg and ground cinnamon. One teaspoon could be added with the sieved flour.

Next post to feature cupcake recipes for Cranberry Cupcakes and Chocolate Orange Cupcakes for Christmas with more ideas on how to decorate cupcakes.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup--6oz--175gm butter or margarine

3/4 cup--6oz--175gm castor sugar

1 1/2 cups--6oz--175gm self-raising flour

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 tablespoon of warm water

METHOD

Cream butter or margarine with the castor sugar in a large bowl. Add the vanilla extract. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift in the flour. Fold in. Add the water. Place the mixture in individual cupcake cases in a baking tray. Cook at gas 5--190C--375F for 12 t0 15 minutes.

FAIRY CUPCAKES RECIPE

CUPCAKE RECIPES

Go to the Cupcake Store and links to get more original ideas.

There are a few basic recipes for cupcakes. Here are some of the these in the different types of measure that you get worldwide from the U.K; U.S.A; Australia and Europe. Have a go at the basic recipe and then start to do variations of your own or follow some of my ideas.

Ingredients

Recipe 1.

4 oz self raising flour

4 oz butter

4 oz castor sugar

2 medium eggs

2 tablespoons milk

Recipe 2.

110 gm self raising flour

110 gm butter

110 gm sugar

2 medium eggs

2 tablespoons of milk

Recipe 3.

4 oz self raising flour

4 oz soft margarine

4oz castor sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons of milk

Recipe 4.

110 gm self raising flour

110 gm soft margarine

110 gm castor sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons of milk

Recipe 5.

1 cup self raising flour

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons of milk

These ingredients can be altered to suit you. You may want to use all organic produce. You may want to use only free range eggs. The flour is usually white refined flour but you may want to experiment with wholewheat, multi grain, granary and soya, if you have a gluten allergy. These flours will usually be drier and require more liquid. I would try the regular basic recipe and then experiment with different flours that you like and record your quantities for next time.

Method for all Recipes

1. Get all your equipment out, mixing bowl, wooden spoon, paper cases, tablespoon, knife, baking tray, cooling wire rack, scales, sieve and set these out on the work surface. Place the paper cases into the baking tray.

2. Get all the ingredients out.

3. Weigh out the sugar and place in the bowl.

4. Weigh out the butter or margarine and place in the bowl.

5. Weigh out the flour.

6. Using a wooden spoon mix and beat the sugar and butter/margarine together until they are absolutely smooth, this can take up to 2 minutes depending on how soft the butter or margarine is. The mixture will turn pale and fluffy.

7. Break one egg and add it to the mixture, beat it in until it has blended with the mixture. Repeat with the second egg. Add the milk and blend.

8. Use the sieve to add the flour to the mixture as this will add extra air to the mixture. Gently fold in the flour. The mixture should be a nice type of dropping consistency.

9. Using a spoon divide the mixture into the paper cases, filling about 12 paper cases.

10. Switch on the oven temperature 375F, 190C and gas 5. Let the oven get warm. You can put the oven on when you start so it is already warm. Place the tray of cupcakes on a shelf just above the centre. They will take 15 to 20 minutes. To test if they are ready you can pierce with a small wooden cocktail stick to see if the mixture is still wet inside, you can just feel with your finger to see if the cakes are firm and springy to the touch and they should look well risen and golden.

11. Remove from the oven and place on the wire try to cool. This is the basic cupcake recipe. You can now decorate in the style of your choice. I decorated these very simply. Icing coloured green, topped with sprinkles and sweets. Children could do this easily on there own.

ENJOY

Remember to look at the archives for lots of original ideas and more recipes

REINDEER CHRISTMAS CUPCAKES

These pictures show some art created in Lapland. I collected these on a visit to Finland. I like the black drawings which show reindeer, people and the environment. I decided to use these for a cupcakes design.
I iced the cupcakes white. I then took a small painting brush and painted the cupcakes using food colouring. I put a small amount of red, blue, yellow and black on a plate. I had water to dilute the colour and rinse the brush.

The colours remind me of watercolour paintings. They look like planets and landscapes.
When the colours had gone dry I used black writing icing to draw the images from the pictures onto the cupcakes. I think these are interesting and a new way of showing the Christmas Lapland reindeers and their environment.

SHERRY AND SULTANA CUPCAKES RECIPE

SHERRY AND SULTANA CUPCAKES RECIPE
Below are the basic recipes for cupcakes. To this mixture add 2ozs--3 tablespoons of sultanas which you have soaked overnight in sherry. Before you add the sultanas, which should be nice and moist, toss them in flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cupcake as it cooks.
Also you can substitute Sherry for the milk in the recipe.
Another variation is to soak the sultanas or raisins in either Port or Rum, so you have Port and Sultana Cupcakes or Rum and Raisin Cupcakes.
Another variation is to add these soaked fruits to the Chocolate Cupcakes recipes and add some rum, sherry or port to the mixture. The addition of whisky to cupcakes with ginger is also an excellent choice.
Ingredients
Recipe 1.
5 oz self raising flour
4 oz butter
4 oz castor sugar
2 medium eggs
2 tablespoons milk
Recipe 2.
175 gm self raising flour
110 gm butter
110 gm sugar
2 medium eggs
2 tablespoons of milk
Recipe 3.
6 oz self raising flour
4 oz soft margarine
4oz castor sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons of milk
Recipe 4.
175 gm self raising flour
110 gm soft margarine
110 gm castor sugar
2 large eggs 2 tablespoons of milk
Recipe 5.
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons of milk
These ingredients can be altered to suit you. You may want to use all organic produce. You may want to use only free range eggs. The flour is usually white refined flour but you may want to experiment with wholewheat, multi grain, granary and soya, if you have a gluten allergy. These flours will usually be drier and require more liquid. I would try the regular basic recipe and then experiment with different flours that you like and record your quantities for next time.
Method for all Recipes
1. Get all your equipment out, mixing bowl, wooden spoon, paper cases, tablespoon, knife, baking tray, cooling wire rack, scales, sieve and set these out on the work surface. Place the paper cases into the baking tray.
2. Get all the ingredients out.
3. Weigh out the sugar and place in the bowl.
4. Weigh out the butter or margarine and place in the bowl.
5. Weigh out the flour.
6. Using a wooden spoon mix and beat the sugar and butter/margarine together until they are absolutely smooth, this can take up to 2 minutes depending on how soft the butter or margarine is. The mixture will turn pale and fluffy.
7. Break one egg and add it to the mixture, beat it in until it has blended with the mixture. Repeat with the second egg. Add the milk or sherry, port, rum or whisky and blend.
8. Use the sieve to add the flour to the mixture as this will add extra air to the mixture. Gently fold in the flour. The mixture should be a nice type of dropping consistency. Add the sultanas or raisins, remeber to have tossed these in flour to prevent them sinking.
9. Using a spoon divide the mixture into the paper cases, filling about 12 paper cases.
10. Switch on the oven temperature 375F, 190C and gas 5. Let the oven get warm. You can put the oven on when you start so it is already warm. Place the tray of cupcakes on a shelf just above the centre. They will take 12 to 15 minutes, longer if you use large cases. To test if they are ready you can pierce with a small wooden cocktail stick to see if the mixture is still wet inside, you can just feel with your finger to see if the cakes are firm and springy to the touch and they should look well risen and golden.
11. Remove from the oven and place on the wire try to cool. This is the basic cupcake recipe. You can now decorate in the style of your choice.
ENJOY

PANDA AND POLAR BEAR CUPCAKES

These cupcakes use the Sherry Cupcake recipe, where 2oz--3 tablespoons of sultanas which have been soaked in sherry overnight are added to the cupcake mixture or you can use the chocolate cupcake recipe . Whatever your favourite is.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
Coconut grated
White icing
Black writing icing
Chocolate buttons
Method
Make your cupcakes. Ice with white icing. Before it sets add some chocolate buttons for the ears and then sprinkle coconut onto the surface of the icing. Gently press in with your hand and just shake off any that is loose.
Use some black writing icing to put on the bears features. I expect children would enjoy making these and inventing new faces for the bears.



PANDA AND POLAR BEAR CUPCAKES
Enjoy these ideas on how to decorate cupcakes and have some fun.

ST ANDREW'S DAY CUPCAKES

These cupcakes are to celebrate St Andrew's Day which is the 30.November. He is the patron saint of Scotland. So there may be a lot of cupcake enthusiasts in other parts of the world who can trace back their ancestry to Scotland. I created designs which show the Scottish flag, designs which are a modern cupcake version of tartan fabric, usually seen on kilts and one cupcake that shows that elusive Scottish creature The Haggis. Who is seen on Burns night served with neeps and tatties.




The Flag Cupcake
The Haggis Cupcake

Tartan Cupcakes
ST ANDREW'S DAY CUPCAKES

CHRISTMAS SHOP CUPCAKES

CHRISTMAS SHOP CUPCAKES
This Christmas display was seen in Southport, U.K. I thought they looked really good and would give me ideas for my own cupcakes. I like the tree designs on the display as well. It is a great idea to always have a camera to get some photos to help you develop ways to decorate cupcakes. The icing methods are always good to look at and copy or just get ideas on how to decorate cupcakes.

BUTTER CREAM ICING CUPCAKES RECIPE

Chocolate cupcakes with Butter Icing.
The recipe is below for the cupcakes and the butter icing

These cupcakes use the recipe for chocolate cupcakes which is really moist and delicious.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup--6oz--175gm butter or margarine
3/4 cup--6oz--175gm castor sugar
1 cup--4oz--115gm self-raising flour
1/2 cup--2oz--60gm cocoa
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 tablespoon of warm water
METHOD
Cream butter or margarine with the castor sugar in a large bowl. Add the vanilla extract. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift in the flour and the cocoa. Fold in. Add the water. Place the mixture in individual cupcake cases in a baking tray. Cook at gas 5--190C--375F for 12 t0 15 minutes.

I then decided to make a butter cream decoration and use a piping method. The Butter cream was made the following ways,

INGREDIENTS

In the U.K. we have a wide choice of spreads. You can use benecol and flora proactive if you are wanting to reduce cholesterol. I decide to use benecol to see what it was like. I found it quite good but it does not have the same taste as butter.

3 oz--75gm butter or margarine or benecol spread

6 oz--150gm icing sugar

1 tablespoon of milk or water

METHOD

Mix the butter and icing sugar together in a bowl. If using butter it is a good idea to let it soften if taking it straight from the fridge. Add the liquid and mix well. I then placed the icing into a tool I use for piping. I prefer this for small quantities but I would use a large icing bag for a large amount of butter icing. This tool has 4 different nozzles so practice with it until you get control and the designs that you want. It is really quite easy to do . You could have a few prepared with different colours of icing.

Icing Tube and 4 nozzles for the piping to decorate the cupcakes

Volcano chocolate cupcake
Swirl chocolate butter cream cupcake
The '99' chocolate cupcake
Lattice chocolate cupcake

I hope you enjoy making these cupcakes from the cupcake recipes.

CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES CUPCAKES

Chocolate Sprinkles Cupcakes
These cupcakes use the chocolate cupcake recipe and the chocolate icing as a basis for their decoration. I then used chocolate sprinkles to decorate and milk chocolate buttons.
INGREDIENTS3/4 cup--6oz--175gm butter or margarine
3/4 cup--6oz--175gm castor sugar
1 cup--4oz--115gm self-raising flour
1/2 cup--2oz--60gm cocoa
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 tablespoon of warm water
METHOD
Cream butter or margarine with the castor sugar in a large bowl. Add the vanilla extract. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift in the flour and the cocoa. Fold in. Add the water. Place the mixture in individual cupcake cases in a baking tray. Cook at gas 5--190C--375F for 12 t0 15 minutes.

CHOCOLATE ICING
3/4 cup--4oz--110gm dark cooking chocolate, the type you like
1/2 cup--4oz--110gm butter
2 1/2 cups--10oz--290gm icing sugar
warm water or strong black coffee(choose which you like)
METHOD
Put a pan on the stove with a small amount of boiling water. Place a bowl over the top. Put the chocolate in here to melt. In another bowl cream the butter. Add the melted chocolate to the butter, mix. Gradually add the icing sugar and mix well, add the water or coffee in teaspoons to keep the mixture runny and creamy enough to use as icing. I like it quite firm. when the cupcakes have cooled ice each one. I keep a mug of hot water at the side to moisten my spreading knife.

CHOCOLATE GINGER CUPCAKE

CHOCOLATE GINGER CUPCAKE
The chocolate ginger cupcake is the one at the front. It has crystalised ginger chopped into the basic chocolate cupcake recipe and then the chocolate icing on the top and to finish off more chopped pieces of crystalsed ginger. These are so delicious. The combination of organic chocolate and ginger is superb.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup--6oz--175gm butter or margarine
3/4 cup--6oz--175gm castor sugar
1 cup--4oz--115gm self-raising flour
1/2 cup--2oz--60gm cocoa
1/2 cup--2oz--60gm chopped crystalised ginger for the cake mixture and more ginger chopped to decorate the top of the cakes.
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 tablespoon of warm water
METHOD
Cream butter or margarine with the castor sugar in a large bowl. Add the vanilla extract. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the chopped ginger. Sift in the flour and the cocoa. Fold in. Add the water. Place the mixture in individual cupcake cases in a baking tray. Cook at gas 5--190C--375F for 12 t0 15 minutes.

CHOCOLATE ICING
3/4 cup--4oz--110gm dark cooking chocolate, the type you like
1/2 cup--4oz--110gm butter
2 1/2 cups--10oz--290gm icing sugar
warm water or strong black coffee(choose which you like)
METHOD
Put a pan on the stove with a small amount of boiling water. Place a bowl over the top. Put the chocolate in here to melt. In another bowl cream the butter. Add the melted chocolate to the butter, mix. Gradually add the icing sugar and mix well, add the water or coffee in teaspoons to keep the mixture runny and creamy enough to use as icing. I like it quite firm. when the cupcakes have cooled ice each one. I keep a mug of hot water at the side to moisten my spreading knife.
Enjoy

CHOCOLATE BUTTERFLY CUPCAKE RECIPE

Butterfly Cupcakes
Jelly Butterfly Cupcake
White Chocolate Drop Butterfly Cupcake
Dragonfly Chocolate Cupcake

Chocolate Lace Butterfly Cupcake

Chocolate Cupcakes just coming out of the oven

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup--6oz--175gm butter or margarine
3/4 cup--6oz--175gm castor sugar
1 cup--4oz--115gm self-raising flour
1/2 cup--2oz--60gm cocoa
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 tablespoon of warm water
METHOD
Cream butter or margarine with the castor sugar in a large bowl. Add the vanilla extract.
Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift in the flour and the cocoa. Fold in. Add the water.
Place the mixture in individual cupcake cases in a baking tray. Cook at gas 5--190C--375F
for 12 t0 15 minutes.

Decorating Cupcakes

To create the butterfly decoration. First cover with chocolate icing, place chocolate drops on the top, add sprinkles and define parts with writing icing.You can use bought chocolate shapes as wings, silver balls and sprinkles. Get the kids invoved and have fun.

CHOCOLATE ICING
3/4 cup--4oz--110gm dark cooking chocolate, the type you like
1/2 cup--4oz--110gm butter
2 1/2 cups--10oz--290gm icing sugar
warm water or strong black coffee(choose which you like)
METHOD
Put a pan on the stove with a small amount of boiling water. Place a bowl over the top. Put the chocolate in here to melt. In another bowl cream the butter. Add the melted chocolate to the butter, mix. Gradually add the icing sugar and mix well, add the water or coffee in teaspoons to keep the mixture runny and creamy enough to use as icing. I like it quite firm. when the cupcakes have cooled ice each one. I keep a mug of hot water at the side to moisten my spreading knife.
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
Remember to check out all the previous posts on the right

APPLE CUPCAKES

Apple Cupcakes
Coming soon Chocolate Sprinkles Cupcake recipes and Butterfly Cupcakes. Do not miss the previous posts click on the last one on the right to see all the previous pages. Check out the posts on the right. Enjoy



These cupcakes are a great way of using cupcakes to make a delicious sweet.
Ingredients
cupcakes, one for each person (see the archive for recipes--October)
stewed apples
raspberries
yoghurt or cream
Method
Turn a cupcake upside down and remove the case.
Place on a board and cut in half , put the bottom section in the centre of the serving plate. Put a spoonful of cold stewed apples on the cupcake and put on the lid of the cupcake.
Put apples around the cupcake. Put yoghurt or cream on the top of the cupcake and around the cupcake to make a pattern.
Place the raspberries on the top of the cupcake and around it.
Dust with icing sugar
Serve and enjoy
Look back at Trifle cupcakes for more ideas

Coming soon Chocolate Sprinkles Cupcakes and Butterfly Cupcakes, remember to look for these in mid November especially if you like chocolate icing.

I am so pleased that so many people from all over the world are enjoying my site. A big thankyou to every in Australia, Canada, U.K.,U.S.A.and those of you in South Africa, Singapore, the Far East. It is a great inspiration to make more delicious cupcakes and design cupcake recipes.

Have you tried my other recipe sites? Soup recipes is great . I am enjoying eating, making and creating all these soups. Thanks Crazy Cupcakes.

ENJOYING CUPCAKES

I took a tray of cupcakes to share with friends at my hairdresser. They are really keen on cupcakes and asked me to bring some cupcakes down when I made the next batch. Vicky in the centre is the owner with her assistants. They are enjoying Remembrance cupcakes and Firework cupcakes.

Vicky specialises in foils with any type of colour work you require. She has perfected her skills in Australia, Japan and is now in Bolton.

Remember to look at the Archive for cupcake recipes and ideas.

ENJOY

HOW TO DECORATE POPPY CUPCAKES

These pictures so the different stages in creating the poppy cupcakes. I iced the cupcakes white.

I then used the ready made icing to create the basic shapes of the poppies.
I made the green leaves from ready made icing. I let the white icing dry and then I moistened the ready made icing and placed the flower petals and leaves on the cupcakes.
I then used writing icing to put in the details of the centre of the flowers. I needed to follow the pictures to get the details and ideas for this. The photographs below show the different stages in decorating a cupcake.

REMEMBRANCE DAY CUPCAKES

Remembrance day in the United Kingdom is celebrated on the Eleventh of November. The main symbol used is a poppy. This is used because the poppy grew on the battlefields of France and Europe in the world Wars. On this day we remember all those who have died to give us our freedom. These cupcakes are to remember this day.

DECORATING POPPY CUPCAKES

How to decorate Poppy Cupcakes
First of all I collected lots of pictures of the flowers from the internet and books and stuck these in my scrapbook. I then decided how I could make the edible flowers. I knew that I needed red icing, black icing for the centres and I also wanted to make the flowers look natural. I looked at the type of Poppy that is sold for the British Legion


These rather abstract flowers gave me the idea of the flower and the cross. The cross represents the war graves that I have seen in the Netherlands.
With these I tried to make a natural poppy by shaping the ready made red icing into natural flowers with frilly edges. I used ready made green icing for the leaves. I used writing icing in the centre to decorate the cupcakes. The pictures helped me with the ideas.

WALNUT CUPCAKE

Walnuts are one of my favourite nuts. In this cupcake I have taken the basic recipe and added 2oz--1/4 cup of broken walnuts to the mixture. I topped off the cupcake with icing and a walnut. Delicious.
ENJOY
Remember to check out the cupcake recipe archive

CHOLESTEROL BUSTING CUPCAKES

Recent research is showing that a diet that contains seeds is good for helping to reduce cholesterol. Oats in particular are one of the types of food that are recomended. I have altered the basic cupcake recipe to include this . I could also use Flora and Benecol as these are also able to help reduce cholesterol.
Ingredients
4oz-110gm self-raising flour
2oz-110gm oats-these could be whole flakes or oatmeal
4oz-110gm butter/flora/benecol/margarine
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk--add more if the oats soak up the liquid and it is to dry
vanilla essence
sultanas or raisins to decorate
Method
Mix the butter and sugar together, beat in the eggs, add the vanilla essence, mix in the flour and the oats, add the milk, put into cupcake cases and cook at gas5, 190C or 375F for 12 to 15 minutes, cool, ice and add sultanas as a decoration.
ENJOY

MENOPAUSE PUMPKINSEED CUPCAKE

Pumpkin seeds are one of those seeds that provide you with the natural hormones that are lost in the menopause. They are delicious to put into cupcakes. To make these follow the basic cupcake recipe or the lemon cupcake recipe but add 2oz-55gm--1/4 cup of whole or ground pumpkin seeds to the recipe after you have mixed the butter and sugar. Also when you ice the cupcakes press some whole seeds on the top.
ENJOY
Remember to check the archive for ideas

MENOPAUSE SEED CUPCAKE

This cupcake is a great way to enjoy seeds such as linseed and sunflower seeds. These seeds are known to contain phytoestrogens which are meant to imitate the hormones of the body which are lost in women at the time of the menopause The recipe could also use soy flour. Soy products are also meant to help with the symptoms of the menopauseas well. The nuts are beneficial to anyone as part of a healthy diet and are a good source of protein for vegetarians.

Method

Recipe for the cupcakes

5oz--175gm--1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

4oz-110gm--1/2 cup butter/margarine

4oz-110g--1/2 cup castor sugar

2 medium eggs-free range if possible

2 tablespoons milk

vanlla essence or a fresh vanilla pod

2oz-55gm--1/4 cup of whole or ground sunflower and linseeds

Method

Mix the butter and sugar together, add the eggs one at a time and beat till smooth, add the seeds, sieve in the flour and mix well. add the vanilla and milk. Divide the mixture into cupcases and cook at gas5,190C or 375f for 12 to 15 minutes. cool on wire rack.

The final cupcakes are iced and topped off with more seeds.

To add variety substitute 1oz--1/4 cup of self-raising flour for soy flour.

ENJOY

TRIFLE CUPCAKES

Trifle cupcakes are a delicious blend of lemon cupcakes mixture, sherry and fresh fruit. To make these you will need one cupcake per person, about half a pint of cold custard, fresh fruit and either fresh cream, creme fraiche or yoghurt.
Take the paper cases off the cupcakes and turn upside down, cut in half horizontaly, you may also want to level them off so they sit flat on a plate. Place each cupcake on a plate.

Then place a large spoonful of sherry on the base sponge. Then add cold custard to the cupcake. Put the top on the cupcake and add another spoonful of sherry.


Take your fresh fruit and arrange in circles around the cupcake, I used satsumas, blueberries and raspberries but use your favourite combinations of fruit from what is seasonally available.

Top off the cupcakes with your choice of yoghurt or cream. Dust over some icing sugar.

Enjoy

LEMON CUPCAKE RECIPES

The Recipe for Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients
6 oz ---175 gm-1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
4 oz--110 gm--1/2 cup castor sugar
4 oz--110gm--1/2 cup butter or margarine
the grated rind of one lemon
2 large eggs
lemon juice
Method
Cream together the butter/margarine and castor sugar. Beat in the eggs one by one. Add the rind of the lemon. Add the flour using a sieve. Add the lemon juice from the one lemon. Divide into cupcake cases, about 12 to 15, bake for 12 to 15 mins at gas 5, 190C or 375F. Test for firmness and with a cocktail stick to ensure the centre has been cooked. Cool.




The Recipe for Lemon Curd
Ingredients
3 oz--75gm--1/3 cup castor sugar
juice of one lemon
the grated rind of one lemon
2 large eggs
2oz--50 gm-- 1/4 cup butter
Method
Choose a bowl that fits onto a pan without touching the base. Put water into the pan and the bowl on top of it and simmer gently. Place the sugar and grated rind of the lemon in the bowl over the simmering water. In a different bowl put the lemon juice and the 2 eggs. Beat together. Add to the bowl on the heat ,stir. Cut up the butter into cubes and add to the bowl of lemon mixture. Stir till it all and let the mixture simmer for 20 mins until it is thick , stir frequently. Cool and use for the cupcakes

Designing and Decorating Firework Cupcakes

To design the cupcakes for bonfire night I first collected pictures of fireworks and did drawings of these in my scrap book.

I then looked at all the decorating icings that I had and started to plan how I would do the cupcakes. For some I chose dark icing as a background to represent the night sky. I wanted to use shiny balls to represent the firework explosion.


I used the basic cupcake recipe of;

6 oz--175gm self-raising flour

4oz--110gm butter or margarine

4oz-110gm castor sugar

2 tablespoons of milk

Method

Beat the butter and sugar together, add the eggs and beat in each one fully, add the flour using a sieve and add the milk. Place in cupcake cases and bake in the oven gas 5, 190C or 375F for 12 to 15 mins. Cool

FIREWORK CUPCAKES

It is now the time in England when on November 5th we celebrate Bonfire night. This came about In 1605, thirteen young men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Among them was Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor. Guy Fawkes (April 13, 1570 – January 31, 1606), also known as Guido Fawkes, born in York, was an English soldier and member of a group of Roman Catholics who attempted to carry out the Gunpowder Plot on 5 November 1605.
The plot was an attempt to assassinate the Protestant King James I (James VI of Scotland) and the members of both houses of the Parliament of England, by blowing up Westminster Palace during the formal opening session of the 1605 Parliament, in which the king would address a joint assembly of both the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Guy Fawkes was in large part responsible for the later stages of the plan's execution. His activities were detected, however, before the plan's completion. Following a severe interrogation involving the use of torture, and a trial in Westminster Hall by Judge John Popham, Fawkes and his conspirators were executed for treason and attempted murder. Guy Fawkes' failure is remembered with Guy Fawkes Night also known as Bonfire Night or Fireworks Night on November 5.
I decided to design a selection of crazy cupcakes that use the patterns of fireworks as their theme.

This is the Catherine Wheel Cupcake which has a red icing base, sweets to make the curve, shiny edible balls and writing icing for the details.

This is the Rocket Trail Cupcake, with a purple base, silver balls and writing icing.
Rocket Shower cupcake, has a dark purple layer of icing, red writing icing and cake decorations to make the shower.
In the U.K. we have traffic lights in red, green and yellow. This is the Traffic Lights Roman Candle Cupcake. Yellow icing base with three sweets, writing icing and shiny green balls.
The Rocket Trail Cupcake with a white base, sweets and writing icing.
The Green Star Cupcake with red icing base,writing icing and shiny balls.
The Yellow Comet Cupcake with a red icing base, writing icing and shiny balls.

I had great fun making these cupcakes and they tasted great as I used the tangy Lemon Cupcake mixture.

ENJOY