Buddha Day Ideas

Last Christmas myself and my husband spent it doing a birding, wildlife and cultural holiday in the Kingdom of Bhutan. As it is Buddha day on May 2. I decided to share some of my photos. They just show some of the festivals, prayer flags and colours and patterns of the Art of Bhutan. I hope to do some cupcakes based on these ideas for the day next week. In the meantime I hope you like these few photos.

Remember to check out all the labels for lots of recipes and ideas. The cupcake store has more as well.

Going to make these asap!

Pineapple Cupcakes with Basil

This fresh pineapple sauce recipe or jam recipe to go inside the pineapple cupcakes is made from 1 cup--4 oz of chopped fresh pineapple and 1 tablespoon of sugar boiled very gently together in a pan for about 5 minutes. I then added 1/2 teaspoon of cornflour mixed with 1 teaspoon of cold water, to the pineapples and stirred well. This thickens and when cool can go inside cupcakes.
For the pineapple cupcakes recipe see labels or the previous posts, the recipe and variations are there.

Use a small sharp knife and remove a cone of cupcake from the top by cutting around the cupcakes in a small circle. Put a spoonful of pineapple sauce-jam into each cupcake. Return the cone to the top of the cupcake.

I then dusted the cupcake with icing sugar through a sieve or icing sugar dredger. I added a green glace cherry and some fresh basil leaves. It was a good combination.

I had also put cherries into the pineapple cupcake mixture so it complemented the cherry on the top. I like the green colours together.


Pineapple cupcake with green glace cherries and basil.

The cupcakes could also be sprinkled with dessicated coconut.

This could be served as a dessert with the cupcake case removed before the cupcakes are decorated. I think vanilla ice cream would go well with it.

I just thought you might like to see the bluebells which are starting to flower in our local woods. The colour is so intense especially with the sunlight on it.

Thanks for reading

Crazycupcakes

Pineapple Cupcakes

There are some delicious fresh pineapples in the shops at the moment and at a good price so I decided to have a go at making a cupcakes recipe using pineapples. This is the basic recipe I used and I will put any variations I tried at the end. When thinking about these cupcakes I remembered that years ago when I was at school that we were taught how to make pineapple upside down cake so I have also had a go at those but as individual cupcakes to serve as a sweet at the end of a meal or as a treat.
Ingredients
4 oz--112gm--1/2 cup butter or margarine
4 oz--112 gm--1/2 cup Castor sugar
4 oz--112 gm--1 cup self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence
3 oz--82 gm--1/4 cup of fresh pineapple put through a blender.
Method
Cream together the sugar and butter or margarine.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat .
Add the vanilla essence.
Add the flour and baking powder and mix together.
Add the pineapple and mix.
Fill the cupcake cases just over half full.
Small cup cases makes about 12 to 14. The larger muffin size cup cases makes about 6 to 8.
Cook at gas 5--190C--375F for 10 to 14 minutes for small cases and 20minutes for the larger cupcakes. I place the cupcakes near the top but I have a gas oven.
Do not open the oven for the first 10 minutes as the cupcakes are cooking and if you open it they will go flat.
Remove when cooked. They should be springy to the touch and a cocktail stick should come out clean.
Cool on a cake rack.
Start thinking about fillings and toppings.
Variations
1. Add 1 oz--1/4 cup of dessicated coconut to the mixture with the pineapple.
2. Add the coconut and 1 oz--1/4 cup of glace cherries to the mixture.
3. Add the grated zest or rind of 1 lemon
3. Add the grated zest or rind of 1 orange
4. Add the grated zest or rind of 1 lime
5. Add half a red chili very finely chopped for a spicy version
6. Add 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, from the seeds not the leaves.
7. Add 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
8. Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon Butter or margarine and sugar ready for beating

The beaten fat and sugar with eggs being beaten in one at a time

The flour has been added and now I am adding the blended pineapple

The mixture in the muffin sized cup cases ready for the oven

The pineapple cupcakes cooling on the cupcake rack.

I am going to show how I filled these later.

Thanks for reading

Pineapple Upsidedown Cupcakes

These cupcakes use the pineapple cupcake recipe for the mixture.
The photographs show the process.
Method
1. Make the basic pineapple cupcake recipe mixture and leave on one side in the mixing bowl.
2. Take a muffin baking tray and grease the cupcake spaces on the tray with butter or margarine .
3. Place half a cherry upside down in each cupcake space.
4. In a pan melt 4oz--1/2 cup of butter on a low heat
5. Weigh out 4 oz--1/2 cup of brown sugar and add to the butter
6. Cut up finely 1 cup--4oz of chopped pineapple and add to the butter and sugar. See photo above.
7.Divide the mixture out between 8 larger cupcakes or 12 smaller. Alter the quantities according to how many cupcakes you are making. See the photograph below. A non stick baking tray is useful in this recipe.
8. Now cover the pineapple mixture with the pineapple cupcakes mixture you made in the bowl. About 1 large tablespoon was suitable for my baking tray but if you have a deep baking tray you may put in more mixture. Be sure to leave room for them to expand.


Place the cupcakes in the oven for 25 to 20 minutes at gas 5, 190C, 375F

Remove and cool in the tray for 5 to 10 minutes. Loosen around the edge. Place a chopping board on top of the baking tray and hold the two together and turn over. Shake and the cupcakes should fall out onto the chopping board.

Serve warm or cold with ice cream, coconut and more fresh fruit.

Enjoy

The cupcakes turned out of the baking tray.

Upside down cupcakes with pineapple, coconut and ice cream.

These are sweet delicious. You can see mine are not very deep. If you want deep ones choose a baking tray with deep sections.

Enjoy

Thanks for reading

Rose Cupcakes

These are some cakes I saw locally, I thought they looked nice for Spring. I like the roses. This is something that I could try to make and put onto Valentines cupcakes. I could also use this idea for a special event or celebration like wedding cupcakes. I would want a better finish on the cake for a wedding cupcake but it is always worth collecting ideas and colour decoration ideas for celebrations.

Crystallized Flowers

These are the flowers after drying out. I think they look so delicate. I am going to use them soon for special cupcakes recipes. Look on previous post for the method to make these.

Crystallized Flowers

These violets are now out in our country lanes. They are such stunning little gems. I have been researching how to preserve these as they and other types of violet are edible and would look great on special cupcake recipes. I have also got some growing in my garden along with edible primrose flowers. I also have some aubretia flowers but these are not edible but a good colour to preserve. As summer comes along there will be more flowers to preserve to go on cupcakes

I used egg white powder. These are safer than raw egg white. I mixed it in a bowl and followed the instructions on the packet.

This shows very fine sugar being put onto a flower coated in egg white.

This is the set up

A bowl with mixed egg white with a paint brush to paint on the egg white.

A bowl with very fine sugar but not powder and a teaspoon. I used our castor sugar. You can also make fine sugar in an electric nut grinder.

A plate dusted in fine sugar to place the coated flowers to dry.

Method

Clean flowers by gently dusting with a paint brush.

Use a paint brush to cover the flower with the egg white. I held the flower by the stalk and brushed inside first and then I balanced the flower on my left hand whilst I painted the outer petals with a brush.

I then held the flower by the stalk over the sugar and gently sprinkled the sugar over the flower with a teaspoon on both sides.

I then put the flower on a large plate which has a light dusting of sugar.

I repeated for the other flowers and then left then for 24 hours in a hot place for them to dry out.

I then put into a plastic box to store until I use them on some cupcakes recipes.

Flowers drying out in the sun in my conservatory. A hot dry cupboard would also work well.

They look so fragile and pretty.

These will look great on some cupcakes I want to do soon.

Soap Cupcakes

When on holiday in the Lake District I bought this cupcake made from soap. It is going to go along with my cupcakes collection. I wonder how you can make these? I am going to explore and see if there is a recipe for cupcakes from soap. They look so pretty. This one has lilac seeds. They had others with dried flowers on.

Flower Cupcakes

Well Spring in the UK has felt like summer. We have had brilliant weather so I have been out rather than in. This is a shot of the moors North of Manchester with 2 Spring flowers, the daisy and dandelion. They inspired me to decorate cupcakes.

I put a basic icing on the cupcakes with icing sugar and a drop of water and a drop of yellow colouring.. This was enough as I knew the surface would be covered.

I decided to make the daisy. I rolled out some ready made white icing into a rectangle.

I used a small sharp knife to cut triangular shaped petals. I arranged these around the cupcake on top of the icing to create a daisy.

I put on a second layer of triangular petals to make the flower head on the cupcakes,

I kept going with another layer of petals to get that overlap effect. I then used some writing icing in yellow to make the small dots for the centre.

It is photographed with the hat I have been wearing in the garden. A sun hat from Spain.

I decorated the second flower cupcake with a spiral of white icing and wiggly lines of yellow writing icing to create a pattern inspired by the yellow of the dandelion.

I have been thinking about future cupcake recipes and I am planning to make some on a retro theme of English cakes and recipes . I also like the idea of doing cupcakes on the theme of India and Bhutan as I spent 2 weeks in Bhutan at Christmas and I have not yet used those ideas yet for cupcakes. So it is off to do more investigating. I have posted some recent soup, salads and English casseroles on the other blogs if you fancy a look.

The cupcake store has so many ideas too.

Thanks for reading. Crazycupcakes

Dinosaur Cupcakes

I decided I had to use up any left over Easter chocolate eggs. In my local store I got a cheap bag of dinosaurs. I have been amazed at dinosaurs all my life and when in any city I go to see their fossil collection. It is amazing to see those remains. Some of the best I have seen are in New York and Chicago. In Argentina I have seen Dinosaur eggs so this cupcake is dedicated to that extinct race of fantastic creatures.
I used a basic vanilla cupcake topped with a butter cream with lime grated in and lime juice. I added the chocolate eggs and dinosaurs.
What a great idea this would be for birthday party cupcakes for children . They all take a dinosaur home . The whole party could have a dinosaur theme. The cartoons of the Flintstones could be shown. Pin the dinosaurs tail. Pass the dinosaur parcel. Fossil foods such as T Rex burger. This could be great. Hope it gives you some ideas.
Enjoy. Thanks for reading Crazycupcakes

St George's Day Cupcakes

A decorative cupcake using red crosses on a white background for St George.

On the 23rd of April it is St George's Day. He is the Patron Saint of England. He is also the Patron Saint for Greece, Portugal and Russia. He is famous for fighting a dragon and artists have painted many pictures of this. I have based these cupcakes on the flag of Saint George which is a white background with a red cross.

The English football team have this as their flag. This is for the fans of the team.

This cupcake is for the English rugby team.

I like this cupcake without the flags it is rather abstract. I hope it gives you ideas for your own flag and saint.

A simple St Georges day cupcake decoration using red and white ready rolled icing.

I like this clean simple design which can be easily made for the day.

Again a simple cupcake design with piped red icing.

This design was made from red stick sweets cut to different lengths. It is rather like a basket weave design or a Mondrian painting.

A design using sweet sticks and a cherry. Simple but neat in design.

A cupcake with white icing and a cherry red cross for Saint Georges Day.

Shakespeare's birthday is also celebrated on this day in Stratford-on-Avon.

Easter Simnel Cupcakes Recipe

This cupcakes Easter recipe is based on a traditional cake recipe from England called a Simnel Cake. This was originally a cake given to mothers on Mothers day but is now for Easter. It is full of fruit and almond paste (often called marzipan). It has 11 marzipan balls to represent the 11 true disciples of Jesus and one is left out for Judas. I have made the recipe into 12 cupcakes for a traditional Easter cupcake with a difference for those who like tradition and also enjoy fruit, almonds and spices. I have only 11 cupcakes below I could not resist trying one.

To make the cupcakes;
Ingredients
110gm--4 oz--8 tablespoons of butter or margarine
110 gm--4 oz--3/4 cup soft brown sugar
3 eggs beaten
150 gm--5 oz--1 1/4 cups plain flour with no raising agent
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of mixed spice
350 gm--12 oz--3 cups of mixed raisins, currants, and sultanas
55 gm--2 oz--1/2 cup mixed candied peel
55 gm--2 oz--1/2 cup glace cherries
grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon of rum or brandy
1-2 tablespoons of apricot jam to glaze the cupcakes
Almond Paste Ingredients
125 gm--4 oz--1/2 cup caster sugar(fine but not powder)
125 gm--4 oz--3/4 cup ground almonds
1 egg beaten
1/2 teaspoon of real almond essence

Equipment

A cookie cutter the same diameter as the cupcake cases

Pastry brush for the melted jam

Method
To make the almond paste, place the sugar and ground almonds in a bowl. Add the essence of almond and add enough beaten egg to make a thick paste that you can knead or press together easily with your hands without it sticking then divide it into 2. Put some flour on the working surface to stop the almond paste sticking.See photo

Simnel Cakes Method

Cream the butter and sugar together by hand or with a mixer.

Add the eggs one by one and beat into the mixture

Add the flour baking powder and mix gently

Add the raisins, currants, sultanas, glace cherries, candied peel, mixed spice, lemon rind, rum or brandy and mix.

Separate the mixture into 2, I just divide in the bowl.

Put 12 large cupcases(muffin size) into a baking tray.

Divide half the mixture out into the 12 cupcases.

Now go back to the almond paste and roll out half the paste. See photos

Cut out 12 almond paste circles and place them on the top of the mixture in each cupcase.

Now go back to the cupcake mixture and divide this out between the 12 cupcakes and put it on the top of the almond paste. So you have 3 layers in a cupcake:

1. mixture

2. almond paste circle

3. mixture.

Put the cupcakes in a pre-heated oven at gas 5, 190C, 375F for 20 minutes. Do not open the oven for 15 minutes as you will stop the cooking process. I put them in the middle of my oven where I usually do cupcake recipes.

Now roll out the other half of the almond paste and cut out 12 circles and roll out 11 small balls of almond paste.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven.

Put the apricot jam into a pan and heat gently and melt. Brush the top of each cooked cupcake with melted jam.

Place a circle of almond paste on the top of each cooked cupcake.

Roll 11 balls of paste in your hands. Dip each ball into the melted jam and then put in the centre of a cupcake. One for Judas will have none.

Put the cupcakes back into the oven for 5 minutes until the almond paste has gone brown to golden but not burned.

Remove cupcakes and cool on a rack.

These can be eaten individually or sliced onto a serving plate . I have shown some ideas. These are great for those who like fruit . The main process for these traditional cupcakes are in the photos below.

Place the first circles of paste on top of the first half of the mixture. then put the second half of the mixture on the top so each cupcake has 3 layers, mixture, circle of almond paste and mixture.

Glaze the cupcakes with melted apricot jam and add on the top the circles of almond paste and the balls of almond paste on the top of the cooked cupcakes

These cupcakes are so moist and fruity. I would serve them for Easter with flowers and eggs as a centre piece for friends. I hope these give you some good ideas for cupcakes for Easter. Thanks for reading

Enjoy

Crazycupcakes

For more cupcake ideas and recipes check out the archives, labels and the cupcake store

Easter Cupcakes Ideas

Well I have just returned from a week in the English Lake District. We stayed in Grasmere, this is a shot of the lake. Walking there is superb and Words worth is buried here.
I found this cupcake door mat in the garden centre there so it is now in my hall way.

These are some shots of cupcakes for Easter and Easter displays in Grasmere shops. I think they have some good ideas for Easter cupcakes decorations with chicks, rabbits, bunnies and Spring things. Hope they give you some ideas for decorating your Easter cupcakes. Enjoy

Easter eggs and chickens with busy bees.

Easter chicks cupcakes in lemon with icing.

Some cute Easter bunnies in lemon with decoration

Some creamy looking Easter egg nests but the idea could be used for Easter egg cupcakes recipes

Remember to check out the Archives, cupcake store and labels for lots of ideas.

Thanks for reading. crazycupcakes.