Because I was so eager to show you what kind of baking adventures I've been up to, I decided to take some pictures of the cupcakes that I just made. I told you I was not having a life - well, I am. But not one that involves working hard.
Because this is going to be a very long post, I'm only going to write it in English. Very sorry Portuguese-speaking dudes and dudesses.
I must say, it took me awhile before I got brave enough to try this recipe, I mean cupcakes in general. I just thought it would be much more difficult than it is and so, I just kept postponing it.
Stupid of me, because it is one of the best things I've tried to bake. Ever. Yeah, I know. It's so good, it's almost unreal.
I must advise you though. If you are to do it, make sure you have a lot of people with you, so you're not tempted to eat them all at once.
What I like so much about cupcakes is that they're the funniest, happiest of cakes. Just looking at them makes me happy and yes, partly it's because of the possibility of eating them all, but it's more because of the colors and all the preppy little details about them.
It's a girls' thing, you wouldn't get it.
I want you to try this so very bad that I will share my recipe - which is basically the same as the ones you can find on the Internet... Shall we start?
Ingredients (for the cupcakes):
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/3 cups of flour
- 1/3 cup of milk
- 1 pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (it's better not to turn it all the way to 200 because you don't want the cupcakes to lose all the moist). Start placing your cupcake tray, and put the paper cups inside each hole of the tray - I didn't do that in this case because the size of the paper cups were way too big for the tray, but they look so much better if you do it as the recipe suggests.
In a mixing bowl cream together the sugar and the butter. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract and cream together to a smooth mixture. Add all the dry ingredients and slowly add the milk and mix everything to combine.
Pour the dough in each cup and take it to the oven. Bake cupcakes for about 15 minutes. I think it doesn't need more than that, just keep an eye on them and once you see they are dry from the inside, they're done. Take them out and allow them to dry and cool off.
Now here's the fun bit, which allows you to be a bit creative.
This one time I wanted to try something different and so I started putting jam (raspberry) on the inside. It's pretty easy - just cut tiny circles on the middle and a bit deep and place the jam.
These are the paper cups I used, not the best as they absorb all the fat very rapidly. Better to try metal ones perhaps.
Well, there's just the frosting missing. It involves some technique, nothing that time won't teach you.
Ingredients:
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1/2 cup of raspberry jam
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 450 gr. powdered sugar
- fresh raspberries, strawberries, or any other berries of your taste (optional)
- pinch of salt
To make the frosting combine together all the frosting ingredients except the fresh fruit. Add the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (I just used a spoon). Top with a strawberry on top.
And voilá, they're done. Hope you give it a try!
