Sticky Toffee Pudding Cupcakes {The Great Denby Cake-Off}

September 13, 2014September 26, 2014 What Jessica Baked Next71 Comments

I’ve always LOVED sticky toffee pudding, but I wanted to give this classic recipe a twist. So I decided to make a cupcake, perfect for a afternoon tea. This recipe is everything quintessentially British, it’s sweet, sticky and scrumptious. If you’ve never tried it before, then you’re seriously missing out!

This recipe came about because last weekend I received a lovely email from Denby regarding a competition called the ‘Cake-Off‘. If you didn’t know already, Denby is an English pottery company, they create the most beautiful and mesmerising bowls, plates and different crockery that is high-quality and simply stunning. The Cake Off is to celebrate the current series of the GBBO (Great British Bake Off), which is airing in the UK at the moment. So when I read the email, asking me to take part, I jumped at the chance! So here is my bake, which I hope you will all love!

These cupcakes are fun, sweet and look super cute! They’re are just as good as the classic and are perfectly moist, molasses-y, sweet and melt in the mouth good. I’ve also created a toffee buttercream, which again is totally addictive, I could easily eat it by the spoonful…

The recipe would be perfect for any afternoon tea spread, I love to decorate with fudge cubes and even more sauce! The sauce compliments the sponge and adds a little bit extra indulgence!

Ingredients- (Makes 12 Cupcakes)

150g of pitted dates

70g of unsalted butter, softened

150g of light brown sugar

2 large free-range eggs, at room temperature

1/2 tsp of vanilla bean paste or 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

150g of self-raising flour, sifted

1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda

Toffee Sauce-

115g of unsalted butter, cubed

115g of light brown sugar

140ml of double cream

Toffee Buttercream-

100g of unsalted butter, soft

150g of icing sugar, sifted

4-5 tbsp of homemade toffee sauce or readymade dulce de leche (caramel)

Method-

1. To make the cupcakes: Soak the dates in 150ml of boiling water for 20 minutes. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together for 5 minutes, until really light and fluffy. Then add the eggs, one by one and mix on a low speed until just combined. Then add the flour and mix until there no are lumps of flour left and the cake mixture is smooth. Break up the dates in the water and add all the date liquid/mixture to the batter.

2. Scoop evenly into 12 cupcake cases and bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees C Fan until nice and golden and make sure a cake tester comes out completely clean. Once cooked, cool in the tin for a few minutes, then carefully remove and cool fully on wire rack.

3. For the toffee sauce: Make the toffee sauce by placing the butter, sugar and cream in a saucepan, heat gently and stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Then carefully pour into a bowl and place into the fridge until needed (chill for at least an hour before making the buttercream.)

4. For the buttercream: In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the icing sugar with the softened butter for 5 minutes or until really pale and fluffy. Then on a low speed add your desired amount of toffee sauce- don’t add too much as you don’t want the icing to be too runny. Fill a piping bag fitted with your favourite nozzle (I used a small open star-tip) and pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes.

Finish with chopped walnuts or fudge pieces and make sure you serve each cupcake with extra sauce!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Baking · Cakes · Cupcakes

Eton Mess Cupcakes

May 10, 2014May 10, 2014 What Jessica Baked Next131 Comments

Eton Mess has to be my all time favourite dessert especially in the Summer months. It’s the kind of dessert that’s the epitome of Summer for me. Sweet fresh strawberries mixed with crumbled meringue and freshly whipped cream. If that doesn’t sound like the MOST heavenly thing on earth, then I don’t know what does! And as I love being creative and experimenting with new recipes, I thought I would combine my favourite all-time Summer dessert into cupcake form! This is a fun, delicious cupcake recipe that will definitely become a hit once you try it! Enjoy everyone and have a great weekend!

Vanilla Sponge Cupcakes-

150g of unsalted butter, really soft

150g of golden caster sugar

Good splash of pure Vanilla extract (approx. 1 tsp)

3 large free-range eggs, at room temperature

150g of self-raising flour, sifted Enough ice cold water, to loosen mixture- A friend of mine gave me this tip- the water makes the cake lighter!

Vanilla Buttercream-

150g of unsalted butter, softened

300g of icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp of vanilla bean paste

Toppings & decoration-

Crumbled Meringue pieces

Fresh Strawberries

Method-

1. To make the cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with paper cases. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs and mix through thoroughly. Now fold in the sifted flour and add just enough water to loosen the mixture a little.

2. Distribute the batter between the cupcake cases- I like to use an ice cream scoop, as this way I know all the cupcakes are the same size and will bake evenly. Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until nice and risen and a cake tester comes out completely clean. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then remove and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.

3. For the buttercream & decoration: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, icing sugar and vanilla. Starting on low speed, cream together for a few seconds, then turn the speed up to medium and beat the mixture for 5 minutes until light and really creamy and pale in colour. Once the buttercream is ready, fit a piping bag with your favourite nozzle- I went for a large star tip. Then fill the bag with the buttercream. Pipe a nice swirl onto each cupcake, then crumble over a little meringue and finish with a fresh strawberry.

ENJOY!

Baking · Cakes · Chocolate · Cupcakes

Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

December 7, 2013June 14, 2018 What Jessica Baked Next40 Comments

Chocolate chip cupcakes with orange zest topped with chocolate orange buttercream. Zesty, chocolatey and the perfect treat anytime!

These cupcakes are one of my favourite bakes on the blog. They are by far one of the most popular recipes with my readers and they always get rave reviews! What I love most about this chocolate orange buttercream is that it suits two varieties of cupcakes, my choice for you is a beautifully simple vanilla cupcake filled with fresh orange zest and chips/chunks of dark or milk chocolate. Or you can sit this luscious buttercream atop a classic chocolate cupcake, with it’s glorious fudgy texture and rich dark chocolate flavour. I’ve made this buttercream and used to decorate both types of cupcakes I described above, so pick whichever one you like!

If you love the chocolate orange combo then this cupcake recipe is for you! Rich and buttery cupcakes exploding with tangy orange zest, creamy milk chocolate chips and vanilla. After baking the cupcakes are decorated with a gorgeous (and pretty addictive!) chocolate orange buttercream, which I could happily devour by the spoonful. The batter is like the cupcake version of cookie dough!

The recipe all starts with an easy cupcake batter. I use a trusty sponge cupcake batter which I have made ever since I started baking. The only change I’ve made is I like to milk chocolate chips or chunks along with orange zest to the mix. They give the cupcakes are beautiful zesty and gooey chocolatey flavour in each bite. But if you’re a chocoholic, you can try this recipe using my chocolate fudge cupcakes.

Decorate these amazing cupcake anyway you like! I love topping each cupcake with a chocolate orange segment as a finishing touch and festive sprinkles.

(Makes 12)

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

150g unsalted butter, softened

150g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large free-range eggs, at room temperature

1 large orange, zested

100g milk chocolate chips or chunks

150g self-raising flour, sifted – or the same amount of flour + 2 teaspoons of baking powder

2-3 tablespoons milk

Chocolate Orange Buttercream:

150g butter, softened

250g-300g icing sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

157g orange flavoured chocolate, melted and cooled slightly (this is one whole chocolate orange)

2-3 tablespoons double cream or milk

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F / 160 Fan / Gas Mark 4. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases.

2. To make the cupcakes: In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, sugar and vanilla. Cream until really light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one and beat to combine. Toss the chocolate chips/chunks in about a tablespoon of the flour and mix – this will stop the chocolate chips sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes. Add the flour, and chocolate along with the orange zest and mix to combine. Adjust the consistency of the batter with milk.

3. Scoop the cupcake batter into the paper cases and then bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Once cooked all the way through, allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes or until they’re cool enough to touch, then transport to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. To make the buttercream: Melt the chocolate in advance and leave to cool very slightly. In a stand mixer beat the butter, icing and vanilla together on medium to high speed for 5-7 minutes until light and creamy. Add the melted chocolate along with the cream and mix until combined.

5. Put the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with your favourite nozzle. Pipe the buttercream onto each cupcake, then decorate as desired.

Enjoy!

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Baking · Cakes · Chocolate · Cupcakes

Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes

September 28, 2013August 10, 2018 What Jessica Baked Next3 Comments

Decadent chocolate fudge cupcakes with a moist crumb, topped with salted caramel buttercream. You’ll find it hard to stop eating these!

(Recipe and blog post updated September 2016)

I originally shared this recipe in October 2013. It remains one of my favourite cupcake recipes. I made these cupcakes three whole years ago for my grandad’s birthday. This was one of the first recipes I shared on my blog all that time ago. I’ve kept the concept of the original recipe the same, but I’ve made a few alterations, which I believe have made these cupcakes even more delicious.

So what makes these chocolate cupcakes special? I think the reason these cupcakes stand out from the other recipes I have tried is because this particular recipe incorporates melted dark chocolate into the batter. Sounds silly, right? But a fair share of chocolate cupcake recipes only call for cocoa powder, which is ok, but for me cocoa powder alone doesn’t pack that real chocolate flavour punch, you need a touch of dark chocolate in there for the strong chocolate taste. Also, the addition of coffee in the cupcake batter is a must! Coffee helps to bring out the chocolate flavour, but if you’re not a fan of mocha flavour or are making the cupcakes for kids/non coffee lovers, then you can leave it out and just use boiling water instead.

Another thing I changed to the original recipe is this time I added caramel to the buttercream. The first time I shared the recipe I topped the cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and drizzled each cupcake with caramel. This new version is a cheat’s recipe, I’m not even ashamed to admit that I use readymade caramel/dulce de leche, but if you have homemade you can definitely use that.

Decoration is where the fun begins! I like to decorate by drizzling each cupcake with extra caramel and some cubes of dairy fudge or chewy caramel candy/sweets. Feel free to scatter over some chocolate or sprinkles as well!

(Makes 12)

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cupcakes:

85g (3 ounces) dark chocolate, finely chopped

40g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules or powder (optional)

180ml (3/4 cup) boiling water

105g (3/4 cup) bread flour (can be substituted with plain/all-purpose flour)

150g (3/4 cup) caster or granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt

1/2 teaspoon (3g) bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large free-range eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Salted Caramel Buttercream:

150g (2/3 cup) salted butter, softened

375g icing sugar, sifted

100g (3.5 ounces) caramel or dulce de leche

Pinch of salt

Method:

To make the cupcakes: Place the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder and coffee granules/powder (if using) in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the boiling water over and whisk until smooth and all the chocolate has melted. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C / 160 Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and bicarbonate of soda until thoroughly combined. Whisk the oil, eggs, vinegar and vanilla into the now cooled chocolate mixture. Finally, add the dry ingredients and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
Divide the batter between the paper cases – I find using an ice cream scoop best for doing this as it makes less mess. Bake for 17-19 minutes or until the cupcakes are well risen and a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre. Leave to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes then transport to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
To make the buttercream: Once the cupcakes are cool, make your buttercream. Cream the softened butter until smooth. Add half the icing sugar and mix to combine. Add the remaining half of the icing sugar and beat again until throughly incorporated. Now continue to beat the butter and icing sugar together for about 5-7 minutes until it’s fluffy and a light pale colour. Make sure you scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
Finally, add the caramel/dulce de leche along with the salt and beat until combined. Adjust consistency of the buttercream with the double cream/milk. Taste the buttercream and add more salt if you’d like. Frost the cupcakes as desired. Decorate the cupcakes with an extra drizzle of caramel, fudge/caramels, chocolate or sprinkles.

Recipe Notes:

Bread flour can be substituted with regular plain/all-purpose flour. The bread flour has a higher gluten content and produces a denser, more even structured cupcake.
This recipe calls for caster or granulated sugar. I’m based in the UK and caster sugar is the most commonly used sugar in baking. It’s a superfine sugar and dissolves better than granulated sugar.
Prior to making the buttercream, I recommend leaving the butter out overnight at room temperature to soften. The softer the butter, the creamier and smoother your buttercream will be.
I used a large closed star tip nozzle to pipe the buttercream onto these cupcakes.
Decorated cupcakes will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I don’t think cupcakes have ever lasted that long in our house!

Enjoy!

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