Despite winter being about six weeks away here in Australia it is still warm and sunny every day. And if you’re reading this from a town shivering in the cold due to blizzard/rain/wind/sleet you are probably completely envious. But I am so over the heat! Most days, such as today, are hot and I am still desperately waiting for autumn to make an appearance. Continue reading
Look at the pretty blueberries in these cupcakes. They really are nature’s work of art. I have found a frozen brand of Australian-grown blueberries that I am happy with and always ensure I have a bag in the freezer. I bake with them, the Hungry Dad makes Bircher muesli with them, Miss-now-8 adds them to Greek yogurt and Miss9 is happy to eat a bowl of them for a snack #winning
At the moment in Sydney fresh blueberries are plentiful so you can take your pick when making them delectable blueberry cupcakes with blueberry cream cheese frosting (or cream cheese icing, for my fellow Aussies).
Fresh or frozen works fine and if you opt for frozen there is no need to defrost first.
These blueberry cupcakes are really moist and the Greek yoghurt adds a lovely tang. Try not to eat all the frosting / icing before you ice the cakes – a real danger #OrIsThatJustMe
GATHER:
120g unsalted butter, softened
½ cup caster sugar
1 2/3 cups self-raising flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup Greek yogurt cream
1 cup blueberries (frozen is fine)
Icing:
180g unsalted butter, softened
250g cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups pure icing sugar, sifted
¼ cup blueberries, extra
LET’S GET TO IT:
Preheat oven to 190°C and line a cupcake pan with wrappers.
In bowl of electric mixer beat butter, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until fluffy and pale – about three minutes.
Scrape down bowl with a spatula then add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined.
Beat in half the flour, then half the yogurt, then rest of flour then rest of yogurt. Using a silver spoon gently stir in the blueberries.
Fill the wrappers two-thirds full and bake for 15-ish minutes or until a skewer inserted into a cake has only a few crumbs clinging to it.
Remove to wire rack too cool completely.
Meanwhile, make icing: In bowl of electric mixer beat cream cheese, vanilla and butter together until pale and creamy – about two minutes. With beater on low beat in icing sugar then increase speed to medium and beat until thoroughly combined. Use a silver spoon to stir through and break up most of the berries, leaving enough for decoration. Scrape icing into ziplock bag, snip off the corner and pipe icing onto cake, then top each one with a single blueberry.
This post is a mash-up of two recipes from books currently sitting on my bench. Like many people reading cookbooks – specifically, baking books that consist mostly of sweet bakes, rather than bread – is my Thing. Continue reading
I have baked many, many cakes in my time but nothing has even come close to the reaction I received when I presented this piñata cake. Continue reading
I love the reaction I get when I put out a platter of whoopie pies. As they aren’t that well known in Australia, people usually ask what they are (‘what do you call this, Darl?’). The usual reaction upon being told is one of mirth and general happiness, and everyone feels the need to repeat it (‘Whoopie pies!’) Continue reading
I blog almost nothing but sweet things but truth be told I do not have a sweet tooth. I crave savoury things, with a specific nod to the cheese family. Give me brie or give me death.
Many of my fav desserts – which I daren’t make lest I scoff the lot – have a cheese element: tiramisu, baked cheesecake, red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, cheese platter…
I have new cheese-esque addition to the top dessert list after recently baking this incredibly easy and delicious ricotta and honey tart. Continue reading
Lemon is lovely, don’t you agree? I adore baking with citrus – the aroma of a zested lime or lemon coupled with the scent of general baking is amazing.
I recently found myself with a glut of lemons after my mum-in-law gave us a basket full from her tree. This recipe only used one of countless lemons but the freshness of these lemons really lifted the taste. Continue reading
Like most people I love a lazy Sunday morning – the type of day when you can sleep-in then stay in your jammies for hours. Like most people we are always go go GO so a lazy Sunday is a rare event. Last weekend we managed to sneak in a slow start. The cherry on top of a relaxed morning at home is a delicious breakfast that you would never usually have time for. Continue reading
So, exciting news sports fans: Miss9’s soccer team will be playing at half-time of tonight’s Matilda’s game! For those that aren’t into soccer, the Matildas are the Australian national soccer team and they are playing Vietnam tonight at a stadium half an hour away. Miss9’s team will take to the field at half-time to play a short game. Yippee!
To keep energy levels up I have made these brown sugar cookies for the team (Miss9’s, not the Matildas!). I have made brown sugar bickies many times but they have never been as good as these. Continue reading
Apples, eh? Something that looks shiny and crisp at the markets can turn out to be a fraud when bitten into. Soft. Floury. Bruised. That was our experience after being swindled at a farmer’s market recently. Before I continue let me say that I adore farmer’s markets and the farmers that produce our food. I have no idea how fraudulent apple man managed to get a stand at these popular markets but he did. Money was exchanged. Apples were bought. Disappointment on one side of this transaction ensued.
So there we were – a fruit bowl full of dud apples that Misses 7 and 9 kept boomeranging back from school each day.
If you are a follower of this blog or know me in the real world you would know that my instant reaction was to turn these fraudulent apples into a cake. Continue reading
the hungry mum 