Coffee & Pecan Cupcakes

Cupcake!

 So! The Recipe! Well. I packed up all the cupcakes and sent them off... And then I made some more. Because I wanted cupcakes and there were none left. And guess what? This time, I made the coffee chocolate crème before I began with the cupcakes, and it thickened and set beautifully! And these cupcakes were much, much more yummier! For the first batch of cupcakes, I used the step-by-step Butter-and-sugar, then eggs, then flour and flavours method, but for the second batch, I used the all in one method, and I was done so much quicker. Also, For the first batch, because the crème did not set enough (I lack patience), I mixed in extra blitzed nuts. Today, I didn't bother, because there was no need. I did, however, add extra into the cake mixture to balance the coffee, and to make up for the lack of nuts in the crème. I also used a Philadelphia/cream icing for the top today, which is much smoother, and tasted better (I think, anyway), so I'll mention that recipe, however, if you do want to use the mascarpone-cream frosting recipe, head over to my Tiramisu cupcakes post, and you'll find that recipe there.
(Also, the coffee-chocolate crème recipe and idea is shamelessly stolen from the episode of Sweets Made Simple by Kitty Hope and Mark Greenwood) (I have no regrets.)

COFFEE AND PECAN CUPCAKES
Makes approximately 18

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE CAKE:
4oz Baking butter
4oz Caster sugar
4oz Self-Raising Flour
1tsp Baking powder
3oz Pecans, Blitzed
3tsp Instant coffee, dissolved in 2tsp boiling water
2oz Grated dark chocolate
2tsp Vanilla extract

FOR THE COFFEE CREME:
4tbsp Coffee and Chicory essence
3tbsp Cold water
2tbsp Light soft brown sugar
100g Milk chocolate, broken into pieces.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
142ml Double/whipping cream
140g Philadelphia
1tsp Vanilla extract
Icing sugar to sweeten.

METHOD:
FOR THE COFFEE CREME:

1. Place coffee and chicory in a small saucepan. Add in the water and sugar and bring to a boil, stirring. lower the heat and let simmer for 1 minute.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate, whisking until melted and well combined.
3. Let it cool slightly, and then place into the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, until thickened and set slightly.

FOR THE CAKE:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, chocolate and pecans. Add in butter, eggs, vanilla extract and coffee, and beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes, until well combined.
2. Divide into cupcake cases, putting in enough batter so that they're 3/4 full.
3. Bake on Gas Mark 5 (Moderately hot) for 15-18 minutes, until they have risen well and the skewer comes out clean.
4. Leave to cool.
5. Once cooled, carefully cut a circle into the top of each cake. Lift out gently and place a spoonful of crème into each, replacing with the cut out cake. Press in gently. (It may ooze out a little, but that doesn't matter, it'll get covered with the frosting.)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir gently until combined. Whisk in medium/high speed until thickened. It will still have a slightly soft consistency. Do not over whip, as it may split.
2. Place in a piping bag with a star nozzle, and pipe over each cupcake.
3. Decorate cupcakes with whole pecans, dust with cocoa, or leave plain. It's up to you, really, whatever suits your fancy.

This process may seem slightly lengthy, but its worth it, I swear. The whole process, took me two hours- more or less- from start to finish, including clean up, breakfast, and various other chores. Making the frosting whilst the cakes are cooking saves time, and the best thing is, you don't need to let the cakes cool completely before filling them with the crème, and by the time you're done doing that, they're cooled enough for the frosting, because the crème is chilled enough to cool the cupcake.
I think cupcakes make such wonderful wedding favours, don't you?

They remind me of 99p flake ice-cream cones for some reason.

(My blogger is messing up again. It's not letting me add any pictures. I'll try again later. However, you can find picures on my Instagram page, @emmyjay19 , and on my twitter page, @MyraJay7 if you wish.)
EDIT: Ok, pictures working again.

Cupcakes...

My father requested that I make cupcakes for him to share with his work colleagues. Well, of course I jumped at the opportunity to try out a new recipe... but then I was stumped. What flavours should I go for? What should go in the middle? What should they be topped with? I don't want to do something dull and boring, because, to be honest, baking generic, dull things is tedious and mind-numbingly boring, and extremely off putting. If I want to make something, I want it to be exciting! It has to be original, new, different, wonderful!... otherwise what's the point?
... I think I'm going to go with coffee and pecan.
Yes, yes, that's quite generic and so normal, quite a classic, I know, I know. But I have to take into consideration the recipients of said cupcakes, while they're not old, shrivelled up dried prunes that enjoy nothing more that looking down their noses at all thing experimental and new, they're probably not going to appreciate something crazy such as black pepper and honey, or earl grey and orange. And my father finds the colour of red velvet absolutely repulsive. same goes for blue velvet, purple, or green. He's not a fan of strange, or vibrant coloured food. (He once told me that the brown colour of chocolate ice-cream was off-putting, and therefore made it look unpalatable. I was left bemused and temporarily speechless.) But. Generic though the flavour combinations may be, I guarantee you my cupcakes will be opposite. (Fingers firmly crossed!)
I plan on making them tomorrow. For the cupcakes, I intend to loosely follow the recipe for the tiramisu cupcakes, adding into it ground pecans. After the cakes are done, I shall cut of some of the top and add a filling of coffee and chocolate crème. And as for the topping, well, I've not decided yet. Maybe I'll go for a mascarpone frosting, or a white chocolate frosting with a dash of coffee, topped with the classic pecan half? hmm. I don't want to add so much coffee so as to overbalance the taste of pecan, but then again, if its a coffee cupcake, it should really taste of coffee. I don't know. I'll wing it when the time comes!
So hopes on line for tomorrow! I shall post my results. And pictures...

UPDATE:
I decided to get an early start today; make the cakes, then pop to Asda while they cool for mascarpone and cream... so I prepped my ingredients, and put the butter and sugar in the Kenwood to cream... and then discovered I had no cupcake cases left, except garish pink ones with hearts and heels that are truly an eyesore. So a trip to Asda for five ingredients turned into an hour long trip that resulted in us coming back with half the week's shopping, and many other things besides.
Anyway, the cakes are done and cool, (and taste yummy according to my mother) and I'm just waiting for the crème to chill and set slightly, so I can finish filling and decorating the cupcakes. I'm sorely tempted to put the damn thing in the quick freeze, it's taking that long. I knew I should have done that first!
Aw hell, I'm putting it in the quick freeze. Fingers crossed it doesn't form ice crystals and turn into a gelato-sorbette hybrid.


UPDATE (LATER STILL..)
Whooooo they taste great! And they look pretty darn good too. I made 20 for my father's colleagues, as requested, and there were a few extra besides, which are all gone now. (Majority were scoffed by my younger siblings as soon as they returned from school.) All that's left to do is pack them up into individual cupcake boxes to be sent off tomorrow, but I've left that bit for morning, because I find that the cupcakes tend to absorb the smell of cardboard if left in the boxes too long.
Overall, they're a pretty darn good take on the classic coffee and walnut cake, if the reactions (and empty plates) are anything to go by. My momma has already requested that I make more so she can 'enjoy them with her cuppa.' I shall post the recipe tomorrow. Or whenever I can. Which will hopefully be soon...

Sweets? Hmmm

Confectionary...? My thoughts on 'Sweets Made Simple'
In all my years of cooking and baking (since I was seven), I have rarely attempted sweets. In fact, it was only once, when I made sticky chocolate fudge. Sticky, even though it wasn't meant to be, because I used milk chocolate instead of dark. In all fairness, I was nine years old. Sweets have never appealed to me. Even now, sugary penny sweets and jelly Haribo cola bottles make me cringe. So when 'The Biscuit Tin' told me to watch 'Sweets Made Simple', I made a half-assed intention to watch it later. Having got a chance about a week later, I watched it. It was what I expected, big pretty kitchen done up in twee pastels (imagine Morticia Addams going 'Pastellsss? with that eyebrow raise), little round man with a fancy moustache, pretty lady wearing polka dots melting chocolate, making lots of 'mmm' noises and calling each other cute names such as 'Mr. Gee' and 'Miss H'... I was surprised to find, in this instance, that it worked. Boy did it just. The episode is studded with random and interesting bits of trivia, and contains recipes and ideas that are certainly intriguing.
First up was 'English Almond Butter Toffee'. This recipe certainly sounds and looks delicious, if a bit generic. After all, who hasn't made toffee? Sugar, butter, chocolate, almonds... pretty generic right? But by no means should it be dismissed. However, I wanted to discover something more interesting. And interesting it did get. The second recipe featured beautiful 'Seashell Caramels', rich dark chocolate, creamy looking salted caramel, and white chocolate to complete them. I'll certainly be trying them out! The third recipe, though, is one that really intrigued me: 'Popcorn Espresso Macchiato Balls'. Although it irks me to say this, I've never thought of putting coffee with popcorn! Honey and chilli, certainly, maple and cinnamon, butter, vanilla syrup, toffee, salted popcorn... I've made and eaten and definitely enjoyed them all... but coffee? No, never. So that struck me as particularly interesting. And the part of the programme I absolutely loved (although it wasn't directly related to sweets) was the coffee brewery, Volcano coffee situated in South East London, one of UK's top artisan coffee makers. When they started talking about coffee tasting, I wanted to tumble headlong through the screen and join in. Sadly, technology hasn't made it that far yet, but I have high hopes... Anyway, buttery popcorn balls with white chocolate and melted marshmallows, and a sprinkle of ground coffee? That certainly looks and sounds fantastic. I'm itching to give these a go! 
The fourth recipe was one for 'Gin and Lime Truffles', made with dark chocolate. As a person who does not drink or ingest alcohol at all, the intricacies of the flavours of this recipe were lost on me. For those of you who do ingest alcohol, I'll just leave the link here for you to try.
The fifth and final recipe looked delightful: 'Raspberry Marshmallows' I can just imagine how it tastes, the sweet marshmallows with wonderful bursts of tangy fresh raspberries... mmm. The one thing I wondered at was, by serving marshmallow slices with a white chocolate sauce, wouldn't it all be overwhelmingly, sickeningly sweet? Well, I'll just have to try it and see.
Overall, I was surprised by how much I actually  enjoyed the pastel shaded vintage 'twee-ness' of this programme, from the lovely fairy-tale like kitchen, to the lovely couple's outfits, and of course, not forgetting the brilliant recipes. I eagerly await the second episode. It certainly promises to be something!
It is definitely time to invest in a sugar thermometer...

Coffee, Almond & Plum Swiss Roll

Coffee, almond and plum... What are your opinions on this flavour combination?
It is strange, I grant you. Strange, but by no means unheard of, although all the recipes I stumbled across during my (very) brief Google search seem to be of German origin. Of course, it being a strange combination, I had to try it. Luckily, we have, at the moment, an abundance of plums.
I decided to make a coffee and almond flavoured Swiss roll with a whipped cream and plum filling. The responses were... well, varied, to say the least. My mother outright rebelled at the idea of putting anything fruit in a coffee sponge, but she quite enjoyed the result. My brother pronounced it 'yuck' at first bite, although I’m still not sure whether it was him 'rebelling' at the lack of butter cream or genuine dislike. Others pronounced it delicious. My sister, upon taking the first mouthful, immediately put down her fork, pronouncing it was 'not for me!' And I? Well, I quite liked it. I loved the sweetness of the sponge and the contrasting bitter coffee, the slight crunch of almonds, the smooth sweetened  fresh cream, and the sharp notes of plum cutting through it all, leaving you wanting to taste it all over again... but then, I’ve always liked strange flavours. I’ll just throw the recipe out here, and leave it up to you to decide, if you do feel intrigued enough to attempt it. It’s rather simple, made with minimal ingredients and with a minimal cooking time.

COFFEE, ALMOND AND PLUM SWISS ROLL:

SPONGE:
3 eggs
3oz (75g) Caster Sugar
3oz (75g) Self-Raising Flour
2oz (50g) Ground Almonds
2tbsp Coffee granules dissolved in 1tbsp boiling water

FILLING:
Whipping Cream (About one small tub)
Approximately 2tbsp Icing sugar, according to one's taste.
4-5 Plums, chopped. (The plums I used were quite small, being garden plums. If the plums you use are bigger, simply reduce the amount.)

METHOD

1. Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and frothy.
2. Add in the coffee, making sure its cooled.
3. Gently stir in flour and ground almonds, taking care not to knock all the air out of the mixture.
4. Pour into a lined Swiss roll tin.
5. Bake at Gas Mark 6 for 7-9 minutes, no more otherwise it will be dry and crack when rolling.
6. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
7. To make the filling, whip the cream with the sugar until it just about holds its shape. Retain a little to decorate, fold chopped plums  into the rest.
8. Spread onto the Swiss roll sponge, and then roll up gently.
9. Decorate with cream rosettes and flaked almonds if one so wishes, or simply dust with icing sugar.

Best of luck, and DO let me know your opinions!

Tiramisu Cake with Mascarpone Cream Frosting

Its here somewhere amid old recipe
 books, bottles of vanilla, and novelty
cupcake cases.

This recipe is one that has become a firm family favourite. From an old magazine that my mother acquired when she came to the UK back in the '90's, the yellowing pages still languish among the old recipe books and cut outs on the little shelf in the pantry. Since then it has copied into recipe books, typed, printed, and passed on to a dozen or so people, and now I'll post it on here. Wonderful with an afternoon cuppa, this tiramisu cake makes an appearance on almost every occasion, and many times besides.
This cake is flavoured with coffee granules dissolved in water and good quality grated dark chocolate. It is drizzled with coffee syrup or a coffee liquor whilst still warm, and then sandwiched and covered with a creamy mascarpone topping and decorated with  flake. This recipe can either be made into cupcakes (which yields 24) or a standard sized round sandwiched cake.

TIRAMISU CAKE WITH MASCARPONE CREAM FROSTING



CAMP's chicory & coffee essence.

SPONGE:
175g (6oz) Baking Butter
 175g (6oz) Caster Sugar
175g (6oz) Self-Raising Flour
1&1/2tsp Baking Powder
3 Eggs lightly beaten
20ml (4tsp) instant coffee dissolved in 2tsp boiling water
85g (3oz) Plain (Dark) Chocolate, grated
Coffee flavoured Liquor  (or alternatively, for a non-alcoholic option, I use Camp’s Chicory and Coffee Essence)

METHOD:

1. Place baking butter in mixing bowl with caster sugar. sieve in flour and baking powder. add eggs, coffee and chocolate and beat well for 1-3 minutes until smooth.
2. Grease two round cake tins. divide the mixture equally between the two, levelling the top for an equal rise.
3. Place in preheated oven at gas mark 3, and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until done.
4. Once out of oven, drizzle coffee liquor (or chicory and coffee essence) onto each cake and leave to cool before removing from pans.

TOPPINGS:
Mascarpone cream frosting
Cocoa powder for dusting
Cadbury’s Flake chocolate

MASCARPONE CREAM FROSTING:
2x 250g (9oz) Mascarpone Cheese
85g (3oz) Icing Sugar
1/2tsp Vanilla Extract
90ml (6tbsp) Single or Double Cream

METHOD:

1. Beat together cheese, cream, icing sugar, and vanilla until smooth and thick. Be wary of overbeating as it could curdle and split. 
2. Sandwich the two sponges with a generous layer of frosting.
3. Spread frosting on the sides of the sandwiched sponge, and then gently lift cake and roll in crushed flake, until the sides are evenly coated. Alternatively, you can pour crushed flake around the sides, although I find that the rolling method provides a neater and more even coverage.
4. Place cake on a serving plate and spread the remaining frosting on top. Decorate with chunks of flakes, and then dust with cocoa.

Here they are in cupcake form. Strangely, (for the amount of times its been made) I seem
to be lacking pictures of it in a sandwiched cake form.

Author's note: The cake can be decorated however you fancy. The icing can be piped, spread all around the sides and on top, or only on top, the cake can be drizzled with chocolate, or can be patterned with a fork, which looks very nice too. Its up to you how much (or little) you want to do.