buttercream icing – Feasting Is Fun

While thinking of what to name this blog, I wanted to express, succinctly, what cooking, baking, eating and sharing meant to me. Feasting is fun sums all of these things up perfectly. Eating a slice of toasted, homemade bread generously spread with butter, for breakfast is a feast in itself. As much as sitting around a groaning, food laden Christmas dinner table, laughing at cracker jokes with family and friends. While adding a twist to recipes that brings the unexpected. Fun! Maltesers Popping Candy Cupcakes fulfill everything Feasting is Fun stands for.

Cupcake – an entire cake to yourself

Vanilla sponge cupcakes topped with a swirl of vanilla buttercream and finished with a trio of Maltesers and a sprinkling of chocolate covered popping candy. A pretty, sweet treat that delivers a fun surprise. Popping candy is such a fun addition to any bake. Especially if you don’t warn those parting in this feast. Food that is fun is certainly the best kind.

Since these cupcakes are so easy to make, with no complicated techniques, they can be whipped up, literally, in moments. The recipe makes 12 cupcakes, which is perfect for a quick bake. Yet, it is easily doubled to cater for larger celebrations, such as birthday parties, or cheering up work colleagues on a Monday morning. Most of all, they are utterly delicious, with extra fun sprinkled on.

While the suggestion isn’t to bake and eat cupcakes everyday, I also strongly believe that a special occasion is not the only reason needed to make and eat them. Coffee mornings, the end or indeed middle of an audit at work, showing appreciation, are all good reasons to bake. Most especially bake these fun, tasty, flavour exploding cupcakes.

Recipe: Maltesers Popping Candy Cupcakes makes 12

Cupcakes:

100g/4oz Unsalted Butter softened to room temperature

100g/4oz Caster Sugar

1/8tsp Salt – I use Maldon

1tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

3 Large Free Range Eggs

100g/4oz Plain White Flour

1tsp Baking Powder

Buttercream:

300g/12oz Icing Sugar

1tsp Vanilla Extract

175g/6oz Unsalted Butter at room temperature

1.5tbsp Very Hot Water

Maltesers and Chocolate Covered Popping Candy to decorate.

Method: Preheat oven to 160C/140C fan, 325F, gas mark 3.

A quick note: When using coloured cupcake cases it really is worth choosing a good make. The cases used here are from a mixed set by Kitchen Craft. During the baking process they do not bleach and lose their colour. Also, I recommend a #2D drop flower decorating tip available from Wilton. This tip creates deep swirls when piping and is ideal for creating a piped rose.

Making the cupcakes

First of all, line a deep cupcake or muffin tin with cupcake cases.
Next into a large bowl add the butter, sugar and salt. Whisk until fully combined, light and creamy.
Add the vanilla extract and whisk thoroughly.
Now add the eggs, flour and baking powder. Whisk slowly until everything has come together and no lumps are present. Over whisking will create a tough cake crumb.
Scoop a dessert spoonful of cake batter into each cupcake case.
Place the cupcakes into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

FF Maltesers Popping Candy Cupcakes — Making the vanilla cupcake batter.

The cupcakes are baked when they are golden in colour and spring back from a light touch.
As soon as they are baked remove from the oven.
Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack.
While the cupcakes are cooling make the buttercream frosting.

Making the frosting and decorating the cupcakes

Into a large bowl add the icing sugar, butter, vanilla and hot water. Whisk together until very light and creamy.
Transfer the whipped buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a #2D Wilton piping tip.

As soon as the cupcakes are completely cooled they can be decorated.
Starting in the centre of a cupcake pipe a swirl in the shape of an ‘e’. Continue round creating a rose. Continue piping around and up for a deeper buttercream topping.
Place 3 Maltesers on to each cupcake.
Finally, sprinkle chocolate covered popping candy over the buttercream.

During warmer weather place the cupcakes into the fridge for an hour. Allowing the frosting to set. Especially if you plan to transport them.

Serve as they are, with a smile.

Store in an airtight container and eat within 5 days. During warmer weather keep refrigerated.

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Maltesers Popping Candy Cupcakes you may also like these:

Caramac Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes

Coconut White Chocolate Snowball Cupcakes

Coconut White Chocolate Cupcakes — Coconut White Chocolate Snowball Cupcakes

Marasachino Cherry Chocolate Drizzle Cupcakes

Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Drizzle Cupcakes

Cupcakes have withstood time and not lost their appeal. Since they are individual, whole cakes, who wouldn’t enjoy one? Available in an endless number of flavour and frosting combinations, they are perfect for sharing. Also, they are easier to handout and share, in some cases, than a large, cut cake. However you enjoy them, remember that they always taste better when shared.

Whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing your feast.

Sammie xx

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Hello, I have an incredibly delicious treat for you today, these Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes. I know, I hardly ever post cupcake recipes, except today, I had this big punnet of beautiful, juicy, blueberries sitting in the fridge, waiting to be eaten. And then I noticed the lemons. I love lemon, the flavour, the scent and these lemons are super special – they are called Eureka lemons. What a cool name. So I had a little think to myself (mostly a dangerous pursuit!) and decided it was time to make me some cupcakes.

Actually, when I say me I mean our family. Because all of us enjoy a cupcake and as I don’t make them very often they really are a treat. Although I must confess that two of these cupcakes didn’t make it throught to the frosting stage, because my daughter and I snaffled one each whilst they were still warm. Mmm. Totally worth it. Jammy pods of sweet, warm blueberry in a moist lemon crumb, yep no guilt felt at all. In fact you could make these and skip the frosting stage completely and they’d still be knockout delicious!

Warning, the frosting on these Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes totally sends them over the top. Since using fresh lemon juice ensures the frosting is the perfect balance to an already wonderful cupcake. And it adds another dimension of sweet/tart creaminess that simply makes these cupcakes awesome.

I actually had to resist adding some sparkles to these cupcakes, because sparkles?? I held back as the blueberry, polka dot studded frosting looked so pure and, well, perfect. However, If you want to add sprinkles or sparkles, just know I’m good with that.

Recipe : Makes 12 Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

For The Cupcakes

175g/6oz Unsalted Butter at room temperature

175g/6oz Caster Sugar

1tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

1/4tsp Salt

3 Large Free Range Eggs

175g/6oz Plain White Flour

1 1/2tsp Baking Powder – I use Waitrose

300g/11oz Fresh Blueberries

1 Lemon zest

For The Frosting

400g/14oz Icing Sugar (Confectioners sugar)

150g/5oz Unsalted Butter at room temperature

3-4tbsp Lemon Juice (from the lemon above)

Making the cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan, 350F, gas mark 4

First of all add the sugar, salt and butter to a large mixing bowl.
Whisk together until pale and creamy.

Add the vanilla extract and 2 eggs and whisk thoroughly.
Remove 1 tablespoon of flour, for dusting the blueberries later.
Sift in half the flour/baking powder and mix until just combined. I usually do this by hand, or use a low setting on a stand mixer.
Add the remaining egg. Stir briefly before adding the remaining sifted, dry ingredients. Mix until everything is just incorporated.

Keep back enough blueberries to decorate the cupcakes with. Now toss the remaining blueberries in the tablespoon of flour. This will stop them sinking to the bottom of the cupcake whilst baking.
Zest the lemon using a grater or, as I have, a lemon zester. Add to the bowl.
Stir the batter carefully by hand to avoid breaking up the blueberries.

Line a muffin/cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases.
Using an ice cream scoop fill the cases evenly with batter.

Place the Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes in the middle of the preheated oven.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. The cupcakes are baked when they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed.
I don’t suggest using a toothpick or skewer to check these particular cupcakes, as they are full of jammy blueberries, the skewer is likely to come out unclean.
As soon as the cupcakes are baked remove from the oven.

Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
Then place the cupcakes on a cooling rack.

Making the buttercream and icing the cupcakes

Place the icing sugar, soft butter and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice into a bowl.
Whisk thoroughly adding more lemon juice if the frosting is too thick.

The whipped buttercream.
Fit a nozzle of your choice (I used a large star tip) to a piping bag. I then turn over the outside edges and use a large glass or jug to put my piping bag in whilst I fill it with the frosting. I created a swirl pattern with my frosting.

Start at the outside edge and keeping an even pressure on the piping bag ice the cupcake in a circular motion.
Repeat until all of the cupcakes are frosted.

Now it’s time to adorn the beautiful, creamy, frosting with the deep, dark, blue, berries that you reserved.

If not served immediately store in an airtight container. During hot weather refrigerate. Eat within 3 days.

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes you may also like these:

Black Forest Cupcakes

FF Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes — Black Forest Cupcakes

Caramac Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes

Fresh Raspberry Frosted Lemon Cupcakes

While enjoying these Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes it is important to me to share. Seeing the pleasure on neighbours and friends faces when you pop round with one of these beauties makes me go all warm and fuzzy inside. Most importantly, it isn’t because of my actions, rather the reaction of seeing the recipient grinning. And, I honestly believe that all food tastes better when shared.

So whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchen, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie x

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.