A Bunch of Roses

 

Who doesn't love roses? They are an iconic flower, but there is certainly no excuse to dislike them in cake form! 

For years i have marvelled at peoples abilities to ice cupcakes like this, but i have only just got round to trying it out, and i am very pleased i have. So i thought i would give you a quick tutorial on how to create these magnificent blooms for yourselves, which are sure to impress anyone, and are simple once you know how.

 

I think that one of the reasons i hadn't got round to trying it for so long, is that unfortunately you do need a very specific type of icing nozzle, which probably wouldn't be found in your every day icing set. But once you have bought it, there is no more work involved, and it will last you a lifetime. 

The tip used is the Wilton 2D brand, which I'm sure many bakers would of heard of before. This can be bought on Amazon for about £3.

Wilton 2D Tip

Prep

So for Prep work you will need the cupcakes that you are planning to Frost, these will need to have a reasonably flat top, and you can level them out as you can see i did with mine. 

You will also need your buttercream icing, which you will need to make quite thick, so that the shape of the roses hold, you don't want it to have any wobble if you shake it in the bowl. Colour your icing the desired colour, sticking to actual rose colours will make it look more realistic, and pop into your bag, fixed with the 2D tip.

Tutorial

1.Flatten the top of your cupcake, so you have a level base on which to ice.

2. Place the tip in the centre of the cake, and squeeze a small amount out in an upwards motion, this will be the bud of your cake, and what you wrap your 'petals' around. 

3. Pull your nozzle to the side a bit, and switch from an upwards pull on your icing bag to pulling it tightly around the 'bud', but making sure you don't press your nozzle to close to the cake, let the icing fall out. 

4. Continue pulling round the inner circles in a spiralling motion to form the outer petals, using the same technique. Once you reach the last bit of cake, start pulling up slightly, and slow the flow of icing.

 5. Lift off as you reach the end and smooth down the break with either your finger or a wet paint brush. 

 6. You can now customise your cakes however you wish, maybe some edible pearls in the middle, or leave the icing to dry for a bit and brush the tops of the petals with edible glitter of lustre. 

So there you have it the most delicious bunch of roses you will ever happen to eat! I hope you enjoyed this Tutorial Blog Post and that it has helped you. If you would like me to demonstrate something, please comment below, or use the contact box to the side.

Until next time, Elise xxx

Trifle Cupcakes

 My Mother has a huge love for custard and since trying these cupcakes has proclaimed them to be her favourite so far! And it really does taste like the trifle pudding that we all know and love, complete with cream, custard, raspberries, and the 'cakey' element, i really think that you will enjoy them, and you will amaze anyone that you make them for as they receive a pocket sized dessert, what more could you want in life!  

This may seem a little complex, because of the creme patisserie element to the recipe, but this is a full proof recipe and is bound to turn out perfect, just don't panic, and keep mixing, and don't be afraid to add more fluid if it seems a bit too thick! 

Makes 12-16 cupcakes

Ingredients: 

Sponge- 

80g butter 

280g caster sugar 

240g plain flour 

1 tbsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp salt 

240ml whole milk 

1 tsp vanilla essence 

2 large eggs 

Filling and Frosting- 

500ml whole milk 

1/2 tsp vanilla essence 

5 egg yolks 

100g caster sugar 

30g plain flour 

30g cornflour 

200ml double cream 

12-16 raspberries 

12-16 strawberries 

100g raspberry jam 

(I know this recipe calls for a lot of ingredients, but trust me, it's worth it) 

Method: 

1.Preheat oven to 190c, gas mark 5, prepare muffin tin.

2.Beat together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt on a low speed until they are all mixed and resemble fine breadcrumbs.

3.In a jug whisk together the milk, vanilla and eggs, then pour 3/4 into the dry ingredients, and mix on a low speed. Once it is incorporated, add the rest of the milk, and mix until you get a smooth batter.

4.Divide the batter between the muffin cases, filling each case two thirds full, then bake for 18-20 minutes, until the sponge bounces back when lightly pressed. Leave to become completely cool.

5.Whilst the cakes are cooling make the creme patisserie. Place milk, and vanilla in saucepan and bring to boil. In a bowl mix together the egg yolks, sugar, flour and cornflour to make a paste (you may want to add a couple of tablespoons of hot milk to thin)

6.When the milk has boiled, remove pan from the heat and mix 4-5 tablespoons with the egg mix. Then pour this into the milk in the pan, and return to the heat, bring back to the boil whisking constantly once boiling cook for a further minute to cook the flours.

7.Once the custard has thickened, pour onto a baking tray and cover in cling film to cool. 

8.Tip the cooled custard into a large bowl, and beat with a wooden spoon. In a separate bowl whip the double cream  into soft peaks, then fold this into the custard.

9.Hollow out all of the cupcakes, keeping the cut-out pieces of sponge.

10.Place a piece of strawberry in the cupcake, followed by 1/2 teaspoon of jam on top, and then top up with the custard mix (which i prefer to pipe in).

11.Repeat this for all the cupcakes, then replace the sponge, trimming to fit as a lid. Finish off the cupcakes by piping some of the custard mixture on top, add a raspberry on top of the swirled custard to finish.

And thats it! I hope you enjoy them, and with summer fast approaching, and all this glorious british fruit coming into season, i implore you to take up the opportunity and use it! I will be giving you many more recipes for what you can do with our produce in the future too, as i think it's far too good to be wasted! 

P.s. I thought i would give you a quick Bo update too, who is now 18 weeks old and getting on very well indeed!  

 Also, if any of you have any requests of things you would like to see me make, perhaps a favourite dessert compacted into a cupcake like this recipe, then don't hesitate to use the contact box to the left of the screen or comment below, i will greatly enjoy reading any suggestions. 

Until next time, Elise xxx