Spiced Christmas Cupcakes with Very Vanilla Buttercream

Since I already have quite a few festive recipes on my blog, I decided this year something simple was in order. 

Basic cupcakes like these are great to make when you don’t have time for more complex baking, and they would be a good thing to make with kids as well since the cook time is short (and the decoration options are endless!).

These cupcakes are spiced with the Gewürzhaus Christmas Cake and Pudding Spice which I was gifted in November when I went to visit the new Gewürzhaus store in Sydney’s QVB. It elevates these cupcakes from basic to festive, and provides all the Christmas-y flavour you could need (with very little effort). Other festive spice mixes can be used - a gingerbread style spice mix would also work really well, or a combination of spices such as cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg.

The vanilla buttercream is a favourite of mine and has a great vanilla flavour thanks to both vanilla extract and paste. The recipe makes a generous amount so you will have a decent amount of icing on each cupcake, ready to decorate whichever way you please.

Spiced Christmas Cupcakes with Very Vanilla Buttercream

Ingredients: 

125g unsalted butter, at room temp

95g caster sugar 

70g vanilla bean sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs 

250g self raising flour

3 tsp Gewürzhaus Christmas Cake and Pudding Spice*

105ml buttermilk

Ingredients for Vanilla Buttercream: 

200g unsalted butter, at room temp 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

240g icing sugar, sifted

festive sprinkles, to decorate (optional)

festive cupcake toppers, to decorate (optional)

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius, and line a 12 hole cupcake tray with cupcake cases. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs one at a time and mix well. 

Then add half the flour and mix on low speed until combined. Add the milk and mix on low speed until combined. Then add the remaining flour and Christmas Cake and Pudding Spice and gently mix until everything is combined and there are no lumps.

Spoon the mixture evenly amongst the cupcake cases, filling so the cases are about 3/4 full.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean and the cakes spring back to the touch. Remove the cupcakes from the tray and allow to cool on a wire rack.

To make the icing, beat the butter and vanillas in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for at least 1 minute, or until the butter is light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar and beat for a further minute or two, or until the icing sugar is well combined and the icing is light and fluffy. 

Spread or pipe icing onto the top of each cupcake, and decorate as desired.

Makes 12 cupcakes, will keep for a few days in an airtight container.

*This spice mix is a mixture of cassia, coriander, ginger, clove, nutmeg, so a similar mix of spices could be used in its place. 

Gewürzhaus Christmas Cake and Pudding Spice was gifted by Gewürzhaus.

Ginger Date & Rose Cupcakes + Baking with Rose eBook is Here!

My new eBook, ‘Baking with Rose’ is here! And to celebrate I am sharing one of my favourite recipes from the book, these Ginger Date and Rose Cupcakes.

It wasn’t until recently I discovered rose and ginger go really well together. While I like both flavours a lot, I had never thought to put them together. That changed when I saw this recipe for Gingersnaps with Rose icing. I made them, and loved them! I then began to think of all the other ways I could use ginger and rose together and these cupcakes are one of the ideas I came up with.

I love the flavour combination of these cupcakes, and the rose is fairly subtle as it’s only in the icing. The date molasses and panela sugar add a gentle sweet flavour, however regular molasses or brown sugar would be good substitutes if you don’t have date molasses or panela.

For more rose recipes like this, check out my new eBook ‘Baking with Rose’!

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Fresh Edible Rose Petals

Ginger Date and Rose Cupcakes

Ingredients: 

250g softened unsalted butter

200g panela sugar 

2 eggs

310g date molasses

230ml water

410g plain flour 

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarb soda

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground all spice 

1/2 tsp ground cardamom 

2cm piece of fresh ginger, finely grated

Ingredients for Icing: 

170g icing sugar

1.5-2tbsp rosewater

fresh edible rose petals to decorate, optional

Method: 

Line two 12 capacity cupcake trays with cupcake cases and pre heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. 

In a large bowl, cream butter and panela sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Then beat in the water and date molasses. 

Sift flour, baking powder, bicarb and the spices and add to the mixture. Add the fresh ginger. Beat on a low speed until the flour begins to combine, then beat on a medium speed for 2 minutes or until mixed well. 

Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake tins and bake for 20-30 minutes or until cupcakes are cooked through and are springy to the touch. Remove from the oven, and remove cakes from the tins and allow to cool on a cooling rack. 

To make the icing, mix together the icing sugar and 1 tbsp of the rosewater in a medium bowl, to form a paste. If the icing is too thick gradually add a little more rosewater. Spread icing over each cake, allow to dry a little before decorating with the rose petals. 

Makes 24.

Fresh Edible Rose Petals

Recipe is an extract from ‘Baking with Rose - Recipes Showcasing the Best of Rose in Baking and Confectionary’ by Kath Vincent (kulinaryadventuresofkath.com, 2019), p.7.

Blood Orange Cupcakes

Before blood orange season is officially over, I really wanted to share this simple cupcake recipe with you. The basic recipe is my staple cupcake/cake recipe I bake over and over again, and thus adapt over and over again. 

I have had a bit of a ‘thing’ for blood oranges this season. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have noticed! And luckily, this season seems to have been particularly plentiful. To me they are much nicer than a regular orange and I always feel some level of excitement when cutting one open - how red/purple will it be?! I have bought many whilst perusing the local green grocers on my lunch break, and carried them home on the train with either grand plans to bake something that weekend or just to juice them and freeze it for something later on. 

This recipe can suit either plan, use whilst the oranges are fresh, or defrost the juice later on and make when blood oranges have long gone from the markets. If making with fresh oranges, use the zest in the cake and the juice for the icing as the below recipe suggests. If you only have the juice, use that for the icing and add the zest of a regular orange to the cake batter, or substitute for one teaspoon of vanilla extract or paste. The recipe could of course be used for a whole cake rather than cupcakes, I particularly liked making it as a simple ring cake (picture below) - just remember the cooking time will be a little longer. 

Another option - Blood Orange Ring Cake 

Blood Orange Cupcakes

Ingredients: 

125g canola based margarine (or other flavourless margarine)

165g golden caster sugar (or caster sugar)

finely grated zest of one small/medium blood orange

2 eggs 

250g self-raising flour

105ml milk (preferably skimmed)

Ingredients for the Icing: 

1 1/2 cups icing sugar, plus extra

juice of 1/2 - 1 blood orange 

edible flowers for decoration, optional 

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius, and line a 12 hole cupcake tray with cupcake cases. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the margarine, sugar and blood orange zest until light and fluffy. 

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add half the flour and half the milk and mix. Add the remaining flour and milk and mix on medium speed until combined.

Evenly divide the mixture amongst the cupcake cases, the mixture should fill each case so they are about 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when touched lightly and a skewer comes out clean. The cakes will be lightly golden when they are done. 

Remove the cupcakes from the tray and cool on a wire rack. 

Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add one tablespoon of blood orange juice, and stir. Continue to add small amounts of the juice and stir well, until the icing is a nice smooth consistency. If you find the icing becomes too runny, add little bits of sifted icing sugar until you have created the right consistency (if the icing is too runny it will just run off the cupcakes and make a mess, it needs to have a slight spreadable consistency so you end up with most of the icing on top of the cakes, rather than all down the sides).  Spread icing over each cupcake, don’t worry if it runs downs the sides a little. Top with edible flowers immediately, if using. Allow the icing to set a little before serving. 

Cakes that have been decorated with edible flowers are best eaten the day of making. If there are any leftovers store in the fridge, as the decoration will not store well at room temperature. Otherwise, storing in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days will be fine.

New Beginnings & Raspberry and Rose Cupcakes

Many apologies for my six week or so absence from here. Though I do doubt that anyone is sitting at their computer waiting for me to post a new recipe! I have had an exciting few weeks full of new experiences and new beginnings. All of which meant time spent updating my blog were few and far between. 

In summary, during the last few weeks I have taken part in a food photography and styling workshop with Billy Law and Luisa Brimble, baked forty cupcakes and 20 biscuits for a bridal shower, baked 60 biscuits, made 250 mini quiches and 330 finger sandwiches for a wedding afternoon tea, quit my job, bought a new camera and attended a wonderful weekend ‘Slow Living Workshop’ with Beth Kirby, Rebekka Searle and Lusia Brimble (photos of the weekend to come!). 

Hopefully you will notice an improvement in my photography and styling skills soon, and fingers crossed I will be able to dedicate more of my time to this blog from now on! 

Below are some photos I took at the workshop with Billy and Luisa. 

 . . . . 

 The recipe I have decided to post today is something I created a month or so ago. I had been reminiscing about the cakes and teas Mum and I enjoyed while we were in Paris back in February. At Ladurée in Paris we tried a creation called the rose réligieuse. It was a round two layered choux pastry with crème pâtissière and raspberries, decorated with a rose icing on the outside. The flavour combinations were simply wonderful. And of course the presentation was impeccable. 

Tea & a Rose Réligieuse at Ladurée, Paris.

I decided to create something using this as an inspiration, and came up with a raspberry and rose cupcake. I am very pleased with how they have turned out, and seem to have become an instant crowd pleaser. 

Raspberry & Rose Cupcakes

Ingredients: 

125 g margarine (flavourless such as canola oil based)

3/4 cup caster sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

2 eggs 

1/2 cup milk, preferably low fat

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted

185 g raspberries, roughly chopped (approx. one and a half punnets if using fresh)

Ingredients for Icing: 

2 - 2 1/2 cups icing sugar, confectioners 

3 tsp rosewater

2 tbsp hot water 

pink food colouring 

dried rose buds, for decoration

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius and line two cupcake trays with cupcakes cases. The mixture will only make about 15-16 cupcakes, so you won’t need to line all of the second tray. 

In a large bowl, cream the margarine, vanilla and sugar until it has combined, and is fluffy and light. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Then add the flour and the milk, half of each at a time, beating in between to combine. 

Once all the ingredients are combined, add the raspberries to the mixture, gently folding them in with a spoon or spatula (not an electric mixer) until evenly distributed. 

Evenly fill each cupcake case with the mixture, approximately 3/4 full. 

Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the cakes are lightly golden and spring back when touched. 

Allow to cool on a wire rack. 

Once the cakes have cooled make the icing. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, then add the water and rosewater and mix to combine. The icing should be smooth and slightly thick so it doesn’t run down the sides of the cakes. Add the pink food colouring, keeping the colour light. If the icing is too runny, add more sifted icing sugar a little at a time. If the icing is too thick, add more hot water a little at a time.

Spread the icing over each cupcake and place a rose bud in the centre. Allow the icing to dry before storing in a airtight container, or eat straight away! 

Original cupcake recipe from The Australian Women’s Weekly Cakes & Slices Cookbook, p.89.

 Originally Posted September 8, 2014.

For more recipes showcasing the best of rose, check out my Baking with Rose eBook by clicking the link below!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Passionfruit Icing

These cupcakes are ridiculously easy to make and are a crowd pleaser every time. They are probably one of my favourite things to make and to eat! The cake itself is a recipe I grew up with. My Mum would use this trusty Women’s Weekly recipe to make our birthday cakes and cupcakes. My brother and I would always fight over who got to lick the beaters when Mum made these cupcakes! Mum would ice these cupcakes with a coloured icing made with a little margarine, milk and icing sugar, I of course always wanted pink! 

The original recipe uses butter, however Mum has always used margarine. Margarine gives the cakes a nice light texture. She also says using a low fat milk is great for creating a nice light cake. I find this recipe makes between 12 and 15 cakes. I think it depends on the size of the eggs used, or how much batter I fill the cupcake cases with. Either way, I always line a 12 hole cupcake tray with cases, and have another tray ready in case I need it. 

Ingredients:

125g margarine

1tsp vanilla essence

3/4 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups self raising flour 

1/2 cup milk 

Ingredients for the Icing:

2 cups icing (confectioners) sugar (approx.)

pulp of 3-4 passionfruit (approx.) 

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius and place cupcake cases into a cupcake tray. 

Cream the margarine, vanilla essence and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer. The mixture should become light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then sift half the flour into the mixture and add half the milk. Mix until combined, then add the remaining flour (sifted) and milk. 

Divide mixture between the cupcake cases. Fill them about 1/2 to 3/4 full. They will rise, and if you fill them too much they will spill over the sides. 

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cakes are slightly golden in colour and spring back when touched. Cool on wire racks.

Once the cakes have cooled, sift the icing sugar into a microwave safe bowl, and gradually add the pulp of two passionfruit. Mix to form a thick paste. If the mixture is too wet, sift in some more icing sugar. If it is too dry add more passionfruit pulp. Place the bowl into the microwave and heat the icing in 10 second intervals until a smoother consistency is achieved. The icing should spread nicely, but not be so runny that it will run down the sides of the cupcakes. 

Using a knife or small spatula, ice the top of the cupcakes with the passionfruit icing. Allow the icing to set before storing in an airtight container. 

The original recipe for the cupcakes can be found in ‘The Australian Women’s Weekly Cakes and Slices Cookbook’ p. 89.

Originally Posted April 27, 2014.