Ginger Date & Rose Cupcake - recipe from my eBook ‘Baking with Rose’

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

Kath May 1, 2019

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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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.

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.

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Tips for Baking with Rose + A New eBook!

Kath April 27, 2019

I am very excited to announce that I have a new eBook coming out on April 29th! This book is all about baking with rose, since it is a flavour I absolutely love. I also spent such a long time working out how to make all the various recipes, and basics (like crystallised rose petals) that I thought it would be a great idea to put all that information in one place.

In the next few days I will share a recipe from the eBook here on the blog, though if you are on my mailing list this recipe will be emailed to you on Monday morning (April 29th), along with a special subscribers discount code to use when you purchase your copy. If you would like to join my mailing list please click here.

The below are a few tips for baking with rose, which I have found helpful over the years and will assist you in creating some great bakes with rose. If you have any further questions, leave them in the comments below and make sure you check out my new eBook ‘Baking with Rose’ on April 29th!

How to Store Rose Petals

To store fresh rose petals, line a tupperware container with a piece of damp paper towel and seal with a lid. Place in the fridge (preferably in the crisper), for a shelf life of at least a week.

For storage of dried rose petals, ensure they are in a well sealed container, preferably glass, away from direct sunlight. If the rose petals have been dried correctly, they will last for years stored like this.

Where to Buy Rose Ingredients

Sometimes ingredients such as fresh rose petals can feel very elusive, but it helps to know where to look! If looking for fresh rose petals, I recommend looking at smaller more gourmet green grocers, or ask around friends and family to see if anyone has roses that aren't sprayed. If based in Australia, Petite Ingredient will ship them when in season. They can also sometimes be found at Harris Farm Markets.

I would recommend buying rosewater from Persian grocers. You know it's the real deal, and you can often get bigger bottles of it for more reasonable prices than delis etc.

Dried rose petals are more readily available in gourmet grocers, delis as well as Persian grocers. Pariya brand has a good range of products, that are also available in many stores and online.

In Australia crystallised rose petals have been very hard to find, however they are now sold via The Essential Ingredient and Petite Ingredient online!

Of course if you have access to fresh unsprayed rose petals you can make many of these ingredients at home. The recipes for how to make crystallised rose petals, rose syrup, dried rose petals (see recipe below also) and rose petal sugar can be found in my new eBook ‘Baking with Rose’.

Substitutes for Rose in Baking

I know not everyone loves the flavour of rose. If you are undecided or have had a bad experience with it in the past, I would definitely recommend making something with rose yourself at home. This way you can control how much rose is added to the dish and you can taste test along the way to ensure it suits your palate. Start with small quantities (even smaller than a recipe states) and work your way up until you are happy.

If you would prefer to use another flavour, lemon often works really well. Any recipe with a rose glaze icing (one made with icing sugar and a liquid like rosewater, like the one used in this Rose Cake) can easily be substituted with fresh lemon juice, or even water for a more simple icing. Rosewater or rose syrup used in cakes can often be substituted for vanilla extract or some citrus zest, or if you like violet or orange blossom they can often be good substitutes too.

To get started with baking with rosewater, I would recommend making these Cardamom and Rosewater Macaroons. Both the cardamom and rosewater quantities can be reduced, and the rosewater can be left out of the biscuit entirely. For a subtle hint, wet your hands with some rosewater before rolling the macaroons into balls rather than adding it to the main mixture.

The icing of this Rose Cake could be substituted for lemon juice

How to Dry Rose Petals at Home

Preheat oven to 80 degrees Celsius, and scatter rose petals on a baking tray. Try to ensure they aren't sitting on top of each other too much. Place in the oven and allow to dry for about 20 minutes, checking every 5 minutes or so. The petals will be done when their colour has darkened, they have shrivelled, and they are completely crunchy in texture. Store in an airtight container (preferably glass) away from direct sunlight. If stored correctly they should last for years.

To grab your copy of my Baking with Rose ebook click the link below!

Ebook!

How to Make Homemade Caramel Ice Cream (Egg Free)

Kath November 17, 2017

Since I have been using this simple ice cream recipe, there seems to be no end to the number of adaptations I can make with it. This caramel version came about when I was making a Carrot Cake for my Dad’s birthday in August, the recipe coming from the blog My Name is Yeh.

The carrot cake called for making caramel. I can’t say I make caramel that often, it’s one of those things I feel can go wrong so easily. But after making it for this cake, and finding it went much more smoothly than I remember, I decided to make some more and add it to my favourite ice cream recipe to serve with the cake.

I have made it again since then, and I am so enjoying making (and eating) this new adaptation of my favourite ice cream recipe. And with the holiday season coming up soon, I am thinking this may need to be on our Christmas menu.

Speaking of Christmas, I am currently working on a festive baking e-book, filled with our family favourites for the holiday season. Anyone who is already a subscriber to my email list will receive a copy once the e-book is released - so if you aren’t a subscriber sign up now so you don’t miss out!

Caramel Ice Cream (Egg Free)

Ingredients for the Caramel:

75g white sugar

1 tbsp water

65g heavy/double cream

55g unsalted butter cubed, at room temperature

Ingredients for the Ice Cream:

165ml milk

6 tbsp white sugar

250ml pouring cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

To make the caramel, place the sugar into a small saucepan, and stir in the water. Cook over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar until it starts to bubble. Then stop stirring (and don’t stir again or the caramel will crystallise), and leave to cook for a further couple of minutes or until the caramel has turned amber in colour. If the caramel isn’t cooking evenly, swirl the pan to encourage the caramel to colour evenly.

Reduce the heat to low, and add the cream. Stir until the cream has combined with the caramel. Continue to stir and add the butter little by little so each piece has time to melt before the next is added.

Once all the butter has been added and is well combined, remove the caramel from the heat and allow to cool.

Ensure the caramel has cooled right down before using to make the ice cream. Alternatively, make the caramel the day before, store in the fridge and bring down to room temperature before using to make the ice cream.

To make the ice cream, whisk the milk and sugar together until the sugar has dissolved and the milk has become frothy. Then add the cream, the vanilla, and the caramel. Whisk until combined and the mixture has thickened a little.

Transfer mixture into the bowl of an ice cream machine, and process according to machine instructions. I found the churning process took about 10-15 minutes. When ready, the ice cream should have thickened, be softly frozen like a soft serve ice cream, and be clinging to the paddle of the ice cream machine. When ready, transfer ice cream into a freezer safe container (at least 1L capacity) and freeze overnight.

Reference: ‘Lomelino’s Ice Cream’ by Linda Lomelino (Roost Books, 2015), p.13; Carrot Cake with Hawaij and Tahini Caramel by My Name Is Yeh.