Cakes from the past few months

Until I get a better chance of updating my blog and getting the look I want for it, here are some of the cakes and other delicious bakes from the past few months. I hope you like it. For a more up to date stream of my life baking and living visit my instagram account @ Lisubettan. Much appreciated. :)

Little Enzo's christening cake with raspberries and whitechocolate

Light pink cupcakes for my sweet niece

Miniature versions

Carrot cake, always a favourite

Hersey's kisses on top of an orange flavour buttercream layer cake

Baguettes with linseeds and oats

Malted loaf, made with a poolish

Lemon and milk curd flan

Another hearty bread, just the way I like it!

Sweet cardamom shrovetide buns with raspberry jam and whipped cream

Little Minea's christening cake <3

Pearls for girls - Helmi's cake for her 5th birthday

Ham, sweet pepper and chili sandwich cake

Ham and chive sandwich cake

Super positive Spongebob Squarepants cake for my son's 5th birthday. <3<3<3

Surprise party & Spiced Mini Cupcakes

It has been a little busy the past weeks and I have been baking a lot for the holidays, but my favourite sweet treats for Christmas eve and the days to follow are yet to be made (desserts that cannot be made too much in advance). I had the most wonderful time a week ago Friday night, when we together with a couple of close friends surprised a friend of ours in form of a hen night. We treated her to a facial, manicure and make-up, all done by a professional. We enjoyed each others company, some sparkling and loads of food. This time all things on offer were made gluten free, to make sure everyone could have a bit of everything. There wasn't a lot of time for photography, so I will be posting some of the recipes without pictures.

The homemade gluten free snacks for the evening included:

Pizza
Pasta Salad
Bread
Spiced Cupcakes with Frosting

and 

Selection of (smelly) cheeses
Apples and grapes
Cantaloupe with Serrano ham


Here is one of the recipes:

Spiced Mini Cupcakes (48pcs)

100grams butter, softened
1,5dl sugar
2 eggs
2dl gluten free flour mix (i.e. semper fin mix)
0,5dl cocoa powder
1dl ground almonds
1tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla extract
0,5-1tsp each of cardamom, ground cinnamon and ground ginger

Frosting

180grams philadelphia cream cheese
2dl whipping cream
icing sugar, to taste
1tbsp custard powder

1. Start by beating together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
2. Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl and fold it into the batter without over mixing.
3. Line a 24 hole mini cupcake tray with paper cases and pipe the mixture into the cases, filling them only half way. (I did the second batch on a regular oven tray, not having time to wait for the first ones to finish baking. It is just as good, as long as the paper cases for the cupcakes are sturdy enough, so that the cupcakes hold their shape while baking.)
4. Bake at 175degrees, until golden. (~15mins).
5. Once the cupcakes are cool, make the frosting by whisking the cream cheese with the cream, adding the sugar and sifting the custard powder into the cream to give it a firmer consistency. Pipe the frosting immediately and chill the cupcakes.
6. I decorated the cupcakes with some edible green glitter and some red and white candy cane sprinkles. They looked almost like little Christmas trees!:)

Giant Chocolate Cupcakes

These giant chocolate cupcakes were meant to be more or less standard size..but I just so happened to overfill the paper cases and ended up with rather large cupcakes! I took the cupcakes to my friend's house along with the Star Cake and the Lemon cups.

Cupcakes with Philadelphia Frosting (12 large or 18 standard ones) 

150grams butter (softened)
2dl caster sugar
3 eggs
2dl plain flour
0,5dl cocoa powder (the good quality kind)
1,5tsp baking powder (1tsp is sufficient)
1tsp vanilla sugar or vanilla powder


Frosting

250grams philadelphia cream cheese (full fat)
200ml whipping cream
1dl icing sugar
(2tbsp custard powder for a firmer frosting)

1. Beat the butter and sugars until smooth and shiny. Add one egg at a time, making sure the batter is mixed properly after each added egg.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder together in a bowl, then fold it into the egg and sugar mixture.
3. Line a muffin tray with some paper cases and divide the batter evenly into each hole.
4. Bake at 175degrees for 20mins (depending on oven). Let the cupcakes cool on a rack.
5. Once the cupcakes have cool completely. Make the frosting.
6. Using an electric whisk, whip the cream cheese, cream and icing sugar until fluffy. Sift the custard powder into the cream mix while whisking, this will draw some of the moisture out and make the frosting hold its shape a bit better.
7. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and decorate to your own liking.

 

For presentation purpose, my friend had this quirky (quirky in a good way!) cupcake/muffin stand for the cupcakes.

Double Chocolate & Chili Muffins

I was supposed to make these on Monday...but well, having the children running around and a ton of other things to do, in the end I got down to baking them yesterday. The muffins did not taste as strongly of chili as I would have liked, but I will definitely be braver next time and put at least a whole red chili in the batter! My intention was to bake them for the kids, so I went a little easy on the spice.

 

Double chocolate & chili muffins (12pcs)

90grams butter
50grams good quality dark chocolate (minimum 70%)
80grams white chocolate chopped or white chocolate chips
2 eggs (room temperature)
100grams raw cane sugar
100grams plain flour
20grams cocoa powder (again high quality!)
1tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla sugar
half a red chili, finely chopped or ground to a paste

1. Preheat the oven to 175degrees. Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a saucepan and set a side to cool slightly. Add the finely chopped chili/chili paste to the melted butter/chocolate.  
2. Whisk the eggs, cane sugar and vanilla sugar until frothy and pale. Continue whisking on a lower setting and pour in the melted butter/chocolate/chili mix.
3. Add all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and sift twice. Put the chopped white chocolate/chips in with the dry ingredients. (this will prevent the bits of chocolate from sinking to the bottom of the bowl once added to the batter)
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the batter, but do not over beat at this point. Just make sure all ingredients are incorporated well.
5. Line your muffin tray with paper cases and divide the batter evenly into 12. (if using a standard 12 hole muffin tray.)
6. Bake for about 20mins. (depending on the oven)

Quick to make, yet utterly delicious!