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Recipe | Carrot Cupcakes! Here is my absolute FAVOURITE carrot cupcake recipe! I was meant to post this a long time ago but...better late than never! I have some optional add-ins that up the taste and allow you to reduce the sugar in the recipe. I hope you enjoy this as much as I (and my friends and family) do!
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Recipe of the week | Flapjacks! This recipe was given to me by a dear friend so I will simple call them:
Mrs. M's Flapjack Recipe: Gluten-free and yummy! This is a simple and tasty treat for the whole family. Red Velvet with Real Chocolate! So I felt like baking again yesterday and what hits the spot better than a bit of Red Velvet? This recipe comes to you from the tomes of Lola's Forever Recipe book by Lola's Cupcakes bakery! I have tweaked it to my specifications for lower sugar content, and added Oreos....naturally!
Makes 16 cupcakes Prep time 30 mins Cooking time 16-20 minutes. Ingredients 110g Softened, Unsalted Butter 125g Soft light brown sugar (originally 160g caster sugar) 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste) 1/2 teaspoon Red food colouring (I used Cochineal Red) 1 egg 3 tablespoons Sunflower Oil 3/4 tablespoon white wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice 35g Dark/ Bittersweet chocolate, melted 190g Plain flour 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder 1/2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda 3/4 tablespoon Unsweetened cocoa powder 70ml Whole Milk (I used Almond milk) 70ml Single cream (I used Creamy natural yoghurt) 35g Ground almonds 1 packet of Oreos, separated cream on one piece Cream Cheese Icing 40g Unsalted Butter, softened 75g Icing sugar 150g Cream cheese (I use Medium fat Philadelphia) Optional: 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (I left this out). Oreos (use the side without cream for tops) Method 1) Preheat the oven to 160oC Fan/180oC /350oF/Gas Mark 4. 2) Mix the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate all of butter and sugar. 3) Add the food colouring followed by the egg and mix in slowly. Beat in the oil and vinegar (or lemon juice), then the melted chocolate. 4) Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder in another bowl. Add this to the batter in batches, alternating with milk and cream until evenly mixed to a soft batter. 5) Pour in the ground almonds and mix until colour is even (scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Avoid over-mixing. 6) First place half an Oreo - with the cream on it - into the bottom of each muffin case. Then use an ice-cream scoop to pour the mixture in each case - until just under 2/3rds full. 7) Bake in the preheated oven for 16-20 minutes or until risen and a skewer inserted into cakes comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Cream Cheese Frosting 1) Place the butter in a medium-sized bowl and whisk until smooth and soft. Optional: add the vanilla bean paste. 2) Sift in the Icing sugar in batches, mixing to incorporate in between (prevent lots of icing clouds). Mix well until pale and soft. 3) Add the cream cheese and mix well until smooth and glossy. Don't over-mix. 4) Now either pipe the frosting onto the cakes or spoon on and use a palette knife to spread onto the cakes. 5) Finally, place one half of an Oreo biscuit (no cream on it) onto the top of the cupcake and pat down gently to secure. I love these cupcakes and they are a real show-stopper! Let me know how you get on with this recipe! I know, I owe you more recipes...carrot cupcakes are up there! See you soon!  This is just a quick update to say hello to you all in blog land! I've been away from the writing and posting part of this platform but I have been busy posting pictures on Instagram and Facebook along the way! The above is an example of an unposed picture, in Bath last weekend! So in May I had a flurry of hair event starting with Natural Hair Week UK 2015, which I was privileged to be part of! It was amazing! Seeing those cities and getting to talk about my passion for healthy hair is such a blessing! Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for coming and being so attentive and joining in! And the day after the London event, I ran my second half-marathon ever, 13.1 miles in 1 hour and 51 mins! (My first was in April!) Next was Curlvolution which I was able to give a short talk at. Not without a hiccup or two but again, thank you for the opportunity to be part of your platform. Close on the heels of this was Afro Hair and Beauty Live 2015 which I could just be a spectator/blogger aka be spoiled and pampered in the bloggers' lounge by ORS! Big thank you's to the team for facilitating this. Next was Woman in the Jungles's Natural Hair and Beauty show 2015 which was informative and great to be able to spectate and catch up with my fellow bloggers and the vendors! Got to meet the fabulous and down-to-Earth MsVaughn too! Since then I've been focussing on work and family before giving a talk on building a hair regime at the United Kurls Event on 6th of July 2015! That was truly a pleasure to be part of an I need more of Belinda in my life as she is such an awesome organiser! I don't know how she does it! On that note, I will leave you with some pictures covering this time period. Enjoy these whilst I get back to work and finishing my second book! Check this space out for more. Do follow me on Instagram @lolascurls_official and on Twitter or Facebook as Lolascurls for pictures which tend to come more regularly! God bless! *Lola* Mint Choc-Chip Cupcakes
This one was a spur of the moment decision but I did not regret it!
Why didn't I think of this? I love the mint-chocolate ice-cream flavour from Thorntons! So, I'm glad I found this in the pages of 'Lola's Forever' book by Lola's Cupcakes. Enjoy! Ps: I had no peppermint extract so I made a strong small cup of peppermint tea. Makes: 12-20 cupcakes Preparation time: 25-30 minutes Baking time: 15-25 minutes Ingredients 50g unsweetened Cocoa powder 175g Self-raising Flour 4 Eggs 190g Light brown Sugar 90ml Whole Milk (I used Almond milk) 1 teaspoon Peppermint Extract (I used 3 teaspoons of my tea) 175ml Sunflower Oil 75g Dark/Semi-sweet Chocolate chips Buttercream 75g Unsalted Butter 1/2 teaspoon Peppermint Extract ( I used 2 teaspoons of my tea) 150g Icing Suga 2 tablespoons Whole Milk (I used Almond Milk) 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Mint Green food colouring Method 1) Preheat the oven to 180oC/ Fan 160oC/ 350oF/ Gas 4. Sift the cocoa powder and flour into a bowl and set aside. 2) Place the eggs and sugar into a bowl and beat for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. Combine the milk, peppermint extract and oil before slowly adding to the egg mixture until just combined. 3) Slowly add the sifted dry ingredients. Scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix until it is smooth - do not overmix. 4) Fold in the chocolate chips, until evenly distributed. 5) Using an ice cream scoop, divide the mixture between the muffin cases - fill till two-thirds full. 6) Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until well risen and skewer inserted into a cake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Buttercream Method 1) Place the butter into a bowl and beat until soft and fluffy. Add the mint extract and mix again. Sift in half the icing sugar and mix at a low speed until incorporated. 2) Add the second half of the sugar and mix again. 3) Add the milk, one tablespoon at a time, and mix until it is light and fluffy. If too stiff, add some more milk. 4) Add your green food colouring, in half batches and mix to your desired shade. 5) Either spoon the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe a swirl onto each cupcake or spread the buttercream onto each cake using a palette knife. 6) Decorate the cupcakes with chopped dark chocolate sprinkles and you can add a chocolate truffle each for a more glamour! I'm not so posh so I used Maltesers. I know, it's been a long time since I uploaded one but I have been baking! Back with a bang! I do hope you enjoy this...the folks at work did! Apple Crumble Cupcake  This one is from Lola's Forever recipe book but is tweaked down with less sugar. Enjoy! These went down a storm!
Ingredients 175g self-raising Flour 1 1/2 teaspoons ground Cinnamon 3/4 teaspoons Baking powder 125g unsalted Butter 150g Soft light Brown sugar (200g originally) 1/2 teaspoons Royal Gala Apples (Granny Smith) peeled and finely chopped Crumble topping 125g Plain flour 25g Ground Almonds 50g Caster/granulated sugar 100g cold Butter, cubed Cream Cheese Icing 50g Butter 1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla extract (bean paste) 100g Icing sugar 200g Low-fat Cream cheese (Full-fat) Method: 1) Preheat the oven to 180oC/ 160oC Fan/350oF/Gas Mark 4. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and a muffin pan with 12 muffin cases. 2) Start by making the crumble topping. Place the flour, almonds and sugar into a bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the cold butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles breadcrumbs, 3) Spread the crumble mix onto the lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, using a spatula every 5 minutes for the crumble to bake evenly. Once golden brown, remove from oven to cool. This mixture will keep in an airtight container for up to 10 days. 4) For the cupcakes, place the butter, sugar and vanilla extract into a bowl and mix until light and fluffy. 5) Add the eggs, one at a time until fully mixed in. Slowly add the sifted flour, cinnamon and baking powder. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth. 6) Add the sour cream, mix and add the chopped apples. Do not over-mix. 7) Using an ice cream scoop, divide the mixture between the muffin cases filling to almost 2/3rds full. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until well-risen and a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean. Cream Cheese Icing 1) Beat the butter until smooth and soft and mix in the cinnamon and vanilla extract. 2) Add the icing sugar in 2 halves, mixing in between. Add the cream cheese and mix until smooth and glossy. Do not over-mix. 3) Spread the icing over the cooled cakes using a palette knife or a metal spatula. You could choose instead to spoon it into a piping bag fitted with a large star shaped nozzle and pipe a swirl on each cupcake. 4) Decorate each cake with a small sprinkling of the baked crumble mix and simply enjoy! I got rave reviews for this but also had lots of crumble mixture left over! It really is moreish and it's got apples in it - surely one of your five a day?! No? Oh well! Recipe | Blueberry Cupcakes  I've been gone for a hot minute! Here's a much-enjoyed recipe from the Lola's Forever recipe book of Lola's Cupcakes. Original recipe proportions of sugar and other changes in brackets. I used the cream cheese frosting proportions from the Red Velvet and Carrot cupcakes.
Makes: 12-16 Ingredients 200g Self-raising flour 1 teaspoon Baking powder 175g unsalted Butter 180g Soft light brown sugar (recipe: 250g caster/granulated sugar) 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla essence (recipe: vanilla bean paste) 3 Eggs 175ml Soured Cream 48 blueberries Cream cheese icing 60g blueberries 1 teaspoon Caster/granulated sugar 60g unsalted Butter 1 teaspoon Vanilla essence (recipe: vanilla bean paste) 200g Icing sugar 400g cream cheese (Philadelphia light) To decorate 36 fresh blueberries Method 1) Preheat the oven to 180oC/ Fan 160oC/ Gas Mark 4 and line a muffin pan with 12 muffin cases. 2) Sift the flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. Mix the butter and sugar in a separate bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and mix again. 3) Add the vanilla bean past and mix. Slowly add in the eggs, one at a time. 4) Add the dry ingredients and mix slowly until combined. Once you have a smooth batter, add the soured cream - do not over-mix. 5) Using an ice cream scoop, divide the mixture between the muffin cases, filling to almost 2/3rds full. Gently push four blueberries into the batter of each cake. 6) Bake in pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes, until well-risen and a skewer insert into the cakes comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cream cheese icing 1) Simmer the blueberries in a saucepan with the caster/granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of water for 10 minutes, then blend until smooth. Set aside to cool. 2) Beat the butter in a bowl until soft and smooth then add vanilla essence and sift in the icing sugar in 2 batches. 3) Add the cream cheese and mix until smooth and glossy. Do not over-mix. Add the cooled blueberry puree and slowly combine (you can leave a small blueberry ripple). 4) Spoon the icing into a piping or pastry bag with a large star nozzle tip and pipe a swirl onto each cupcake. 5) Alternatively, spread the icing onto each cupcake using a palette knie or metal spatula 6) Finish each cupcake with 3 blueberries on top. Enjoy, ladies and gents! I must tell you, the folks at work loved this. The all-pervading blueberry scent as you open the carrying box is amazing! It is creamy but bursting with blueberry tastiness. And the blueberry puree is an idea for a healthier option beside blueberry pancakes (with a dollop of natural yoghurt perhaps?). Let me know how you get on with this one! Laters! Red Velvet Cupcakes 1  This was a wonderful surprise gift from a lovely friend, Nyla aka Kulchibeauty on YouTube (check out her hair and make-up videos - they are amazing!). She got me two great big books for more inspiration! Yay!
So here is one I tried last week. I have made red velvet several times this year and I have used other recipes. I will share those as we proceed in the year and give my verdict on my favourite. This recipe is from Lola's Forever by my Namesake bakery, Lola's cupcakes. They also feature a gluten-free one which I will also try (since I have the rice flour already!). I tweaked the recipe to reduce the sugar content (tweaks in pink). I used my own favourite cream cheese icing recipe (75g unsalted butter, 125g Icing sugar and 250g of medium-fat (Philadelphia light) Cream Cheese. So without much further ado.... Prep time: 20 minutes Baking time: 18-22 minutes Makes 12 - 15 cupcakes Ingredients: 110g unsalted Butter 160g Caster/ granulated Sugar (80g light brown + 70g caster sugar) 1 teaspoon Vanilla bean paste (1 teaspoon vanilla extract) 1/2 teaspoon Red food colouring paste (2 tspns Cochineal red food colour) 1 Egg 3 tablespoons Sunflower oil 3/4 tablespoons White wine vinegar/freshly squeezed lemon juice (red wine vinegar) 35g dark/bittersweet Chocolate, melted 190g Plain/all-purpose Flour 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder 1/2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda/ Baking soda 3/4 tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 70mls Single/light Cream ( sour cream) 70mls Full-fat/ Whole milk (Almond milk) 35g Ground Almonds Cream Cheese Icing 60g Butter 1 teaspoon Vanilla bean paste 200g Icing/confectioner's sugar 400g Full-fat Cream Cheese Method: 1) Preheat oven to 180oC/ 160oC Fan/350oF/Gas 4. Line a muffin pan with 12 muffin cases. 2) Mix the butter, sugar and vanilla bean paste in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the food colouring paste and the egg, mixing slowly until combined. 3) Beat in the oil and vinegar followed by the melted chocolate. 4) Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder together in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the batter, a little at a time, alternating with the cream and milk until you have a soft batter. 5) Finally add the ground almonds and mix until a smooth and uniform colour is achieved. Scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix again. Do not over-mix. 6) Using an ice-cream scoop, divide the mixture between the muffin cases, filling them to almost 2/3rd full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until risen and a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean. 7) Transfer to a wire rack for cooling. Icing method: 1) Place the butter in a large bowl and beat until soft and smooth (electric whisk, by hand or in a stand mixer). 2) Add the vanilla bean past and sift in the icing sugar. 3) Add the cream cheese and beat (medium to high speed for 30 seconds) until smooth and glossy). Do not over-mix. 4) Spoon the icing into a piping/pastry bag (fitted with a large star nozzle/tip) and pipe a swirl onto each cupcake. Alternatively, spread the cream icing onto each cupcake using a palette knife or metal spatula. 5) Crumble by hand or blitz one un-iced cupcake in a food processor and sprinke the red velvet cake crumbs onto each cupcake to decorate. You can store left-overs in an airtight container but allow it to dry out first. All done! Ps: there are no cupcakes left! Even my younger brother ate two by himself (he's usually a hard sell!). |
LolasCurls
 Hey there!
I'm Lola - a hair obsessed doctor who stumbled into running long distances and baking all the cupcakes. I blog about life, running and of course, hair! I'm an AltraRunCrew sponsored Athlete and a "RADRabbit" with Rabbit athletic gear, so I will do the occasional running shoe review. For business enquires, email me at [email protected] I do not own the copyright to all the pictures so I will credit the source, where that is the case. Categories
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