Cococacupcake

First off, apologies for the title. There is no real excuse. 

 

 These are, as per usual, completely out of sync with real life time as I made these for my lovely sister's 21st birthday. Which was back in March. Nevertheless, I am slowly getting through my recipe posts as well as learning to juggle uni again, and this was next on the list before Easter rudely interrupted. The macaroons here probably won't get their own post, they were a first attempt and though they were rather tasty (if very cracked)I could definitely do better over the summer when I'm back in a place with an oven. Sigh. 

Sarah’s 21^st birthday cupcakes

Roughly adapted from ‘cupcakes from the primrose bakery’ Martha swift and Lisa Thomas

110g unsalted butter

180g caster sugar

3 medium eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla syrup (or vanilla extract)

120g self raising flour, sifted

100g plain flour, sifted

25g ground almond

125ml milk

25g desiccated coconut

Icing

110g unsalted butter

60ml milk

500g icing sugar, sifted (I used natural golden icing sugar here, which has a lovely slightly caramelly taste and gives a more golden, dusky pink to the icing)

Red food colouring

Desiccated coconut

(edible pink glitter optional)

Made about 36 mini cupcakes?? Or I estimate around 16 normal sized ones

Preheat oven to 180 for a fan

Cream butter and sugar together, add the eggs gradually and then vanilla syrup

In a separate bowl combine the two flours and almonds. Add small amounts of this and the milk in alternate steps to the butter mixture, beating after each until it’s all mixed in and then fold in the coconut.

Fill the cases and bake for around 15 minutes for mini ones, or 25 minutes for larger ones

Meanwhile to make the icing, beat butter, milk and half the icing sugar together with a hand whisk until its fluffy and creamy, then gradually add the rest (do it all in once and you’ll end up with a kitchen full of icing sugar clouds) add the colouring drop by drop towards the end of beating

When the cakes are fully cooled, pipe or spread the icing thickly and then sprinkle with generous amounts of coconut(and glitter or almond flakes or anything else you fancy) and leave to set slightly so they stick.

Before icing...not especially inspiring

After icing...I use a little syringe looking piping thing, but do whatever works for you