Raspberry Filled Vanilla Cupcakes

Time.

Time has been something I seem to have had too little of all summer. No time to blog. Running from my job to my family to my boyfriend, and the crazy cycle just went on and on for 3 months. 

Now I'm making time again. I'm back at university, with a lot going on, but somehow, more time. Not travelling for 9 hours a week helps... my lectures are a 10 minute walk and town a 20 minute walk. It would be even better if my bike hadn't been stolen so I could get there even faster.

But actually, maybe I don't want to get there fast. Sure, sometimes the 20 minute walk into town just because you forgot to buy one thing off your shopping list that you cannot live without (for example, washing powder) seems like a big annoyance. But most of the time, walking is something I can enjoy, because I have to do it... but it's me time too.

These cupcakes were about taking time too. They were made for my very special boyfriend, who after much deliberation, designed this cupcake, and I made them. Slowly, unhurriedly.

Well, the second time I did, after I had managed to completely ruin the first batch...

You need to double up the cupcake recipe for these buns to work. If I had taken the time to read more of the comments, I would have known that. 

So yes. Time. 

The flavour, texture and decoration of these combined to make them the cakes I am probably the most proud of. The coulis/jelly in the middle was my own muddlings, the icing was tweaked slightly by me, the cakes came out level and nicely browned... But credit still goes to my boyfriend for the concept. I think he might have a knack for the ideas side of things...

And they got me A LOT of attention. Which was actually really nice. A guy at the train station asked if I had made them, and pronounced my boyfriend very lucky. Then I met a lovely lady who I chatted to about her time in the WI, baking and jam making, and she pronounced that Harrods would be proud to have these cupcakes.

Well, a girl's ego does like that kind of praise.

So these cakes brought me conversations I would otherwise not have had, calmness I hadn't had in a while, and satisfaction in creative baking. I hope you enjoy these as much as we all did! 

Recipe: Hummingbird Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes

This recipe is double the first one I used; if you are making it in muffin cases, you absolutely need this much mixture. Don't skimp on the whole milk either, you'll use most of the rest when making the icing. This made a comfortable 12 for me. The recipe came from here.

240g plain flour
280g caster sugar
3 tsp baking powder
a large pinch of salt
80g unsalted butter, at room temperature
240ml whole milk (buy a pint because you'll need some for the icing)
2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3. (I went for a smidge over 150C in a fan oven)

2. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. 

3. Gradually pour in half the milk and beat until the milk is just incorporated.

4. Whisk the egg, vanilla extract and remaining milk together in a separate bowl for a few seconds, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.

5. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes (I think it might have taken a bit longer than this if my memory serves me correctly, more like 25-35...), or until light golden and the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. 

6. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe: Raspberry Cornflour Jelly

1. Dead simple. Place about 10 raspberries (I only used 6 and it was a bit tight) in a saucepan. Heat until they break up. Add a dash of lemon juice and sugar if you so wish.

2. Add cornflour, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens. You want it quite thick, but remember it will probably congeal more as it cools.

Recipe: Hummingbird Bakery's Modded Raspberry Icing

I'm pretty sure I used the original measurements for this icing as a lot of people had commented that they had a lot left over after icing, so with this + filling, it was about right...

350g icing sugar, sifted
80g unsalted butter, at room temperature
25ml whole milk
a couple of drops of vanilla extract

about 10 raspberries (I used about 6 and would have liked a stronger raspberry flavour)

1. Put the raspberries in a pan on the hob until they break apart. Strain through a sieve and leave aside to cool.

2. Beat 250g of the icing sugar and  80g of butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.

3. Turn the mixer down to slow speed. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture a couple of tablespoons at a time. Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed.

4. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes.

5. Now set aside enough plain buttercream to fill 12 cakes.

6. Add the raspberry juice to the remaining buttercream and sift in icing sugar, mixing, until the consistency becomes pipeable.

Assembly and decoration

1. Core the cupcake - I used a sharp, thin paring knife. Trim the bit you've taken out so it will fit back on without too much of a bulge. 

2. Take a spoonful of the raspberry jelly and place it in the hole (be conservative, but not too conservative, just remember that you need enough for 12 cakes).

3. Top this with a whole raspberry.

4. Top this with a generous splodge of the reserved plain buttercream.

5. Place the topper back on.

6. This was my first ever time piping. I don't think it came out too badly, do you? I used a plastic ziploc bag after hearing from a cake teacher that these tend to be easier to work with than the fabric ones (and less cleaning!). We have an abundance of nozzles in our kitchen. Pipe a swirl of icing on the cakes, ending in a peak which you will pop the raspberry on (so it doesn't HAVE to be peaked but it's fun to practice).

7. Admire your little pale pink dog poos.

8. This step is optional. Leave a heavy metal spoon in the bowl of your stand mixer. Turn the stand mixer on. Panic as heavy metal spoon is catapaulted across the kitchen. Bend mixer. Forget to tell mother and only remember when she gets confused emptying the dishwasher.

9. Top the cakes with a drizzle of melted chocolate (I went for milk).

10. Top each cake with a whole raspberry. I put them the 'normal' way up. Some people have since pointed out to me that they may have looked better with the hole pointing down. I don't know. I quite like them like this.

11. Eat. Preferably give a few to loved ones. And resolve to buy a new mixer blade at some point.