Pancake Cupcakes

Happy Pancake Day!! Any day day that includes pancakes is an awesome day by me and a day that is all about pancakes well I dont think I need to say anything more.

While eating cupcakes for breakfast is not new to me I get that some people might get bit funny about it. With these cupcakes there's no need to feel bad about having them for breakfast or if you look at it the other way around, having pancakes for dessert. These cupcakes are so super quick and easy to make and turned out beautifully, light and airy just like perfect pancakes should be. I couldn't have pancakes without syrup and cupcakes without frosting, so each little cake was finished with some buttery maple syrup frosting and a mini stack of pancakes.

For the Cupcakes

2 cups pancake mix

1 cup milk

Mini pancakes (3 per cupcake, made following the instructions on the pancake mixture)

Maple syrup

To make the cupcakes- preheat oven to 160 degrees c. (325 f) and line a 12 hole cupcake tray with cupcake papers.

Add the pancake mix and milk in a medium bowl, Stir together until smooth. Divide the mix evenly between the cupcake pans.

Bake for 12 minutes, until the cupakes are puffy and bounce back when poked. Allow the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack.

Pipe a swirl of frosting onto each of the cupcakes using a large star tip.

Stack 3 mini pancakes together with a little frosting in between to keep them in place.

Top each cupcake with a mini stack of pancakes and finish with a little drizzle of maple syrup.

For the Maple Syrup Frosting

100 grams unsalted butter (softened)

400 grams icing sugar

6 tablespoons maple syrup

To make the frosting- add the butter, sugar and syrup together in a mixing bowl. Beat all the ingredients until light and fluffy.

Enjoy these at any time of day!

Heart Locket Cookies

Happy Valentines Day!!

Wishing you all and your sweeties (of the non cake and cookie variety) a lovely day.

Itty Bitty Bites

I'd love to spend more time exploring some of the great little cafes that seem to be popping up all over Brisbane. For each one of those that has probably been around forever (I've just never noticed) there are two new cute little spots overloaded with delicious treats ready for the tasting . My problem is I always seem to notice fun looking places to try while in the middle of something else, I always say to myself I'll go there one day but mostly I forget. Lucky for me I can live vicariously through others.

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up about a great new blog a friend has started, Itty Bitty Bites Brisbane. If you are visiting Brisbane or live here and are a 'one day' person like me check it out for great revues and beautiful photographs of local cafes. With the mini critics aged from almost one to five and a half there are some great places for children too, maybe if my dining companions were as cute I'd go out for cake and coffee more often.

Photos from Itty Bitty Bites

Valentines Ideas Revisited

Whoa it's February already, Valentines day is only 10 days away. I like valentines day well enough, but what I really like is all the cute baked goodies that show up at this time of year. I'm a huge fan of pink and red together, which seems to be no-no any other time. With Valentines day so close I though I'd re-share some older ideas.

Heart Inside Valentines Cake

Valentines Cupcakes

Valentines Heart Cookies

Sanding Sugar Heart Cookies

Hot Air Balloon Cake and Cookies

Happy First Birthday Loulou!!

For the balloon and basket I used my favorite chocolate cake and frosting recipe and covered it with fondant. It had been raining all week, so had a bit of trouble with the fondant and royal icing not drying properly and also getting photos but I'm happy with how it all turned out. Most importantly the birthday girl loved her chocolate cake!

Koala Cookie

Happy Australia Day, have a cookie!!

Even if your not celebrating Australia Day a koala cookie will make you smile, I promise. How could anyone resist such a cute critter?

Lamington Cake

The plan was I'd share this cake and say 'hey you should totally make this for your Australia Day barbecue' except it has been raining non stop since Sunday! So no barbecues but maybe you need something for your rainy movie day, a lamington inspired cake works for that too.

The cake itself is not really the kind of cake usually used to make lamingtons, but it is a really yummy alternative . I have been craving vanilla cake all week (my real reason for making this) and this cake didn't let me down, it was nice and fluffy with a strong vanilla flavour.

Just one little warning, icing the cake and covering it with coconut gets pretty messy. I had to press the coconut onto the sides to get an even coat, so glad I put paper down because coconut went everywhere!

For the Vanilla Cake

3/4 cup milk (full fat, room temp)

5 egg whites (room temp)

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

2 1/4 cups self raising flour

1/4 cup cornflour

1 3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

170 grams butter (room temp)

To make the cake- Grease and flour two 8 inch round cake pans and preheat oven to 180 degrees c.

Set aside 1/2 cup of the milk.

In a medium bowl combine the remaining 1/4 cup of milk, egg whites, vanilla extract and paste and set aside.

Sift the flours, sugar and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the softened butter and the 1/2 cup of milk and mix on low to prevent flour going everywhere, as soon as the ingredients come together increase speed to medium and mix until smooth, about a minute and a half.

Add the egg and milk mixture one third at a time, beating on medium for about 20 seconds between each addition. The mixture should be smooth and fluffy.

Divide the cake mix between the two prepared pans and smooth over the tops.

Place the cakes in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes keeping an eye on them toward the end to make sure they don't over cook. Test the middle of the cake with a metal skewer, if it comes out clean the cake is ready.

Allow cakes to cool in pans for about 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely. Cool top side up.

For the Icing

2 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut (approx.)

To make the icing- sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a heatproof bowl, add the melted butter and milk.

Stand the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stir until the icing is smooth and shiny. Once glossy remove from heat.

For the filling

300 mls Thickened cream

1 tablespoon icing sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

raspberry jam

To make the filling- Beat together cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.

Assembling the cake- Place one layer of cake flat side up onto a wire rack, place a tray or baking paper underneath to catch any drips. Spread 2/3 of the chocolate frosting over the top and sides of the cake. While the icing is still wet cover with coconut.

Place the second layer of cake on the wire rack flat side up and spread the chocolate icing around the sides only. Press on the remaining coconut while still wet.

Spread a layer of raspberry jam onto the top of the second cake layer.

Spread the whipped cream over the raspberry jam.

Gently place on the top cake layer.

(If you can resist) Place the cake in the refrigerator for a short while before cutting, giving the cream a little time to set.