Wednesday, 3 August 2011

White Chocolate Cupcakes


I turn thirty in just 11 days...The thought terrifies me somewhat - I'm not ready! I feel quite far from achieving my "things to do before I'm thirty" list thanks mostly to various Crohns surgeries that tended to put a dampener on adventure,  among other things.  That said, apparently, thirty is the new twenty and there is nothing I can do about the inevitability of time (I've looked into it), so I am consoling myself by baking practice cakes for my birthday party.

Rather fortuitously, the theme for this month's Gluten-Free Ratio Rally is cake!  Head over to host Kate at Gluten Free Gobsmacked for the round-up.  I intend to steal the most exciting ideas to use at my birthday party, a week on Sunday, so the timing could not be better for me.

The ratio (which could not be easier) is -  1:1:1:1.  Egg:fat:sugar:flour.

I have opted for cupcakes for two reasons.  I am a twin, my brother is normal (in so much as he can tolerate gluten), so our birthday cake with be a "normal" cake.  My Mum and I are baking gluten free cupcakes to accompany the main cake, so that I can eat something at my own party.  Secondly, pure impatience, cupcakes bake quicker than your average sandwich sponge and I am the sort of person that can't wait that long for my cake.

White Chocolate Cupcakes
The icing* highlights the vanilla taste of the white chocolate and adds a lovely, rich finishing touch.  I used a star nozzle on my piping bag and decorated it with some dark gold cake glitter and a chocolate star from Dr Oetker.


(For the cakes)
110g Self-Raising flour mix (if you don't already have a favourite, you could try mine)
110g Margarine
110g Caster sugar
2 Large eggs
60g Good quality white chocolate

(For the icing)
110g Butter, softened
220g Icing sugar
1tsp Vanilla extract

  • Melt the white chocolate, either in in bowl sat above a pan gently boiling water, or in the microwave (only microwave chocolate for 5-10 seconds at a time, it burns very quickly!)
  • In a large bowl, beat the margarine and sugar until it is pale and fluffy.  (An electric hand-whisk is the easiest way to do this.)
  • Add the eggs, one at a time and whisk to combine.  (If the mixture looks like it is splitting, add a tablespoon of the flour mix to bring it back together.)
  • Add the flour mix and continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth.
  • Slowly add the melted white chocolate, whisking all the time until it is combined.
  • Line a shallow bun tin with 12 paper or silicone cases and fill each one about 3/4 with the cake mixture.
  • Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.  Leave to cool in the tin as they will be quite soft straight from the oven.
  • To make the butter-cream icing: beat the butter in a bowl until it is pale and creamy, sift in the icing sugar and beat the two together.
  • Add the vanilla extract and combine well.
  • This is now ready to transfer to a piping bag to decorate your cakes.
*For all my US readers, for icing, read frosting!!

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12 comments:

Rachel @ The Crispy Cook said...

Happy Birthday and Bravo on these very tasty and professional looking cakes!

Winnie said...

Happy almost birthday...love your cupcakes!

charissa (zest bakery) said...

Happy birthday to you! I totally agree with your logic on cupcakes. It took forever for my cake to cool! Looks like a great recipe!

Lisa at Gluten Free Canteen said...

I do love cupcakes and I love them when they sparkle! Pretty! And nice touch with the chocolate star. Happy almost birthday!

marla {family fresh cooking} said...

Such pretty cupcakes and I love those chocolate stars!! Fun to be in the GFRR with you :)

brooke said...

I had to go and look up castor sugar (I think my brain forgot what it was)! I love white chocolate anything, and those chocolate stars make a birthday extra special! 30 isn't bad! :)

gluten-freek said...

Thanks! I loved making them, even if I get a little carried away with the decoration...

Brooke, caster sugar is called superfine sugar in the US, I didn't realise there was more than one name for it!

Caneel said...

I love the idea of the white chocolate in the cupcakes. So delicious! Happy birthday!

Anonymous said...

Your cupcakes look amazing. I have unsuccessfully tried the recipe, but on two occasions no success my cupcakes fell in the middle. Can you please suggest what I might do to fix this. Many thanks.

gluten-free[k] said...

I'm sorry that this recipe hasn't worked for you, Anonymous. Without knowing the details of your circumstances, type of oven, altitude, ingredients (what flour mix did you use?), humidity, etc it is hard to say for sure. The main reason that cakes fall in the middle is undercooking - if you remove them from the oven too soon, or open the oven door during baking, that will affect them. Also check your oven temperature, if it is too low, the cakes might sink. Likewise, if your oven is too hot, the cakes will appear cooked, but the cake with not have set properly.

If you notice my photo of the cakes before I iced them, you will see that they are quite flat, not domed like some cakes, it that is what you are experiencing, then that is normal.

I hope some of that has been useful.

Jennie said...

Hi, its anonymous "Jennie" thanks so much for your advice. My cakes fell in the middle completely. I live in the Dandenongs in Victoria Australia at an altitude of around 650 metres and have a gas oven. Perhaps the oven may have some hot spots. I am going to try again as my stepdaughter is having a birthday this weekend. Oh I used the Orgran GF flour. Anyways third time lucky. Cheers.

gluten-free[k] said...

Hi Jennie, I had a look at the ingredients list for orgran self raising flour and I'm sure that will work ok - as you say, it may be hotspots in the oven (also, I have a fan oven) perhaps try a slightly hotter temp and turn the cakes about 2/3 through cooking time? I hope you have success!