Strawberry Surprise Chocolate Cupcakes

This post is sponsored by Liv butter. Try Liv today!

I've seen many bakers adding jam to their cupcakes in some of the blogs. It looked rather interesting though. So I decided to try baking some myself, to have a taste of how it's like. Since owning "Fabulous Cake Business" for quite a while, I didn't have the opportunity to try any recipes from this book. Therefore, I decided to modify one of their recipe - Blueberry Cupcake to bake my Strawberry Surprise Chocolate Cupcakes.

Recipe for Strawberry Surprise Chocolate Cupcakes, modified from Fabulous Cake Business by Alex Goh.
Makes 27 regular cupcakes (No. 8 paper liner from Daiso)

Ingredients:
(A)
250g Liv Unsalted butter, soften
160g Caster Sugar
(B)
50g Plain flour
(C)
4 Large eggs (weighs 60g per egg without shells)
(D) (sift together)
140g Plain flour
30g Cocoa powder
30g Corn flour
1 tsp Baking powder
(E)
50g Whole milk
(F)
180g Strawberry jam

Frosting:
Chocolate Buttercream

Method:

1. Beat (A) with a k-beater at medium speed until light and fluffy. Stop to scrap the sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula frequently.
2. Add (B) and cream until well blended. Gradually add (C) in 4 batches and cream until light and smooth. Stop to scrap the sides and bottom of bowl after each addition.
3. Add (D) and (E) alternately and mix at low speed until well blended.
4. Line the muffin moulds with the paper cups.
5. Scoop a small amount of the batter into the cups, then add a small teaspoon of the strawberry jam into the batter. Topped it up more batter and smooth the top.

6. Bake at 190C in the middle rack for 20 minutes.
7. Remove the cakes from the moulds immediately after baking and set aside to cool.

8. Decorate it by piping chocolate buttercream on top of the cake.

You'll never know me

You made me
Yet you don't know

You had me
Yet you don't want me

I fulfill your wish
Yet you are regretful

I have left you
Yet you are sad

I am gone forever
You'll never know me.

--- Unknown, 21 Nov 2012

Steamed Pumpkin Peanut Butter Buns

After making my pumpkin cupcakes, I was left with some (canned) pumpkin puree. As I didn't want to waste it, I decided to make some pumpkin buns. Deciding between HBS's Soft Pumpkin Milk Loaf or Pumpkin Pork Floss Steamed Buns. Since I still have a packet of Hong Kong flour, I decided to make the Steamed Buns instead.

However, as I had no Pork Floss on hand, and not wanting to have plain steamed pumpkin buns, I decided to spread some peanut butter on the dough instead.

Recipe for Steamed Pumpkin Peanut Butter Buns, adapted from Honey Bee Sweets.
Makes 40 buns

Ingredients:
Starter dough:
120g Hong Kong flour
1/2 tsp Instant yeast
80g Warm water
pinch of salt

Method:

1. Knead all the ingredients together till it comes together to form a soft, smooth dough. Chill in the fridge up to 6-8hrs before use.

Main dough:
200g Starter dough (all of starter dough)
3tsp Instant yeast
600g pau flour
360g Steamed pumpkin (I added half canned pumpkin puree & fresh steamed pumpkin. I added slightly more pumpkin than the recipe. Therefore, the dough was slightly moist)
40g Water
80g Caster sugar
1/2tsp Fine salt

Creamy Peanut Butter

Method:

1. Place everything in a large mixing bowl and knead till it comes together. Continue kneading till it is elastic and smooth.
2. Place the dough in a greased bowl and let proof till double in size. Punch out the air and divide the dough into 4 portions. Roll round and let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Take a dough portion and roll it out with into a big flat rectangle. Spread them with creamy peanut butter. (I made two rolls of plain buns and two rolls of peanut butter buns.)
4. Roll it up from the long side like a swiss roll and then slice it up into 10 equal portions. Place on a grease proof paper and let proof in the steamer (cold) for 10 minutes.
5. Start the stove fire, once the water boils, lower it to medium low and let steam for 10 minutes. Then turn off the fire and let the buns stay into the steamer for another 5 minutes before taking them out. (As I need to steam twice, I removed the buns immediately after steaming and put in the second batch.)

Pumpkin Cupcakes

This post is sponsored by Liv butter.

During my trip to Orlando and New York City recently, I had the opportunity to visit hypermarket like Walmart and departmental stores like Macy's. When you go to places like this, you're just tempted to to into their baking sections - both ingredients and accessories. I couldn't resist to buy back some beautiful cupcake liners and even cupcake carriers and cake stand! My hubby was very kind to help me lugged those back. Not that Singapore stores don't have, but it's cheaper there and the variety is good!

Since it was the Halloween season, I bought some Halloween related cupcake liners and sticks. And I decided to make Pumpkin Cupcakes so that I can use the liners and make the occasion more real!

Recipe for Pumpkin Cupcakes, adapted from Hummingbird Bakery
Makes 12 regular (American size) cupcakes

Ingredients:
120g Plain flour
100g Caster sugar
1 tbsp Baking powder
1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
A pinch of salt
40g Liv Unsalted butter, room temperature
120g Whole milk
2 Eggs
200g Canned pumpkin puree

Method:

1. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and butter in a large mixing bowl.
2. Beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
3. Gradually pour in the milk and beat until well mixed.
4. Add the eggs one at the time to the mixture and mix well. Stop and scrape the sides.
5. Stir in the pumkin puree using a spatula, until evenly dispersed.
6. Spoon the batter into the paper cases until 2/3 full.
7. Bake in a preheat oven of 170C for about 20mins, or until browned.
8. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning into a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

80g Icing sugar, sieved

60g Liv Unsalted butter, room temperature

125g Cream cheese

Method:

1. Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a mixing bowl until they are creamy and well mixed.
2. Add all the cream cheese and beat until completely incorporated.
3. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy.

 
Frosting:

1. Using an off-set spatula, frost the cupcakes with the cream cheese generously.
2. Sprinkle some cinnamon powder on the cream cheese.
3. Add cupcake sticks to beautify.

Brownie Truffles

This post is sponsored by Liv butter.
I was looking for some good and simple recipes which I wanted to bake for my dad's party some weeks back. Then I saw a post from The Little Teochew on Cocoa Brownies which looked very presentable, and in bite size! I wasted no time in trying this out and was very happy with the result. I named it - Brownie Truffles! It certainly can posed off as truffles with the sprinkle of cocoa powder on it. This is one sweet treat which you can certainly impress!
Recipe for Brownie Truffle, adapted from The Little Teochew.
Makes a 14 x 11" tray

Ingredients:

282g Liv Unsalted butter
340g Caster sugar
164g Unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/2 tsp Fine Rock salt
1 tsp Vanilla extract
4 Large cold eggs
132g Plain flour

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line the bottom and sides of a 14" x 11" rectangular baking tray with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

2. Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a bigger pot with barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test.

3. Remove the bowl from the pot and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot. It looks fairly gritty at this point, but don’t fret — it smooths out once the eggs and flour are added.

4. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

5. Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let it cool completely on a rack.

5. Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut them into 1" square each. Should give >80 bite size pieces.

Orlando & New York City, USA

Orlando & New York City 4-17 Oct 2012, a set on Flickr.

Free & easy holiday in Orlando & New York City for the period 4 - 17 Oct 2012.