Carrot Muffins With Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting.

Easter is only 2 days away!

And time to bake some carrot muffins.

The only thing that takes time making these are grating the carrots & chopping the walnuts!

 Unless you already have pre-grated carrots which cuts the time in half.

These are yummy and filling. 

And if you're like me, you'll be reaching for another dollop of cream cheese frosting

 To finish off that last bite or two of the muffin.

Here is what you will need to make Carrot Muffins. 

This is the original amount which makes 52.

Just half the amount of ingredients to make less.

(1 Cup = 8oz)

10 Cups Grated Carrots

1 1/2 Cups Coconut

1 Can Crushed Pineapple (250 grams)

1 Cup Chopped Walnuts

5 Cups Sugar

2 1/2 Cups Vegetable Oil

6 Eggs

2 Tablespoons Vanilla

2 Tablespoons Baking Soda (dissolved in 1 Tablespoon water)

10 Cups Flour

1 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt

Oven 350 - 375 deg ( 175 - 190 C)

HEAT THE OVEN.

Combine the grated carrots, chopped walnuts, coconut & pineapple

And mix well, set aside till later.

Mix the sugar and oil well, then add 1 egg at a time. 

Beating well in between each one. 

Mix the baking soda with the water 

Add the diluted baking soda & Vanilla Essence to the Sugar & oil mixture.

Beat well.

Next, add HALF of the flour, all of the cinnamon & salt.

Mix well

Now take the carrot mix and add the remaining FLOUR

AND

FOLD IN!

Don't over fold the flour in - Muffins are better if not mixed too much

After the flour has been added.

Divide the muffin mixture into your muffin or cupcake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.

While the muffins are baking, you can make the,

 Cream Cheese Frosting.

2 packs of Cream Cheese (200 grams each)

3/4 Cup of Softened Butter

2 Teaspoons of Vanilla

Dash of All Spice

5 Cups of Powdered Sugar

1 1/2 Cups Marshmallow Fluff (which I forgot to take picture of)

Beat the butter till soft, then add the cream cheese

Beat well together.

Add the vanilla & all spice, and Beat again.

Add the powdered sugar slowly and mix well.

Now, add the marshmallow, beating well.

Till the frosting forms peaks.

Take out Muffins when they are cooked 

(Golden brown and toothpick comes out clean after being inserted into the muffin)

Leave to completely cool.

Once cooled, slice off the tops and cut the tops in half.

And set aside.

Fill the muffins with the cream cheese frosting.

Then pop back on the two halfs of the muffin slices and decorate with some Cadburys Mini Eggs 

And Easter sprinkles.

Enjoy!

CARROT MUFFINS

WITH 

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING.

See my Mini Sugar Cookie Nibbles

HERE

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Strawberry Victoria Sponge Heart Cake & Cupcakes

Happy Valentines Day 

So I posted a day ago how to make your own Cake Stands -- see that post HERE -- and I mentioned in that I was going to use one to display a cake that I was going to make for Valentines Day, well here they are displaying my yummy cakes and cupcakes.

I also wanted to make a traditional Victoria Sponge Cake, which I learned how to do in school during my cooking classes. I actually made an orange and lemon one for part of my final cooking exam (which, may I add passed with flying colors) It has been quite a long time since I made this sponge cake, but when I sat down to eat a slice.... Oh my!! Memories came flooding back of my childhood and being at my grandmothers for tea and out would come the homemade Victoria sponge cake, although it didn't have all that cream and chocolate and fresh strawberries, all over it like mine does, but in those days it was just sponge filled with a jam and dusted sugar, if you were richer - it was powered sugar. And my cookery teacher would be quite proud of me - I still remember how to make the cake & use wax paper to make piping bags!!

I will say, when you eat this cake, it is not like the cakes you get from Costco, or the store bought cakes, all full of puff and air and you look at ALL the ingredients listed!!! WOW -- this cake is simple and yes, you can read all the ingredients too. 

It's light and moist and can I say yummy!!

Yep, I can - it's YUMMY!!

So without further ado, here's what you need to make this Victoria Sponge Cake.

I have to apologize - its nor in cups - this is my recipe from school in Wales.

CAKE

• 10 Oz unsalted butter, softened
• 10 Oz caster sugar
• 5 medium eggs, beaten
• 12 Oz all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, sifted
  lis
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 Tbsp milk
• Creme Mousseline
• 3 medium eggs
• 4 Oz caster sugar
• 1 Oz flour
• 8 1/2 Oz milk
• 4 1/2 Oz unsalted butter
• 1 tsp kirsch or 1 tsp strawberry flavoring
• 2 drops vanilla extract

Line the tins you want to use with parchment paper.

Mix the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then one at a time add the eggs and whisk. Add vanilla essence last.

Add all your dry ingredients  and milk and fold the mixture using a wooden spoon.

Divide the mix between your tins and pop in the oven. Now for the cupcakes, they will only need about 15 mins - the smaller hearts took about 20 minutes and the larger heart took 45 mins.

To test press down lightly and if the cake bounces up they are done or push a toothpick down into the center and if it comes out clean it's done.

Now, while the cake is baking, time to make Creme Mousseline

Put eggs, milk, flour and sugar into a pan and heat, whisking as you go, until it thickens

Whisk, whisk, whisk.....whisk, then it starts to thicken yeah!! 

Add half of the butter and whisk, then let it cool.

Once cooled, add the strawberry flavor and the rest of the butter and whisk well till it's fluffy.

Now my camera, died, so I had to charge it and don't have a pic of the finished creme.

Leave to chill in the fridge, until our ready to use it. 

Now to make quick strawberry Jam.

1 punnet of strawberries

1 juice of a Lemon

2/3 Cup Sugar

Place in a pan and cook on a slow heat for about 25 minutes, once cooked empty into a dish and leave to completely cool in the fridge.

Now my smaller hearts are done and cupcakes. Turn out the cakes and peel off the parchment paper and toss away. Leave to cool.

Next was to melt chocolate and dip strawberries!!

And make some chocolate hearts. Pop them into the fridge to set.

Cream Cheese Marshmallow Frosting next.

1- 8 Oz packet of Cream Cheese

1 cup of whipped Heavy Cream

3 1/2 Oz of Marshmallow Fluff

Whip up the cream.

Whisk the cream cheese

Next, add the cream cheese and whipped cream and whisk well. 

Next, add the marshmallow and whisk well.

Nice and creamy. Leave in fridge till you need it.

TIME TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKES!

So for the smaller heart, I sliced a little of one of its top as I wanted it to lay flat.

Then on the top half I cut out a heart shape - keep the cut out heart for later.

I did the same for the cupcakes

I filled some of the cupcakes with the Creme Mousseline, popping a heart inside.

So with both of the heart cakes, Take the strawberry jam you made and spread over the bottom layer of the cake. Oh sorry I forgot to mention, I sliced the larger heart cake in half.

The smaller heart cake I dolloped the Cream cheese frosting over the strawberries.

For the Larger heart cake, I dolloped the Creme Mousseline over the strawberries.

For the smaller heart - remember the heart, I cut off the top - I filled it with the creme mousseline, then piped over it with the Cream Cheese frosting. 

For the larger heart, I just piped the Cream Cheese Frosting over it.

Then, using the chocolate decorations and chocolate strawberries, I decorated the cakes.

Strawberry Victoria Sponge Heart Cake & Cupcakes

Oh Yummy

SCRUMPDILLYUMPTOIUS!!!!

The smaller Heart Cake we gave to our Neighbors and wished them 

A

Happy

Valentines

Day

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