And so begins the season to be festive…Happy Halloween!
Australia isn’t one to really go all out and celebrate Halloween. The only time I have ever celebrated this day was when I was in America… So in order to get in the festive mood this year I baked some delicious cupcakes, that may or may not have some resemblance to pumpkins (you decide). Despite desperately wanting to make a pumpkin pie or pumpkin cupcakes, a trip to the supermarket and countless phone calls made these plans change. I couldn’t find pumpkin puree anywhere and so plain vanilla cupcakes were just going to have to do. The icing, however, is a time to let your creativity and festivities shine.
I used the Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcake Recipe and their Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting recipe to makes these deliciously light and fluffy cupcakes.
What you need:
- 250 grams unsalted butter (softened)
- 2 cups caster sugar
- 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cups self raising flour
- 1 1/4 cups plain flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or essence
What to do:
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
- In a large bowl, on medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. (The butter will turn a lighter colour).
- Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Combine the flours in a separate bowl and add in three parts to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk and the vanilla extract, beating well after each addition. This completed batter should look a little something like this once you have added everything.
- Spoon the batter into the cups about 3/4’s full.
- Bake in the oven until the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
Icing- What you need:
- 3 cups icing sugar
- 60 grams butter (softened)
- 1/5 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
- food colouring of your choice
What to do:
- Place 2 cups of the icing sugar, the butter, milk and vanilla essence into a large bowl and mix together using electric beaters.
- Once it is all mixed together, add the last cup of icing sugar.
- Add in as much food colouring as you would like until you get your desired colour.
- Ice your cupcakes!
I hope this gets you in the festive mood no matter where you live! So, get creative!
Happy Halloween!
Claudia xx
1 comment
Clauds I miss our baking days!! I feel like these Magnolia Bakery cupcakes are what we used to talk about so much in Hospo! xx