Happy Christmas

I've been terrible at updating my blog recently, things have got very busy over the last month and a half for me - not that I'm complaining. Just wanted to stop by and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and in case I don't get to update before hand... a very Happy and healthy 2011. Long may the cupcake craze continue!

Here are a selection of my Christmas cupcakes:

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Light Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Mini Apple Strudel Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Christmas Rainbow Cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes

Giant Christmas Madeira Cupcake

Happy Christmas!

I am still here and still baking!!

Sorry it's been a while since my last update, things have been getting manic with trying to get my business going and then also working in 2 schools (one primary,one music!) during the week. BUT fear not! I am still here and still baking. A couple of weeks a go I tried out some gorgeous devils food cupcakes and the result was indeed divine...which brings me to my two ranges of Cupcake flavours. I am selling 'Classic' cupcakes and 'Divine' cupcakes. I have updated my website which you can check out at http://www.heavenisacupcake.net/ . I am based in St Albans but deliver all around Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas (where a small delivery charge will apply). So please check out my website and tell your friends. I am going to be doing a cupcake giveaway at 1000 fans on facebook so if you're not a fan already please become one! www.facebook.com/heavenisacupcake

Here's a photo of my devils food cupcakes with chocolate fudge frosting.

And a selection of my Classic Chocolate and Vanilla cupcakes

My Guest Post for 'Touching From a Distance' - Cupcakin and Book learnin'

This was my first blog post on cupcaking and I wrote it for http://www.touchingfromadistance.co.uk/ . It features my recipe for Vanilla Cupcakes.

When I was asked to write a guest blog post for TFAD on the connection between cupcakes and literature I admit I wasn’t sure which direction to go in. Yet after the overwhelming response I received on twitter after posting my ‘Cupcakes for Bookworms’ the link seems obvious. What better way to pass a Sunday afternoon than sitting down with your favourite book, beverage and cupcake? No longer are we constrained to a boring biscuit to go with our cuppa and copy of Wuthering Heights, but we can express our creativity and love of books through other means. Cupcakes are the new yo-yo’s, tamagotchis, the new little black dress and everyone wants one. Wedding cakes have turned into elegant cupcake displays and no party is complete without a triumphant tower of cupcakes. This is what gave me the inspiration to amalgamate the two things I love most, cupcaking and book learnin’. And this was the result:



Cupcakes for Bookworms by ~peeka85 on deviantART



Now all I can think about is what else I can put on a cupcake or turn into a cupcake. Cupcake mania has indeed taken over. And I would like to share with you some of my favourite pieces of cupcake art:


Bloody Pumpkin Cupcakes by =Sliceofcake on deviantART


PacmanCupcakes. by ~RebeccaRoseBrine on deviantART


Super Cupcakes by ~babbit-chan on deviantART


Pansy Pots by ~Verusca on deviantART

And if you’d like to try out your own cupcakes, here’s my easy all in one recipe for Vanilla Cupcakes, this makes between 18 and 24 cupcakes depending on how big you make them (because let’s face it, you can never have enough cupcakes) but the recipe can easily be halved.

225g Self Raising Flour (sieved)
210g Caster Sugar
210g Butter or Margarine (I use Stork)
4 Large Eggs (6 small eggs)
2 tsps Baking Powder
1 tbsp Corn Flour
2 tsps Vanilla Essence

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees centigrade. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat until a smooth consistency. The mixture should slowly drop off the spoon into a peak. Divide evenly into cake cases or muffin cases (I prefer muffin cases) making sure they are filled about 2/3 of the way full in order to get a nice rounded cake. Cook for approx 18 - 20 minutes (oven times my vary). You can test they are done by inserting a toothpick, if the toothpick comes out clean it is done. The cake should spring back when touched.

And now you’re ready to decorate with buttercream. I use 140g of Icing sugar and 140g butter but you can change this to suit your own taste depending on how sweet you want it.

Happy Cupcaking!