As well as baking an orange cake last weekend I made the Primrose Bakery's banoffee cupcakes. I used my colourful silicone cases for the first time too despite receiving them at Christmas.
The banana flavour came through really well and I absolutely loved the sweet, fudgy icing. As the icing set quickly I just swirled it on with a palette knife. Although called cupcakes these were actually meant to be baked in muffin cases but I halved the recipe to make 12 standard sized cupcakes.
I also went for a walk with my cameras (DSLR and manual) last weekend as it was lovely weather for taking photographs. Although I am no fashion blogger I thought I'd show you my pair of £2(!) floral tights from Tesco. What a bargain. Strolling along the beach with flowery legs is great fun.
Sorry about my scruffy old boots, definitely not fashion blogger worthy. They've seen better days but I love them nonetheless.
Banoffee pie cupcakes
Recipe from The Primrose Bakery Book by Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas, 2011 page 74
For the cupcakes:
125g unsalted butter, room temperature
250g golden caster sugar (I think I used ordinary caster sugar)
2 large eggs, free range or organic, lightly beaten
1 tsp good quality vanilla extract
250g plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
4 ripe bananas (preferably turning black), mashed with a fork or broken by hand into small pieces.
For the caramel buttercream topping:
45g unsalted butter
4 and 1/2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
165g light, soft brown sugar
180g icing sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp good quality vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with muffin cases (or half the mixture and use standard sized cupcake cases)/ Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric hand mixer until the mixture is pale and smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing briefly after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat again briefly. Gradually add the flour and the baking powder and beat again until well combined. Do the same with the bananas. Divide the mixture evenly between the cases, filling each to about two-thirds full. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of one of the cakes comes out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Combine the butter, milk and brown sugar in a heavy based saucepan and put on the hob over a high heat. Stirring continuously, bring the mixture to a boil. Allow it to boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and stir in half of the icing sugar. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then add the rest of the icing sugar and vanilla extract and stir until it thickens to the desired consistency. If it starts to set just transfer to a microsafe bowl and soften it for a few seconds in the microwave before beating again (or to safe extra washing up just heat it up on the hob for a few seconds, it worked fine).
It says you can leave any unused icing in the fridge for up to a week, but honestly, it's so tasty there won't be any left over.
Banoffee pie cupcakes
Recipe from The Primrose Bakery Book by Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas, 2011 page 74
For the cupcakes:
125g unsalted butter, room temperature
250g golden caster sugar (I think I used ordinary caster sugar)
2 large eggs, free range or organic, lightly beaten
1 tsp good quality vanilla extract
250g plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
4 ripe bananas (preferably turning black), mashed with a fork or broken by hand into small pieces.
For the caramel buttercream topping:
45g unsalted butter
4 and 1/2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
165g light, soft brown sugar
180g icing sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp good quality vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with muffin cases (or half the mixture and use standard sized cupcake cases)/ Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric hand mixer until the mixture is pale and smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing briefly after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat again briefly. Gradually add the flour and the baking powder and beat again until well combined. Do the same with the bananas. Divide the mixture evenly between the cases, filling each to about two-thirds full. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of one of the cakes comes out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Combine the butter, milk and brown sugar in a heavy based saucepan and put on the hob over a high heat. Stirring continuously, bring the mixture to a boil. Allow it to boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and stir in half of the icing sugar. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then add the rest of the icing sugar and vanilla extract and stir until it thickens to the desired consistency. If it starts to set just transfer to a microsafe bowl and soften it for a few seconds in the microwave before beating again (or to safe extra washing up just heat it up on the hob for a few seconds, it worked fine).
It says you can leave any unused icing in the fridge for up to a week, but honestly, it's so tasty there won't be any left over.