Whoopie Pies

These little cakes are a bit of a special treat, they are the prefect birthday surprise or maybe if are looking for a spectacular centrepiece for a coffee morning or bake sale. 

The chocolate cakes are soft and delicate while the buttercream filling is not too sweet but a light and fluffy delight, this combination is makes for a really sumptuous treat. 

For those of you that are new to Whoopie pies, the recipe originates in 1920s Pennsylvania, USA. It is said to be of either Dutch or German Amish origin and they tell of their children shouting Whoopie upon discovering the baked pies in their packed lunches, hence the name. I think that story is so sweet and when my children see that I have made a batch they shout Whoopie too, they are really that good. 

Easy Hallowe'en Cake

My daughter decided that this Monster Eye Cake from The Cake Blog would be the perfect cake for a recent school project. It was in keeping with the time of year and a cake that she could make with a little help from me! :)

Zombie Brains Cupcakes

Oh how I love Hallowe'en! It's the autumnal colours (lots of deciduous trees around our house) and the crisp foggy days with cool nights in front of a roaring fire.
Now added to all of this is a bit of fun, what better than a plateful of Zombie Brain Cupcake, fuelling the ghoulish theme of a Hallowe'en party! These are a basic cupcake recipe with the addition of vanilla buttercream but with a little imagination you have a horror filled treat that's fun for all the family!

Emoji Cake Tutorial

These cakes are great fun to make and they are so easy to personalise!! My daughter and I had great fun deciding what emoji faces to choose for her birthday cake this year. She finally settled on the Tears of Joy and Blowing a Kiss emoji cakes! 

The inside of the cake has a little surprise too because it is a vanilla and chocolate Zebra cake, which was delicious and a lot of fun to make. 

Ghost Cupcakes

A couple of years ago I posted a spooktacular Graveyard Cake which was a huge success, not alone was it the centrepiece of our Hallowe'en party but when I made one to bring to a friends party they loved it too! 

This year I thought I would make these cute ghost cupcakes, they are such fun! It seemed to us that each of them had their own individual personality :)    

Oreo Cupcakes

Delicious aren't they, soft with a bit of crunch. Now don't be fooled into thinking that these are difficult to make, au contraire my friends. I wouldn't tempt you with such mouthwatering photos and then set about putting you to work for hours in the kitchen. 

Easter Cupcakes

Who could resist these tasty Easter treats, well not me that's for sure! These cupcakes are easier than you think to make and they are great for getting the children involved in the kitchen.

Hallowe'en Cupcakes

 

Hallowe'en is one of my favourite times of the year, my children love it too, they love dressing up, carving pumpkins and listening to spooky stories. How about a little bank holiday baking? These cupcakes are a all in one mixing bowl recipe then bake them and then decorate them anyway you like. So easy that even little hands can help. 

Easy Chocolate Cake

This chocolate cake looks good and it tastes great too, guess what...it is really easy to make!! This is so easy to make and decorate that I made two of them for my childrens teacher, the perfect end of year thank you!!

The sponge mix is an all in one - put everything into a bowl, mix it up - and the chocolate buttercream is a doddle to make.

Simple Vanilla Buttercream Recipe

It's tempting isn't it, wouldn't it be wonderful if you could make a batch of light and fluffy buttercream at home instead of always buying it. Well now is your chance, this is unlike anything you will buy, it is silky smooth and full of pure vanilla goodness. Better still you can tailor this recipe as you please with different flavours and colours! 

Rose Swirl Cake Tutorial

I thought it would be really nice to do something special for Valentine's day. It occurred to me that the best gift anyone could receive is an edible one, especially if that gift was made by the one you love. 

My daughter and I thought that it would be extra special if we made a cake that we could share with our friends and family. This is the most romantic cake out there at the moment and what better than an edible roses! 

Over the past week it has become very apparent to me that family and friends are the most important people in our lives and we should celebrate that every day and more so on Valentines day! 

Lego Movie Cake (Design Creative Cakes by Sharon)

This is just a short post to let you know about a brilliant YouTube channel I found while searching for some inspiration for my son's birthday cake.

I stumbled upon this very detailed tutorial on YouTube from the very talented  Creative Cakes by Sharon. Sharon made it look so doable (that's a word... right!!!) That I just couldn't resist.

Traditional Chocolate Whoopie Pies

These were originally an American recipe that I've anglicised. They were made famous here in Ireland by Sex in the City and are slowly taking off here, so much so that I've even seen them for sale in my local SuperValu!

Makes 10

Ingredients
260g Plain flour
50g Cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp Bicarbonate soda
1tsp Salt
250ml Buttermilk (well-shaken)
1 teaspoon vanilla
130g Butter, softened
140g Dark brown sugar (sometimes I use light brown sugar instead)
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

For filling;
250g icing sugar
170g butter
2 egg whites
1tsp Vanilla extract
A pinch of salt

Make cakes:
Preheat oven to 180°C and line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a handheld, then add egg, beating until combined well. Mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until combined. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.

Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.

Spoon round tablespoons of batter about 5cm (2 inches) apart onto 2 large baking sheets or use a 60ml ice cream scoop.

Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are puffed and cakes spring back when touched, 11 to 13 minutes.

 Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack or more baking paper to cool completely.

Make filling: Beat your egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

Spoon the whites out of the bowl and put in the butter. Beat until butter is nice and creamy, then add the icing sugar bit by bit until it looks well blended. Then add your salt, vanilla and egg white mixture and beat until it's all nice and incorporated and fluffy.

Drop rounded spoonfuls onto your little cakes and top with a second cake ( I piped because I wanted the cakes to look fancy for the cover shot and to impress all my lovely readers!!)

Simple Cupcake Recipe

These are really something special, they're light and fluffy and so easy to make. It's one of those recipes that you just tip everything into a bowl and mix.