Glace Icing Secrets

Whilst baking yesterday I discovered the perfect glace icing recipe. It isn't one from the internet or a recipe book, but just came about through experimenting with amounts.
I wanted a thicker consistency as this makes icing the cakes significantly easier. Start with a large amount of icing sugar and gradually add small drops of water until you can stir the mixture but with some degree of resistance.

The Method
 Dollop a small amount of the icing into the centre of the cake and spread it, moving the spoon or palette knife in circular motions. Do this until a circle of icing is formed that spreads to nearly the edge of the cake, leaving a small space around the outside. If the icing is the correct consistency, it should naturally spread to the very edges of the caking. Leaving the icing to do this of it's own accord creates a much neater, less forced-looking edge and a smoother surface. Once iced, leave the cakes in room temperature until the icing sets. I suggest you choose one that's worked slightly less well as a 'tester cupcake'. This means you can test the solidity of the icing with your fingers without worrying about leaving dents on the 'better looking' examples.

I also added a drop of lilac food dye to give it a bit of colour.

Happy Baking!

No better place to start than with cupcakes!

Blueberry Cupcakes

Not the classic blueberry muffins, but blueberry cupcakes!  Daring, I know.  With these cakes, you will get a surprising glimpse of bursting berry-ness with every bite.  At first, you may think: "Oh, nice.  Some more vanilla cupcakes- that's OK."  But, delve deeper and you will discover more satisfyingly sweet flavour of blueberries and butter-cream.

Recipe

 Ingredients

• 150g Self Raising flour, sifted
• 150g margarine
• 150g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbl vanilla extract
• 20 blueberries, cut into quarters or halves

 Butter-cream Icing

• 300g icing sugar
• 250g butter, soft
• 1 - 2 tbls whole milk 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Food colouring (optional)

 Method

1. Firstly, preheat the oven to 150°C.  We used the all-in-one method for this recipe.  So, we simply weighed and measured our ingredients and threw them all together on a large bowl.  We then mixed the ingredients together using an electric whisk.
2. Secondly, we placed 15 cupcake cases into a baking tray and poured our mixed into each case.  Tip: Don't fill each case too high, this gives the cakes a flat surface and therefore makes them easier to ice (and you'll get more cakes!).
3. When your oven has heated up, put the tray(s) inside; preferably as close to the center of the oven as you can.  Put the timer on for about 20-25 minutes.  While they cook, you can make the icing!
4.  Measure out the icing sugar and butter (make sure it is very soft!) and whisk them together in a bowl until light and fluffy.  Add milk if the mixture is not fluffy enough.  Finally, add the vanilla and food colouring (we used a few drops of red so that it became a pastel-pink colour).
5. When ready, place the cakes onto a cooling rack to cool. Make sure that the cakes have cooled completely before icing, because if they are too warm the icing will melt.

We found these cupcakes very fun to make and delicious to eat! The icing stood out to us especially.  4/5

Happy baking!

Credits to: http://uktv.co.uk/goodfood/homepage/sid/566