New Year Cupcakes

This is the list of new year cupcakes.

Sparkle Cupcakes

Credits: GoodToKnow.co.uk

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 150g caster sugar
• 150g butter
• 140 self-raising flour
• 10g cornflour
• 3 medium eggs
• 30ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Gold chocolate curls
• Edible gold stars

For the buttercream

• 240ml milk
• 60g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 110g vegetable fat
• 110g unsalted butter
• 220g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

For the cupcakes

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C/320°F/Gas Mark 3.
2. Line the baking tray with cases. Beat the sugar, butter and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
3. Add 1 egg, 1/3 of the flour and a splash of milk and beat until just combined. Repeat until all the ingredients are combined. Divide the batter between the 12 cases (use an ice cream scoop to get even amounts) and bake for 25-30 minutes depending on your oven. Remove and cool in the tins for 10 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

For the buttercream

1. Heat the milk in a small saucepan, over a gentle heat, Whisk the flour and salt into the milk and continue to heat gently while whisking continuously (to avoid lumps), until the mixture takes on a thick pudding-like consistency. Leave to cool for 30 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, cream the vegetable fat, sugar, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy.
3. When the pudding has cooled add it to the creamed vegetable fat and butter mix one spoon at a time, beating with an electric whisk until all the pudding has been added. It will be very light in texture and quite white when it’s ready. Cool in the fridge for 15 minutes, this helps stiffen it slightly so it’s ready to pipe.
4. When the cakes are cool add a Wilton 1M nozzle to a large piping bag and place it in a large glass (pint glasses or picnic tall glasses are great).
5. Pull the bag down around the glass and fill the bag by pushing the buttercream down into the bag as you fill. Then lift the bag up from around the glass and, from where the buttercream stops, push all the air up out of the bag and twist the bag right at the top of the buttercream. Hold the twist between your thumb and forefinger, apply pressure and pipe using your other hand as a guide.
6. To pipe a swirl, apply pressure to the top of the bag and, starting in the middle of the cake, first pipe a star by squeezing a star shape then releasing the pressure and pulling up quickly. Then, start at the outside edge of the paper case and, using this as a guide, pipe around the star and build up into a swirl. When you reach the end of the swirl press down slightly, release the pressure and pull up quickly
7. After you have piped a cupcake, twist the bag again so the twist is always at the top of the buttercream.
8. Sprinkle the gold chocolate curls and stars over each cake.

Fireworks Cupcakes

Credits: GoodToKnow.co.uk

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 125g of self raising flour
• 25g of cornflour
• 150g of butter
• 150g of caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of good quality vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• 12 Champagne truffles of your choice, I used dark chocolate truffles

For the topping

• 150g of black shop bought fondant icing

For the buttercream

• 60g of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 375g of icing sugar sifted
• 120 ml of milk
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 12 black or gold muffin cases

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180/160oC for a fan oven. Line the tray with your cupcake cases.
2. Cream the butter , sugar , vanilla extract and milk until light and fluffy. Add one egg with a third of the flour. Beat until just mixed and repeat until all the eggs and flour are incorporated.
3. Place two thirds of the mixture into the cases and rest 1 truffle in the centre of each case.
4. Top up the cases with the rest of the mixture Bake for 18-20 minute.
5. Decorate by cutting 6 circles of the black icing the same size as the cake and placing on top of 6 of the cakes, then stick the topper to the black icing and smooth down. Decorate the other 6 with the vanilla buttercream.