11th December 2013 // 4 Comments

Winter Tales Recipe and Tutorial: Chilli Chocolate Log Cabin Cupcakes

What better way to warm up during the cold autumn and winter months than with a little hint of chilli in your home baking! Paired with rich and creamy dark chocolate the dash of chilli essence adds a wonderful tingle of heat to your taste buds; perfect for the adventurous at heart. With the addition of a picturesque edible log cabin, just like Little Red Riding Hood’s unfortunate grandmother’s, and charming hand piped chocolate trees, both dusted with icing sugar snow, these Chilli Chocolate Log Cabin Cupcakes make a delightful winter treat for everyone! Why not set them lovingly inside Christmas themed cupcake boxes and surprise your loved ones! Be warned, however, you’ll find them such a hit with everyone that you may need to bake them again and again!

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Chocolate Cupcake Recipe (makes approx. 12 cupcakes)

226g self raising flour
226 butter
226g caster sugar
2-3 tablespoons of cocoa powder mixed into a paste with boiling water
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs

Pre-heat your oven to Gas Mark 3 / 160C / 325F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake cases. Cream your butter and sugar first. When creamy add your eggs and combine together with the flour. Mix well until silky and add in the cocoa powder paste and baking powder, mix again and fill your cases with the batter. Bake for around 20 minutes to 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when tested.

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Chilli Chocolate Ganache Filling

100g dark chocolate callets, chips or buttons
6-12 drops of natural chilli essence
50ml double cream

In a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering hot water on medium heat melt the chocolate with the double cream. Whisk every few minutes until fully melted and add in the natural chilli essence to taste. Remove from the heat and whisk for around 2 minutes before chilling for 10-15 minutes in a freezer. Repeat the whisking and chilling process until your ganache is the consistency of thick peanut butter. Once ready use a good cupcake corer to remove the centres of your cakes and fill with your delicious chilli chocolate ganache! Once filled set these aside and begin making your delicious chilli chocolate buttercream.

Chilli Chocolate Buttercream Recipe

250g butter
250-300g icing sugar (keep testing when adding to make sure it is the consistency and sweetness you are comfortable with)
6-12 drops of natural chilli essence
100g melted dark chocolate callets, buttons or chips
1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
808 or 809 plain round piping tip
Disposable piping bag

Dice the butter and add to your mixer to cream. Then gradually add icing sugar and the remaining butter (cut into cubes) until you get a smooth, creamy texture. Add the cocoa powder, melted chocolate and chilli essence.

For more hints and tips see our tutorial on how to make buttercream here.

Once your buttercream is ready fill up a disposable piping bag fitted with a piping tip (we used a plain round tip such as an 808 or 809 tip) and generously swirl your ganache filled cupcakes! Now set aside to create your little log cabins!

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How to Make the Miniature Edible Log Cabins and Trees

You will need…

Pretzel sticks (if in the UK try the Polish or World foods aisle of your supermarket)
Candy melts
Disposable piping bag
Dutch waffles (aka stroopwafels) OR pieces of ‘wheaties’ cereal for the roof
Icing sugar
White nonpareil sprinkles (optional)

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Step one: Carefully cut down your pretzel sticks to around 2.5cm in length. You’ll need quite a few of these so prepare a lot. If you have any leftovers save them in an airtight container for snacks later on.

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Step two: Begin ‘glueing’ your log cabin together by carefully piping a thin line of candy melt atop of each pretzel ‘log’ as you go. For extra support you can ‘glue’ small vertical pretzel sticks into the inside along the ‘log wall’.

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Step three: To create the roof pitch shape of the house cut down some sticks into descending sizes. Stick these together using the method in step two to create a triangle. Candy melt this to your log cabin wall.

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Step four: Cut out some squares of your caramel stroopwafels the size of each side of the roof.

Step five: Using a blade tool carefully punch a hole in one of the roof sides, fill with a little candy melt and angle in a small piece of pretzel stick for a chimney. ‘Glue’ the sides to your house.

Step six: To add windows and doors simply draw them on using a black edible ink pen and a steady hand! (optional)

Step seven: Added some little candy trees made from coloured candy melts. To create these yourself see our Peppermint Forest cupcake recipe and tutorial!

Step eight: Nestle your adorable log cabin atop your cupcake and dust with a sprinkling of icing/confectioner’s sugar to create a festive snowy scene!

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Hurrah! Now it’s time to really see your cupcakes come together! Pop your adorable little log cabins atop a generously swirled cupcake, stick your hand piped trees around your cabin and dust with icing sugar through a sieve for a lovely snowy scene!

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27th November 2013 // No Comments

Winter Tales Recipe and Tutorial: Vanilla Snow Queen Cupcakes

As cold, frosty mornings set in across the land here in the UK it’s time for the Snow Queen to begin her reign. What better way to see in the chilly season with these Vanilla Snow Queen cupcakes; soft and light vanilla cakes filled with luxurious white chocolate ganache, swirled with white vanilla buttercream and finally finished with a beautiful, sparkling crown! Display them atop a lovely silver platter or a pristine white tiered cake stand sprinkled with edible glitter for an extra frosty look. The wonderful thing about these particular cupcakes is they manage to be both fun for the kids yet full of glitz and glamour for more grown up sophisticated parties!

Vanilla Snow Queen Cupcake by Juniper Cakery

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe (makes approx. 12 cupcakes)

226g self raising flour
226 butter
226g caster sugar
4 eggs
1 bourbon vanilla pod

Pre-heat your oven to Gas Mark 3 / 160C / 325F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake cases. Cream your butter and sugar first and when ready add your eggs and vanilla. Once combined add the flour, mix well and pour your batter into your cases. Bake for around 20-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when tested.

White Chocolate Ganache Filling

200g white chocolate callets, chips or buttons
100ml double cream
Glass bowl
Whisk
Saucepan of hot water

In a glass bowl pour in the chocolate with the double cream and set into a saucepan of hot water. Stir gently with the whisk until melted and incorporating together. Remove from the hob and leave the bowl of chocolate and cream to set either in a refrigerator or on a windowsill in cold weather (cover with cling film if doing so). The ganache will be ready to fill your cupcakes with when it has the consistency of peanut butter.

Vanilla Buttercream Recipe

250g butter
250-300g icing sugar (keep testing when adding to make sure it is the consistency and sweetness YOU’D like)
6-12 drops of natural vanilla essence
Icing and buttercream whitener

Add half of the of butter diced into pieces. Cream the butter in a mixer. Then gradually add icing sugar and the remaining butter (cut into cubes) until you get a smooth, creamy texture. Add the flavour to taste and add a few drops of icing whitener at a time until you’re happy with the colour.

For more hints and tips see our tutorial on how to make buttercream here.

How to Make the Snow Queen’s Crown

You will need…

Gray sugarpaste / fondant (we used coloured plain paste with liquorice gel paste food colour)
Tylo powder
Lustre dust
Fondant rolling pin
Straight edge blade tool
Ball tool
Edible glue
Paintbrushes

Step one: Add some tylo powder to your white or gray sugarpaste / fondant. You should only add a small amount; around 1/4 of a teaspoon per 250g.

Step two: Using a fondant rolling pin roll out your paste until around 3mm-4mm thick. With the straight edge blade tool cut out an elongated crown shape around 5-6cm in width at the bottom (but growing larger towards the top) and height.

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Step three: Using the blade tool cut out a series of un-regimented ‘spikes’ along the top of the crown. Still using the blade tool indent ‘spikes’ along the crown’s bottom.

Step four: Roll out some gray fondant and cut a small strip. Cut ‘spikes’ along the top.

Step five: Using some dabs of edible glue attach the jagged strip from step four along the middle of the crown.

Step six: To create the pearls on the Snow Queen’s crown indent sections of the crown with the ball tool. Roll up some small white fondant balls and attach by adding a dab of edible glue into the indentation and lightly pressing the small ball into it. Alternatively you could use pearl beads.

Step seven: To shape your crown carefully stand it upright and paint the edges with edible glue before gently pressing together. Leave to set.

Step eight: Once your crown is set brush generously with silver lustre dust (avoiding the white fondant balls you’ve just attached). Leave for a few minutes and then dust once more.

Step nine: To make the pearls shimmer lightly brush them with a new paintbrush and some pearl lustre dust.

Once your crown is ready you can assemble your Vanilla Snow Queen cupcakes! Pipe each cake with your vanilla buttercream, gently nestle your crowns into the frosting and sprinkle generously with snowflake sprinkles! You can also add some edible glitter for some extra sparkle if you wish.

Vanilla Snow Queen Cupcake by Juniper Cakery

Voila! Congratulations on your collection of gorgeously glimmering Vanilla Snow Queen cupcakes; perfect for the frosty festive season.

19th November 2013 // 9 Comments

Winter Tales Recipe and Tutorial: Peppermint Forest Cupcakes

We commence the frosty yet festive season with a collection of winter themed cupcake recipes and tutorials created to help make your party stand out and keep the frazzled stress levels at bay. These adorable and sweet (no pun intended) Peppermint Forest cupcakes evoke a crisp Winter Wonderland paired with Germanic fairytales and a childhood favourite board game for the American-bred half of Juniper Cakery… Candyland! We loved the idea of this so much that all of our ‘Winter Tales’ recipes and tutorials encompass a fairy tale-esque theme. Why not try our recipe and cupcake decorating tutorial for a truly magical batch of treats!

Peppermint Forest Cupcakes by Juniper Cakery

Peppermint Cupcake Recipe (makes approx. 12 cupcakes)

226g self raising flour
226 butter
226g caster sugar
4 eggs
6-12 drops of natural peppermint extract

Pre-heat your oven to Gas Mark 3 / 160C / 325F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake cases. Cream your butter and sugar first. When creamy add your eggs and vanilla extract. When combined together it is time to add the flour. Mix well until silky and pour the batter into your cases. Bake for around 20 minutes to 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when tested.

Peppermint Buttercream Recipe

250g butter
250-300g icing sugar (keep testing when adding to make sure it is the consistency and sweetness YOU’D like)
6-12 drops of natural peppermint extract
Pink gel paste food colour
White nonpareils to sprinkle
White edible glitter to sprinkle
828 open star piping tip

Dice the butter into pieces and add half to your mixer. Once the butter is smooth gradually add icing sugar and the remaining butter (also diced into cubes) until you get a smooth, creamy texture. Add the flavour to taste.

For more hints and tips see our tutorial on how to make buttercream here.

How to Make Your Peppermint Forest

You will need…

60g white candy melts
Disposable piping bag
White nonpareils to sprinkle
White edible glitter to sprinkle
2.5 PME Writing Piping Tip
Baking or parchment paper

Step one: Lay out a flat sheet of baking parchment paper (you may need more depending on how many trees you’d like to make).

Step two: Melt the candy melts by stirring them in a glass bowl set over a pan of boiling water. If you decide to melt them in the microwave take care not to burn them as they would become unusable.

Step three: Fit a disposable piping bag with the writing tip.

Step four: Add the melted candy melts into the disposable piping bag you just prepared.

Winter Tales Peppermint Forest Cupcakes

Step five: On the baking or parchment paper(s) pipe out some tree shapes varying from around 1.5cm to 6cm. Whilst still melted sprinkle with edible glitter or sprinkles. Leave to set.

Step six: Pipe your cupcakes generously with your lovely pink peppermint buttercream. We used the 828 open star piping tip which can be found at the link provided.

Step seven: Once your trees have hardened carefully lift them from the paper and insert them into the buttercream atop of your cupcakes. Nestle enough in to create a charming candy forest!

Step eight: Once your trees are in place sprinkle them with white edible glitter and white nonpareils.

You should now be left with a pretty collection of peppermint cupcakes festooned with festive candy Christmas trees; perfect for a sweet winter treat!

Peppermint Forest Cupcakes by Juniper Cakery

22nd October 2013 // No Comments

Halloween Tutorial: D.I.Y Monster Cupcakes!

Here is our third instalment of our fang-tastically ghoulish Halloween Tutorial series for this month! This week we show you how to whip up and decorate a batch of fun D.I.Y Monster Cupcakes. These vibrant cakes are perfect for getting children involved with creating some spook-tacular Halloween party treats (they’re also great for fun-loving grown ups too). The great thing about these cupcakes is that you can sit and make a selection of different eyes, tentacles, teeth etc and mix and match them to form your own monsterous creation. We’re sure you’ll think these cupcakes are so ‘ghoul’ you’ll want to scare everyone away rather than share them!

D.I.Y Monster Cupcakes by Juniper Cakery

What you will need…
A batch of piped cupcakes in bright colours (we used Vine green, Grape/Violet and Orange)
3 brightly coloured balls of sugarpaste / fondant
1 ball of white sugarpaste / fondant
Toothpicks (cut the sharp ends off if planning to decorate these with kids)
Fondant rolling pin
Ball tool (with a larger and smaller ball on each end)
Edible glue
Sprinkles (optional)
Edible glitter (optional)
Scissors
Paint brush
Icing sugar or cornstarch to dust your surface
Candy melts
Disposable piping bags

D.I.Y Monster Cupcakes by Juniper Cakery

Step one: Pipe some generous swirls atop your cupcakes in a variety of colours. We used 809 (open round tip), 868 (fine toothed pastry tip) and 828 (larger toothed pastry tip).

D.I.Y Monster Cupcakes by Juniper Cakery

Step two: To make eyes roll out balls of white sugarpaste. Indent them with a large ball tool and apply some edible glue inside the impression. Roll up a smaller ball of coloured sugarpaste and gently press this into your white ball. Indent the smaller ball with a smaller ball tool. Roll up another colour in an even smaller size and press this in. Finally take a toothpick or blade tool and create indented lines to create an iris.

D.I.Y Monster Cupcakes by Juniper Cakery

Step three: After making the eyeballs you need to assemble them onto toothpicks to position them into your cupcakes. To help stop them sliding down the toothpicks apply a bit of melted candy melt into your toothpick where the eyeball will fit. Before it sets slide your eyeball onto the top and leave to dry. If you’re ready you can insert the eyes into your cupcake when set!

D.I.Y Monster Cupcakes by Juniper Cakery

Step four: To create teeth simply play with white fondant to create sharp fangs, picket fence-style buck teeth or more human shaped dentures.

D.I.Y Monster Cupcakes by Juniper Cakery

Step five: When it comes to tentacles shape some coloured sugarpaste / fondant into a variety of ‘slug’ shapes (make sure these are long enough to sit from your cupcake to your chosen surface… e.g. plate or cake stand). Add some ‘suckers’ by indenting with a small ball tool, some edible glue and small rolled up balls of coloured sugarpaste.

Step six: Try adding some extra customisation with sprinkles, cut out sugarpaste shapes or edible glitter!

D.I.Y Monster Cupcakes by Juniper Cakery

Step seven: Now for the super fun part! Design and decorate your cupcakes with as many eyes, teeth, tentacles, spots etc as you wish.

D.I.Y Monster Cupcakes by Juniper Cakery

By the end of this tutorial you should be left with a batch of monsterous treats perfect for petrifying parties and spooky soirées!

3rd September 2013 // 1 Comment

Tutorial Tuesday: How to Make a Sugarpaste Owl!

Yay! It’s now September which means that the lovely cosiness of Autumn (or Fall depending on where you are) is just around the corner! Autumn and winter are our favourite seasons here at Juniper Cakery and we get excited when they arrive every year. What’s not to love… lovely vibrant crisp golden leaves, cooler weather, bundling up in mis-matched knitwear, hot cocoa, spiced cakes, Halloween festivities and of course Christmas. With all this in mind this week’s tutorial is an adorable autumnal owl in fetching seasonal shades of browns and rust orange. This little creature will sit perfect on top of cupcakes and forest themed cakes!