Banana Cupcake!

Have some bananas left and decided to bake banana cupcake. Modified the recipe found on this girl's website where cooking is her passion. To go to her website, please click the link under the food blogs. She is my idol as she is very creative and her cupcake designs are all so pretty!

Banana Cupcake

Preparation time: 15 mins for preheating the oven, sifting the flour and mashing the bananas
Cooking time: 25-30 mins
Serves: 12
Oven temperature: 180C
Cost: about $3 for butter, sugar, flour and bananas

Ingredients:
1. 130g butter, soften
2. 3/4 cup caster sugar (I found them too sweet)
3. 11/4 cup self-raising flour
4. 1/3 teaspoon baking soda
5. 2 eggs
6. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7. 1/4 cup milk (may need less)
8. 3-4 bananas, roughly mashed

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven at 180C for 10 mins.
2. Beat butter and sugar till pale & fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Stir in bananas and vanilla extract. Mixture will turn gluey.
5. Fold in sifted flour alternately with milk till they are well-incorporated.
5. Spoon the butter mixture into the muffin cups.
6. Sprinkle some nuts or raisins onto the mixture for variety.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 mins till golden brown.

Tips : Make sure the bananas are very ripe so that the cupcake will smell more fragrant. You may add some lemon juice onto the mashed bananas to prevent them from turning brown quickly.

Measurement from cup to gram
1 cup sugar = 200g
1 cup plain flour = 100g

I like this banana cupcake recipe as it is more fragrant and tastier. Am wondering whether I can reduce the butter as the cupcakes become oily the next day though they still taste good. Cupcakes still taste best when they are straight from the oven.

Butter Cupcake!

Happy Lunar New Year!

Baked some cupcakes last nite. Intended to have them for breakfast today. Yummy, they are delicious... They are quick and simple to make and the recipe is easy to remember. The same measurement for butter, sugar and flour (i.e. 120g each) and you can make 12 regular sized cupcakes.

Butter Cupcake

Preparation time: 10 mins for preheating the oven and sifting the flour
Cooking time: 20-25 mins
Serves: 12
Oven temperature: 180C
Cost: about $2 for butter, sugar and flour, could cost you more if you use good quality toppings like cranberries, chocolate chips and nuts like almonds

Ingredients:
1. 120g butter, soften
2. 120g caster sugar
3. 120g self-raising flour
4. 2 eggs
5. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6. 1/3 cup milk (more if necessary)
7. toppings, .e.g. cranberries, chocolate chips, raisins, almonds

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven at 180C for 10 mins.
2. Cut butter into cubes and cream it at medium speed. Add sugar and increase speed to high. Cream till sugar is dissolved and the mixture is light and creamy. Will take around 15 mins for the electric mixer that I am using.
3. Add in extract and eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Fold in sifted flour alternately with milk till they are well-incorporated (Don't add flour while the electric mixer is on - will explain what is folding method - see below)
5. Spoon the butter mixture into the muffin cups.
6. Sprinkle your favorite toppings onto the mixture. You may fill the muffin cup half with the butter mixture and add the toppings before filling up the cup and sprinkle the toppings again. In this way, every bite you take, you can feel and eat the toppings.
Remember to fill the cup to 3/4 full as the mixture will rise during baking.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 mins till golden brown.

Tip : Flour must always be sifted and if you don't have self-raising flour, you can replace it with 120g plain flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder.

What is Folding?
Folding is a technique used to prevent deflating a light and airy mixture when combining it with a denser mixture. You will find more details under this website: Dyann Bakes. http://www.dyannbakes.com/index.php?post_id=255120
Dyann also teaches you tips on how to prevent cracks across the top of a cheese cake.