Chocolate Cupcakes with Biscoff Cream Cheese Icing

I absolutely love biscoff biscuits. Dipped into a hot cup of tea, they are just amazing and so addictive! When I saw the biscoff spread in shops and the biscoff recipes floating around the food blogs, I knew I had to try it out. And these cupcakes didn't disappoint! The chocolate coupled with the biscoff cream cheese and topped with a biscoff biscuit were one of the best flavour combinations I've ever made. I would definitely recommend making these, I don't know how anyone could not like these cupcakes! 

Recipe (makes about 8 cupcakes)

113g butter/margarine
113g caster sugar
2 eggs
90g self raising flour
30g cocoa powder

Biscoff Cream Cheese Icing
250g icing sugar
62g cream cheese
62g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon biscoff spread

& Biscoff biscuits to decorate


Firstly, preheat the oven to 160c. Mix together the margarine and caster sugar until light and fluffy.

Whisk in the eggs until combined.

Fold in the self raising flour and cocoa powder until mixed thoroughly. Pour into cupcake cases and bake for around 25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

Whilst the cupcakes are cooling, make the cream cheese icing. To do this, sieve the icing sugar to remove any lumps. Then whisk in the butter and cream cheese until just combined; be careful not to over whisk as this can create a watery icing. Add in a tablespoon of biscoff spread and mix in (I found this amount created the perfect subtle flavour of biscoff, but feel free to add more if you need to). 

Add this to a piping bag with a 2d nozzle and pipe onto the cupcakes. Then top with a biscoff biscuit and enjoy!

Liddie x

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

I always try and take advantage of the summer months for baking recipes that are perfect in the sunshine. Usually these involve fruit - and I knew I had to use the heatwave as an excuse to bake these strawberry cheesecake cupcakes. Soft, light sponge complete with a hidden strawberry surprise inside and topped with cream cheese icing. I have to admit, the first cream cheese icing recipe I used (and that is in the pictures) didn't turn out like I had hoped. However, since then I have discovered the perfect recipe (thanks Nigella!) which I used in my biscoff cupcakes and so you can see from the photos how well it pipes and holds together. It is so tasty too, and is so much better than butter cream icing! So I have included that recipe here instead of the one I actually used. 

Recipe

170g margarine/butter
170g caster sugar
3 eggs
170g self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

For the cream cheese icing

125g unsalted butter, softened
125g cream cheese (good quality)
500g icing sugar, sifted.

Plus a handful of digestive biscuits and around 8-10 fresh strawberries. 

Firstly, preheat the oven to 160c.

Cream together the margarine and caster sugar until fluffy.

Then, whisk in the eggs until combined.

Fold in the self raising flour and baking powder (a teaspoon of baking powder works wonders for creating a soft, fluffy sponge)

Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the cream cheese icing. To do this, simply sieve the icing sugar to remove any lumps. Then whisk in the butter and cream cheese until combined. Try not to over whisk the mixture as cream cheese icing is known to become runny - simply whisk until just combined. 

Once the cupcakes are cool, hollow out the centre and press about half a strawberry into the middle. 

Cover with icing. I wish I had found my favourite cream cheese icing recipe when I made these so I could have made the icing a bit neater. But seeing as they are supposed to look like cheesecake cupcakes I didn't mind too much! Sprinkle on some crumbled digestive biscuits - and enjoy!

Liddie x

Creamy Oreo and Chocolate Chip Cookie Squares

When I saw these on this blog I knew I had to try them. Extremely unhealthy but I just couldn't resist, and seeing as I'm on my holidays I saw no reason not to indulge! Chocolate chip cookies covered in oreo cream and topped with chocolate. I'm not lying when I say these are absolutely amazing. Very indulgent and obviously to be eaten in moderation, but I will definitely be baking again. You won't regret making these!

Recipe

115g unsalted butter, softened
65g granulated sugar
100g light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
190g plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

350g chocolate chips
30 Oreo cookies
100g cream cheese

Cream butter and both sugars together until smooth. 

Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix to the butter/sugar mixture.

Add the flour, bicarb of soda and salt and gently fold into mixture until combined. 

Mix in 150g of chocolate chips, I used a bar of chocolate and cut it into chunks (buying the chips is so much more expensive!)

Pour into the prepared/greased tin (about 8 by 8 square tin). Chill in the fridge for about 15 mins.

Cook on 180c for about 20 minutes until golden brown on top. 

Whilst that is cooling, break up the oreos and add the cream cheese. Mix together until creamy and smooth. 

Add this to the cooled cookie. Let this cool in the fridge for about half an hour, then melt the remaining 200g chocolate and add this on top. 

Let this set for about half an hour in the fridge, and then cut into around 16 squares. Enjoy!

Liddie x

Lemon Drizzle Cake

We've had gorgeous weather here in England this week and I really wanted to bake something summery. I love lemon flavoured things and so I was instantly drawn towards lemon drizzle cake, a really light and lemony cake that you feel like eating in hot weather. This recipe just uses a basic cake recipe and is drizzled with a simple lemon sugar mixture. Perfect for a summer time treat! 

Recipe

4 eggs

225g self raising flour

225g margarine

225g caster sugar

Zest of 2 lemons

For the drizzle

85g caster sugar

Juice of 1 1/2 lemon

Preheat the oven to 180/160c fan. Firstly, cream together the margarine and sugar until creamy.

Add the eggs and whisk into the butter/sugar mixture until combined and smooth. 

Add the flour and gently fold into the mixture. 

Finely grate the zest of 2 lemons and add to the mixture. 

Add to a prepared loaf tin and bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.

While the cake is still warm, make the drizzle by combining the lemon juice and sugar. Pour all over cake. 

Enjoy!

Liddie x

Chocolate and Salted Caramel Cake

This was my first attempt at this flavour combination but I have always liked the sound of it - I just needed the excuse to make a big cake! When my friend announced she was hosting a dinner party I jumped at the chance to make a dessert; and this is the cake I chose to make. I decided to make it in a bundt tin and so chose a recipe especially designed for this cake, so it would be easier to get out of the tin. Although the cake did end up sticking to the tin anyway, it's the sort of cake you can cover up with the icing and it tasted delicious despite this! Definitely worth a try. 

Recipe (from The Pink Whisk)

Cake

• 185g butter, softened
• 330g light muscovado sugar
• 3 eggs, large
• 230g plain flour
• 70g self-raising flour
• 80g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 250ml milk
• 2 tbsps vinegar (malt or white wine)

Salted Caramel Icing

• 70g caster sugar
• 25g light muscovado sugar
• 45g golden syrup
• 100ml double cream
• 25g butter, diced
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 175g icing sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 160c(fan)/180c. Measure the milk for the cake and add vinegar, setting it aside for now. 

Grease the tin, and then cream together the butter and sugar. 

Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

To finish, add the flours, cocoa, bicarb of soda and the milk/vinegar mix. Fold together gently until everything is combined. Transfer to the tin.

Bake for around 45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for around half an hour and then transfer onto a wire rack. 

To make the salted caramel sauce, heat together the sugars and syrup until the sugar is melted.

Add the butter, cream and vanilla and stir until combined. Bring it to the boil and simmer for 1 minute. 

Take off the heat and stir in the salt. Add to the icing sugar and mix well. Keep stirring to cool & thicken if it is too runny. However I had the opposite problem, and stirred it for too long meaning it hardened up and was difficult to drizzle neatly. I wish someone could have warned me about this so I will warn you! Drizzle the icing onto the cake and finish with chocolate shavings, I used crumbled up toffee crisp. Enjoy!

 Liddie x