Bake Day with Cousins

So during the holidays I usually organise something with my little cousins - that I adore to death - and this time I wanted to teach them to bake a couple simple things to satisfy their sweet tooth (or is it tooths or teeth?? :P) PS my internet skills are horrible - so click the full post if you want the cupcake recipe to! - don't know how to fix it ><


Baking Task 1: Green Tea Cupcakes with Green Tea Icing
Here are some photos from our little bit of fun ^^

Recipe (makes about 2 dozen)
3 tbsp Macha Powder
2 3/4 C plain flour
2 tsps baking powder
200g softened unsalted butter
1 3/4 C castor sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 C milk

1. Preheat the oven to 120 and line your muffin trays wit cupcake paper
2. Sift together the flour and baking powder
3. In a separate bowl cream the butter until almost whitish
4. Add the castor sugar sugar a third at a time beating for about 2 mins after ea addition. After the last addition beat until the mixture is light and fluffy and the sugar has almost dissolbe
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 min after each or until mixture is light and fluffy
6. Add the vanilla extract and macha powder - beat until combined
7. Add a third of the flour to the mixture and beat, then 1/2 the milk then beat, other 1/3 of the flour then beat, then 1/2 the milk and then the last 1/3 of the flour.
8.Beat until throughly combined
9. Spoon mixture into cupcake papers filling to 3/4 full
10. Bake fot about 20 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean

My kitchenaid baby with the batter ^^

Cupcake cups!!!

Icing:
2 C (or more!) Icing sugar
2 Tbsp milk
200gm Butter
2 Tbsp Macha powder

Combine the above ingredients in mixer until stiff. If the mixture is not stiff enough add more icing sugar

Iced and prettied by my artistic cousins!

Baking Task 2: Fish Bowl Trifle (only cos the bowl looked like a fish bowl hehehe)



This is just fairly ad hoc and just fun for the kids to get their hands a bit dirty throwing in the berries and playing with the hand beater to make whipped cream ^^

12 Jam rolls
2 packs of 40gm jelly - raspberry or strawberry or one of each
Thick Vanilla Custard (500 ml)
Sherry
Thickened Cream
Frozen berries - we used 400 gm blueberries and 400gm raspberries

1. Prepare your jelly - follow the instructions on the box and wait until set
2. Cut the jam rolls into 1-2cm slices and line the bottom part of the bowl you are using
3. Soak with sherry either spooning or pouring over the cake
4. Take half your jelly and layer it on top of the jam rolls
5. Pour on half the custard
6. Sprinkle 1/3 of the berries on top
7. Repeat
8. Whip the cream until thick with electric beater
9. Layer the cream on top and sprinkle the rest of the berries
10. Refrigerate for a few hours

Yummmm berries

So that was an afternoon + dessert ^^