Cookbook Adventure #12 - Party Cakes for kids
This is more a cookbook decoration adventure than a cookbook recipe adventure (since the recipe required "1 1/2 packets of cake mix".) But who needs cake mix when you've got a Thermomix?!
I was given the link to Thermomix Never Fail Cupcakes and converted it to a whole cake recipe with a few tweaks to the method and some additions.
Here is my Thermotalk version:
Ingredients
250g raw sugar
rind of 1 lemon
340g butter
6 eggs
400g self raising flour
2tbs milk
2tsp vanilla extract
Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line cake tins. I used a 9cm x 22cm x 7cm loaf tin and a 20cm x 30cm x 5cm cake tin.
Place sugar and lemon rind into TM bowl. Grind on speed 8 for 3 seconds. Add butter and mix for 2 minutes on speed 4. Scrape down sides and mix for a further 1 minute on speed 4 until light and creamy.
Add eggs one at a time whilst the TM is on speed 4. Scrape down sides after adding 3 eggs and then continue adding remaining eggs one at a time.
Add flour, milk and vanilla essence.
Mix on speed 4 for 30 seconds.
Place into tins. Bake until golden on top and skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean - the loaf tin took about 25 minutes and the larger cake tin about 35 minutes.
Once baked leave for 5 minutes and then remove from tins and cool on racks before icing.
(This recipe can be halved.)
For the icing I used a Thermomix conversion of a copha-buttercream icing from Gastronomy. The icing was a bit stiff and hard to work with for a winter birthday but I would have no hesitation at using it in summer (when it's been 40C outside) and my previous attempts at a pure buttercream icing have been a melty mess!
 |
| Happy Birthday Sam! |
From Isabella's recipe on Junior Masterchef Australia 2010 - http://www.masterchef.com.au/lemon-meringue-cup-cakes.htm
(Perfect for the Thermomix as no need to cream butter and sugar!)
Converted to Thermotalk:
INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes
Rind of 1 lemon
225g sugar (I reduced this to 150g and used raw sugar)
250g pure cream
2 eggs
225g self raising flour
Lemon Curd
I just used some Thermomix lemon butter which I had already made and was in the fridge (see p 147 of the EDC)
Meringue
3 egg whites
70g icing sugar
METHOD
Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 180'C. Place 12 patty cake liners in a 12 hole 1/2-cup capacity muffin pan.
Place rind and sugar into TM bowl and pulverise for 20 seconds on speed 9. Scrape down lemon rind and sugar from sides of the bowl.
Add remaining ingredients and mix for 30 seconds on speed 5.
Divide mixture between prepared liners and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cakes spring back to touch. Cool in muffin pan.
Meringue
I just followed the Meringue method from the Lemon Meringue Pie recipe on page 153 of the EDC. Keep an eye on the egg whites as you don't want to overbeat them. The EDC says 3-5 mins but I now err on the side of the lower time limit.
Spoon meringue mixture into a piping bag. (I made a whole ring cake and was too lazy to pipe it so just slathered it on with a spatula!)
To serve, preheat grill to medium-high. Cut a small hole in the top of each cupcake and fill with 1-2 teaspoons of lemon curd. Pipe a swirl of meringue mixture on the top of each cupcake and place under heated grill for 60-90 seconds or until golden. Arrange on a serving plate with spoonfuls of lemon curd if desired.
