Vanilla Cupcakes

 

Basic recipe for sky-high frosted vanilla cupcakes. Light, soft and spongy cupcakes topped with a sweet, creamy buttercream! The recipe makes a lot of frosting so if you are worried about your waistline feel free to make less (I still haven't learned to frost cupcakes properly. I do need to practise more)

Vanilla Cupcakes

Cupcakes:
113g/1/2 cup butter, room temperature
225g/1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
190g/1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch salt
150ml buttermilk, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

1) Preheat oven to 180C/350F.

2) With a mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and egg yolk, with the mixer still on high. 

3) In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

4) Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low until combined. Add ½ of the buttermilk. Continue to alternate the flour and buttermilk, ending with the flour.

5) Divide the batter among the cupcake cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
113g/1/2 cup butter, softened

220g/1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

Pinch salt

1) Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

2) Add milk and vanilla and beat until you get desired consistency.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

A very simple recipe for classic chocolate chip muffins. What I like about them, is that you only need a couple of bowls and no more than 10 minutes to prepare them. These have chocolate chips in every bite and my favourite part is a slightly crunchy exterior. They are both good warm when the chocolate is still melted and cold. They really keep well for almost a week. 

Chocolate Chip Muffins

250g/2 cups all purpose flour
150g/⅔ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
113g/½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
160ml/⅔ cup milk
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
200g milk chocolate chips

1) Preheat the oven to 190C/375 F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. 

2) In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3) In medium bowl, mix together melted butter, eggs, milk and vanilla.

4) Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix everything together just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

5) Divide the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from here.

Creamy Pasta Salad with Greek Yogurt Feta Dressing

Pasta dishes have always been my favourite ones. It's because pasta is extremely versatile and you can think of thousands of yummy dishes to make with it. One of my latest experiments was this creamy pasta salad. What is good about it, is that despite being amazingly delicious, it is also healthy. The dressing is made with greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise.
P.S. it is even better the next day after being refrigerated overnight. Enjoy!

Creamy Pasta Salad with Greek Yogurt Feta Dressing

200g ditalini pasta, cooked and drained
1 can sweet corn
1 large tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, sliced
55g (handful) of black olives, halved
1/2 head lettuce (Iceberg), chopped
75g mixed baby leaves, chopped
salt & pepper

Greek Yogurt Feta Dressing

100g Feta cheese
300g/ (a little more than 1 cup) greek yogurt
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried dill
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp lemon juice

1) In a large bowl, combine together all the ingredients for the salad. Set aside.

2) For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to make a smooth paste. Alternatively, you can simply put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix everything by hand.

3) Pour the dressing onto the salad and mix until evenly distributed. Keep in refrigerator.

Recipe by collecting memories

Ho Ho Cake

Ho Ho Cake

Cake
210g/3/4 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
220g/1 cup granulated sugar
44g/1/4 cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp instant coffee powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
120ml/1/2 cup milk
60ml/1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
120ml/1/2 cup boiling water

Cream Filling
300ml/1 1/4 cups milk
40g/5 tbsp all-purpose flour
220g/1 cup granulated sugar
113g/1/2 cup butter

Icing
250g/2 cups powdered sugar
113g/1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
84g/3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp hot water
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cake: 

1) Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease and flour 23x33cm (9x13inch) pan.

2) In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, instant coffee powder, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, mix together milk, oil, egg and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ones and beat on medium speed with mixer until well combined smooth.

3) Slowly pour in the boiling water. Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake completely.

Cream filling: 

1) In a small saucepan, combine together milk and flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens (5-8 minutes). Cool to room temperature.

2) With a mixer cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the cooled milk mixture. Beat on high speed for 7 minutes. Spread onto the cooled cake and refrigerate until set. 

Icing: 

1) In a large bowl, beat together powdered sugar, butter and melted chocolate until smooth. Add milk, boiling water and vanilla extract and beat a few minutes (at least 5) until very fluffy. Spread icing over cream filling.

Recipe adapted from here.