Kitchen Virgin til 27: Ironcupcake

Showing posts with label Ironcupcake. Show all posts

11/11/2009

Apple Round 2 (IronCupcake Earth)

My Second entry for the IronCupcake Earth competition:

Remember the batter that I tried using for my first set of entry? I ended up baking proper cupcakes from them! So yeah...I actually went through the process of roasting the apples, mashing them to get the puree and use them for my cupcake batter. And then with a little spice, I added bits of cinammon and ginger to the batter.

After baking them, I was thinking up of the next idea for these need-to-get-dressed cupcakes and it all started with the next morning while I was trying to figure out what to eat.

I had a small tub of plain yogurt needed finishing as I was actually planning to use it for another frosting and had forgotten about it. Seeing that I'm picky and can't run away from being a sweet tooth and being uberly health consious, I still don't prefer to have a plain yogurt (yuck, it feels like I'm eating something naked). So I looked into my little pantry and scouted for something sweet but not adding to the calories. I saw honey and marshmallows. Ah hah. Something alright to start the morning and dressing this yogurt enough so that I can finish eating it.

While eating it, something sparked up...why not use this as my icing?? woohoo!! I got super excited. And with that while I was having my morning walk after and the gradual thinking right up to the final bit of my idea...I came up with the name for them:

Healthily Applelicious

Cinnamon Apple Cupcakes with Honey Yogurt Frosting and a tinge of Marshmallows for it's sweetness and a subtle sinfulness.

I added abit of Mascarpone cheese to firm up the frosting so that it doesn't melt and with that I could reduce the amount of icing sugar to the frosting.

Taste wise? You bet, amazing...1 got eaten in 3 bites from my collegues at work (that really suprise me because I am always hesitant and nervous whenever I make something). Some of them thought it was cream cheese frosting on top ;). They think I should quit my job and open up a catering business (Aaaw, felt so touched with the compliments).

The actual amount of calories for each frosted cupcake is 250kcal (1/8 of your daily kcal guideline amount and yes, I actually sat down to caclulate each ingredient) and there are ways to reduce them even more by using a vegan substitute but for this competition, I shall place the exact recipe I used. As well as I dedicate this to those who are health conscious like me seeing that I came from an atheletic background and for those who wants something sweet but lighter for a change.

If you look at my first entry, I am hoping that this entry could earn some brownie points too as a bonus. The list of the awesome prizes are below, so please vote for me towards the end of the month (I shall remind you all again):

Voting starts on Friday, November 27th at 8 p.m. at http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com and will be open through Thursday, December 3 at 12 noon.

Here are the ingredients and method for making these scrumptious (I'm such a drama in emphasising) apple cupcakes

Curious? Click here for more...

09/11/2009

Apple Round 1 (Ironcupcake Earth)

What: Another Ironcupcake competition but it's done online
Theme: Apples

Another competition which I'm so keen to take on. This will be my first online entry ever and it has been an amazing experience. It all started,

Once upon a time....in the beginning of November or thereabouts...

So happen my friend was only here in London for a week and she requested red velvet cupcakes since it was ultimate her favourite cupcakes. Being me, I was keen to bake for any occasion, from parties and gatherings to the point of a joking request. But in conjunction to that, I decided to try for this competition which was themed apples.

As my creative juices were bursting, I got really excited as red velvet cupcakes depict the red colour skin of an apple and so I thought I could add something yellow inside and green on top. As well as they are known for as the 'devil's' cupcakes, I got all crazy with naming and personalising my cupcakes base on the bible, christianity and adam and eve etc. (no, this doesn't mean that I religious as such, but you just can't run away from the fact that at least 80% of world's population are Christian and each one of us know at least 1% of what the bible speaks). I decided to make my version of cupcakes blending the theme and the lovely red velvet cupcakes which I made for the first time. Behold, I call this:

Hidden Fruit of Eden

(Thanks to my dear D who came up with that name :* ).

aka Red Velvet Cupcake with Apple (green) and Cream Cheese Frosting

It all started with attempting to 'hide' an apple the red velvet cupcakes idea.

Hmm...real apple fruit, apple batter, apple juice, apple flavour, yellow colour, green colour, red colour...*feel like eating an apple*

Attempt 1: Wishing I had more skills, I wanted to carve a smaller piece of apple into the red velvet cupcakes but I could not think of the best way. So the next easiest thing I thought was to put an apple batter into the cupcakes and try to make an apple shape out of it.

It didn't work...and my cupcake batter too much it spilled all over the oven =( my heart sank 10 times more just watching it go to disaster.

Ok, attempt 2: Bake proper red velvets but sneak an apple icing into the cupcakes without her knowing

*Evil laugh* I was becoming excited as I did them

Process of making the red velvet cupcakes. It was a whole new experience since it was my first time making them...

Now for the sneaky bit. Digging a hole and adding some cream cheese inside first so that it holds this 'secret' icing in the middle

Now you see them

Now you don't mwahahah (imagining a wicked witch laughing when the potion sizzles)

And then topping up with cream cheese as usual, to hide all evidence...

The apple icing has a tinge of sourish in it but it goes well with the sweet red velvet as well as topping up with cream cheese? You can't go wrong, it was sinfuly, deliciously, juicily amazinnngggg...

So pretty pretty please:

Vote ME <--------- it's not hard, just click and click again ;)

Voting starts on Friday, November 27th at 8 p.m. at http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com and will be open through Thursday, December 3 at 12 noon. (Don't worry, I'll remind you folks again ;))

Am competing to win the following Earth Prizes and they are Amazing! They are:

Here are the steps if you're keen to make them

Curious? Click here for more...

06/11/2009

Into the world of Cupcakes

And so I was browsing as usual and again on motivation and inspirations in which I am driven by one thing that I can never run away from...

Competition...yes, I have to admit that I am and always have been competitive. I use to hate being one, because it stresses me out, because it is a negative feeling and because it makes me compare. But I know that this 'force' this drive, when use wisely and controled would yield the most greatest thing in life. For me, I make sure that I put this little piece together with passion, just like the icing on top of the cake ;).

And so I browsed around for competitions so that it pushes me to keep learning new baking skills as well as be exposed to the other people who have been doing it for so long. And boy was I exposed and covered with more so links and blogs to other people's website!

It first started with Iron Cupcake Earth. And then you go to another link to vote for the contestants..

And then apparently there is a theme for each month and the voting starts for 7 days for stunning prizes. This month's theme: Music and here is the list of the contestants. OMG, there are so many competing and the cupcakes are amazing. Feel free to explore their website and vote for them before the 5th of Nov which is quite soon :)

I so wish I could cast my votes to all of them as never in my life I have seen creativity bloom in the world of sweets and desserts. Good Luck to all regardless!

Curious? Click here for more...

04/11/2009

First Cupcake competition

What: Ironcupcake Competition
Where: Cuban City, Citypoint, 1 Ropemaker Street (Tube: Moorgate)
When: Every 1st Monday of the Month
This month's theme: Spice
BIG THANK YOU to the organisers (the Cake Crusader) who really made a HUGE effort to make the competition popular and wonderful!

Personal challenge: Making it Vegetarian
Original recipe: Chai Latte Cupcake with Cinammon honey cream cheese frosting (Thanks to Couture's Cupcakes blog)
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Ready for my version?
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Behold, the ~~alternative~~ vegan recipe...

Chai Latte Cupake with Cinnamon Syrup Yogurt frosting with a hint of peppermint

What a long winded title...I made some gingerbread shortbread to go with it

It was my first ever entry and boy it was the first time that the whole table was filled with over 30 entries! Very tough competition indeed. And my biggest mistake was not making enough =(. I made 12 and wished I made more to accomodate for the 100 over tasters that night. It is always the 1% that I missed out on that differentiate the winners from the rest (Talk about being competitive LOL). I was glad that the cupcakes turned out spongy and moist as I didn't manage to taste them (only made 12). I did bake my first batch but it sunk (and so my heart sunk 10x more) so I pretty much used that batch to make my icing.

Anyhoo, was very very appreciative to have friends there to support me and I was even more so happier that they enjoyed the event in which was more important than anything. Thank you for being there for me!

Note: I am no vegan person...I admit I am health concious, but I purposely made them as a challenge for myself and to understand more about the alternatives for food and what they do. Yes, I am such wanderer. I just love exploring the 'what if's' and I can't just hide this immense curiousity in me!