Impromptu Chococino Cupcakes

Picture this......

Me, in my lounge, lazily sipping at my coffee while Harvey plays and makes Preston laugh his cute baby chuckle. Hmmmm.... I could sit like that for hours.

The time ~ 1:15pm.

Old Favourite - Coffee & Walnut :-)

It was my father-in-law's birthday on 10th so I made him his favourite cake, Coffee & Walnut - well actually I made two and had leftovers so made some cupcakes too :-)

These are the two cakes... I apologise for the poor icing technique!! This is my first attempt at frosting an entire cake (confectionery course is desperately needed methinks!!)

The sponge on these beauties is amazing!! Really Walnutty with a definite crunch to it....perfect in my book :-)

Here's how.....

Walnut Sponge makes 1 cake + 6 cupcakes or 24 cupcakes
250g butter
250g caster sugar
250g self raising flour
4 large eggs
200g walnut pieces
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup semi-skimmed milk

• Preheat oven to 180/gas mark 4.
• Grease and base-line 2x 20cm sandwich tins.
• Cream the butter on low.
• Keeping the mixer on low mix in the sugar.
• Put the walnuts in a hand-held elec chopper and chop until fine (almost powder) don't worry if there are larger pieces at the top - these add to the texture of the finished sponge - just make sure they're no bigger than a mini smartie.
• When butter and sugar mixture is light and fluffy add the eggs one at a time, making sure one is fully incorperated before adding the next.
• Add the vanilla.
• When the vanilla is fully incorperated sift in half the flour and baking powder, take the bowl off the mixer and fold this in gently by hand.
• Add half the milk and fold this in.
• Repeat with the rest of the flour and milk.
• Add the walnuts and fold in gently until evenly distributed.
• Fill both sandwich tin 2/3's full.
• Place in the over for 25-30mins - if you move them too early they will sink in the middle.
• When baked, place tins on cooling rack for 10mins, then take the cakes out of the tins and place on racks to cool completely.

If you have any batter left over throw some cupcake cases in a muffin tin and fill them 2/3's full until all the batter is used, I got 6 :-) - place these in the oven for 20 - 25 mins.

Coffee Frosting
200g butter
600g icing sugar
1 tbsp semi skimmed milk
4 tbsp very strong coffee (to make the coffee, pour 1/4 cup boiling water into jug, add 6 tsp coffee granules, mix and set aside to cool)

• Cream the butter on low.
• Add the icing sugar 100g at a time.
• Add the milk and the coffee and mix on medium speed for 3 mins until light and fluffy.

This makes enough to ice your cupcakes too :-)

Et Voila!!

Oldie but a goodie!! NOM NOM NOM

ENJOY

xx Kat xx