Mmmmmm Earl Grey

Christmas Scales.... Check

Christmas Mixing bowls.... Check

Christmas Adorable teacup cases.... Check

Hummingbird Bakery Book.... Check

Ingredients.... Check (after 2 trips to Tesco for 3 ingredients-what type of moron forgets eggs for a cake?)

Electric whisk.... Will be improvised with a spoon and an arm.

As you can see Santa is pretty much forcing me into shoving my face with cake this year. I wondered if you would like to join me on my first baking expedition of the year?

Earl Grey Cupcakes 

1. Place 3 Earl Grey teabags into a bowl with 3 tablespoons of hot boiled water and leave for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven (definitely do not put the grill on) to 190 degrees celsius.

3. Mix 80g unsalted butter, 280g caster sugar, 240g plain flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder together until fine breadcrumbs with the electric whisk... or arm.

4. Add 200ml whole milk and 2 eggs to a jug and mix by hand. Add brewed tea, and set teabags to one side.

5. Pour 3/4 of the milk mixture into dry ingredients and use electric whisk until thick and smooth, then add the rest of the milk mixture and mix.

6. Fill cases with mixture and cook for 18-20 minutes until springy to touch. Then stand to cool.

7. Whilst cakes are cooking and cooling put your feet up and cross your fingers and do not forget to put teabags back in the bowl with 50ml whole milk for the icing, after 30 minutes remove teabags and give them a good squeeze!

I wrote up until this point whilst my little cakes were having a great time in the oven and I was feeling very optimistic... However I would now like to add the work DISASTER in the title of this post.

I would love to say this recipe is rubbish, but sadly it was probably to do with the following facts...

a) I have no electric whisk

b) I tried to halve the ingredients and maybe failed?

c) I used self raising flour instead of plain because I was lazy and did not want to go to Tesco for the third time in half an hour!

I debated whether or not to admit to these little hard deflated mounds. Especially after talking to my best friend on the phone and sending her a picture. I quote "What the hell are those Hannah? It is lucky you halved the mixture or you could have had a lot of pooey cakes. Mmm they look nice."  I removed the rude abusive words, as this blog is rated PG :-P Can you sense the support and love in this?

I had a sneaky taste whilst deciding whether to scrap this project, but it tasted okay- so onto the icing!!!

8. Electric whisk 500g icing sugar and 160g unsalted butter until there are no lumps of butter, then add the infused milk and whisk until fluffy, then spread onto your cakes.

9. Sit and cry if they look awful and at the amount of washing up you have managed to create.

If after reading this you somehow feel brave enough to attempt these, and put me to shame. I would love to see a picture of how they should look :-D

lotsoflove

xxxx

P.S. I am obviously not a cake expert. I sometimes make things up as I go along, I make a mess, I have been known to accidently grill instead of bake cakes and I am an expert at setting off the fire alarm.