Halloween Cupcakes

Happy Halloween!!
So this year I wanted to make something for Halloween and after a lot of thought I decided to keep it simple which these very cute and spooky cupcakes!! These cupcakes can be easily adapted to suit both gluten free and lactose intolerant diets. 

Prep – 20 mins

Cook – 15 mins

Ready in – 35 mins 

To make the cupcakes you will need:

• 100 grams self raising flour
• 100 grams caster sugar
• 100 grams unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking power 

To make the buttercream frosting you will need:

• 150 grams icing sugar
• 75 grams unsalted butter (at room temperature) 
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• Dr Oetker black gel food colouring 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas Mark 4. Line a 12 hole cupcake tin with paper cases (I used Halloween ones) 
2. Put the flour, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract into a large mixing bowl. 
3. Beat the mixture by hand or using an electric whisk until you get a creamy consistency. Spoon the mixture into the cases. 
4. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. 
5. Leave to cool while you prepare the butter icing 
6. To make the buttercream, beat the butter in a medium sized mixing bowl until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth. 
7. Add the remaining icing sugar and one tablespoon of milk and beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Beat in the milk and the vanilla extract. 
8. Then add a few drops of Dr Oetker black gel food colouring until you get a grey coloured buttercream. 
9. Once the cakes have cooled, use a pallets knife to top the cakes with the buttercream. You are looking to get a smooth top. 
10. I then got some white Royal icing, dying a third of it black and then made some Halloween themed icing decorations. These being a spider, a vampire, a skull, a mummy and jack the skeleton from nightmare before Christmas! 

So if your hosting a Halloween party these would be perfect! They are quick, easy and taste amazing! 

Hope you have a happy Halloween! 

Annie xx

Love Cake Etc, Swanage, Dorset!

Since I was 8, my family and out close friend would go down and stay in Ulwell Caravan park in Swanage, so the place has become very special to me after spending the majority of my childhood in the area.

This weekend me and my family took a trip down to Dorset for the weekend, and luckily the weather was beautiful so we got to go out and enjoy it. We’d recently decided to buy a plaque down on the pier in Swanage in memory of my Dad's Mum and Dad as although they had never been there it was somewhere that was special to us and we’re more likely to visit. Earlier this week we had received a phone call telling us that it was ready so we took the trip down here and went in search for it, and it was really nice to see. Especially for me as I had never met either of them. 

We then went out for lunch to a little cafe that we found about a year or so ago and really enjoyed it. 

The cafe was called Love Cake Etc and they sell the most lovely things. Like any normal cafe they have a set menu but they also have a specials board, a pie of the day, quiche of the day, soup of the day and pâté of the day. The last few times I have been I have normally had the pie which have been very nice, but unfortunately they had sold out by the time we had arrived at it was around 2 o’clock.like the pies they serve a lot of the dishes with a side of salad but it isn’t your average boring green leaf salad they serve things like pasta salads, potato salad and lovely dressings – all of which homemade! 

This time I had something different and went for the Mac and Cheese, which contained squash and coastal cheddar and I very much enjoyed it and if say it is probably the best Mac and Cheese I have ever had! 

 It also had some whole grain mustard in it and as I’m not a huge fan of mustard I was a bit wary but the taste wasn’t pungent and was very subtle which I absolutely loved!
I highly recommend this cafe as the food is always good and the service is amazing and the plus side is that it is in my favourite place ever and by the sea! So if you’re ever in the Dorset area and happen to be in Swanage definitely make a stop at Love Cake Etc! 

Hope you have a lovely day!

Annie xx