Gluten Free and Refined Sugar Free Easter Cupcakes - #FreeFromEaster

Following on from the Free From Pancakes collaboration I am, again, joining forces with some amazing free from bloggers to bring you a free from Easter.

I have been told by the hubby that he misses my baking so I am going to be experimenting a lot more with gluten free bakes. I will admit I have found the thought of baking gluten free quite daunting. I can bake gluten free cakes but I am yet to perfect a loaf and still need to try making pastry. So over the coming months I am going to rediscover my baking passion. I find reading the other free from blogs so inspiring and they really do give me the confidence to try more. My aim is to show you that it is possible to create baked treats that are gluten free and will please the whole family, not just those that follow a gluten free diet.

For my first of two free from Easter bakes I have made some delicious chocolate cup cakes and next week I will be sharing a savoury recipe. So keep an eye out for that one!

Today's recipe is a simple sponge cupcake but is gluten free and free from refined sugar. This is what I did...

Valentine's Cupcakes with Aldi

I love Valentine's day. As much as I believe in showing our loved ones how much we love them all year round, I do love an excuse for a bit more romance.

This year Aldi have got everything that you need to show your special person how much you love them. Whether you are looking for flowers, chocolates, champagne, a teddy, they have it.

But, if you have a loved one who loves cake then these little cupcakes of love will certainly steal their heart. Homemade gifts are not only made with love but are a great way to save money. If your budget is tight this Valentine's day then these cupcakes will come to the rescue!

This is what I did...

International Chocolate Cake Day

As it is International Chocolate Cake Day I thought it would be fitting to share with you my favourite chocolate cake bakes. All of these will leave you craving some chocolate cake, you have been warned!

My Well Done Celebration Chocolate Cake was a huge success and certainly helped to cheer J up after he had finished a stressful week at school doing his SATS. The sponges contain golden syrup which gives the cake some extra richness. The cakes have then been sandwiched together using chocolate butter icing and finally the top has been covered in marshmallows and chocolate stars.

My White Chocolate and Lime Cake is a decadent combination of Madagascan vanilla chocolate and sharp lime which leaves you wanting more. Sometimes white chocolate gets overlooked but it is a delicious alternative to traditional milk or dark chocolate and one that we love!

If you are looking for a birthday cake for a chocolate lover then you need to check out this Tunnock's Teacake Birthday Cake. This traditional chocolate cake bake has been revamped into this chocoholic delight, it has been drizzled with chocolate sauce that has been sprinkled with Flakes then topped with the ultimate marshmallow treat, Tunnock's Teacakes!

The next chocolate cakes contain a sneaky vegetable extra! My Chocolate, Lime and Courgette Cakes will leave you astounded, you simply would not know that they contain courgette, but you are getting all of the goodness that they provide. Again, the lime and chocolate are a perfect combination.

8 Easy Halloween Cupcake Decoration

Halloween is upon us again and the kids always want some deliciously spooky treats. Last year I shared with you some healthy fruity treats, the year before I shared a spider web pizza along with banana ghouls and mini pumpkin pies. This year I thought that I would share my top, easy cupcake decorations. Time can be a big issue when it comes to decorating cakes and creating a spooky treat. All 8 of the following ideas are quick, easy and child friendly. Get the kids in the kitchen and let their imagination go wild!

Aldi have challenged me to create a Halloween themed bake using their products. In the past I have told you about their fantastic baking range The Pantry, which I have used in today's bake along with some great products that made the perfect toppers.

Here are my 8 easy Halloween cupcake decorations...

Honey and Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes

As I was away when Great British Bake Off started and I missed cake week I thought that I would have a go at making some drizzle cakes. Aldi have challenged me to follow along with Bake Off and make a series of bakes using their products. I love to bake so love having an excuse to bake even more! Yesterday I shared my delicious Viennese Whirls so for today's recipe I made some cakes. I am still yet to catch up with the episode that I missed but I have seen a lot of people sharing drizzles cakes. But I have not made your average drizzle cake, I have decided to make mini versions that are great to put in the kids pack ups for school!

I have combined two classic flavours of honey and lemon. The two compliment each other perfectly and have made a cupcake that keeps you wanting more! I have not used regular honey, I have gone for Aldi's Specially Selected Manuka Type Honey.

Aldi have a great range of baking products and as the Great British Bake Off goes on I will be showing you how you can save money on your ingredients and create the best bakes.

This is what I did...

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes - Baking with Kids and Degustabox Contents

For this months Degustabox post I thought that I would share with you a recipe that I made with the twins. Each month Degustabox comes with a wide variety of products that can be enjoyed as they are or they can be used to create delicious meals and treats.

Today I am sharing with you an easy chocolate chip cupcake recipe that the twins love to make. This month we received a jar of Canderel Sugarly in the Degustabox so we substituted caster sugar for the sweetener to see how the cakes turned out. Canderel Sugarly looks and tastes like sugar but without the calories!

Before I tell you how we got on let me tell you about the contents of April's Degustabox.

Using Leftover Easter Chocolates

I don't know about your house, but here, each and every year we end up with leftover chocolate from Easter. It is usually down to me to use them in bakes and desserts.

So when Aldi challenged me to come up with a way to use leftover chocolate, I knew it would be fun. Today I will be sharing my ideas for how to use up some chocolate decorating cakes. After reading this you will be looking for leftover chocolate to use!

Top Baking Kits from House of Fraser

Now that the children are enjoying the Easter holidays it is time to have some activities lined up for any rainy days. In our house, one of our favourite activities has to be baking. Baking is the ideal way to introduce the children to food preparation, cooking and kitchen safety.

When I was taking a look on the House of Fraser website I found some perfect baking kits that are going to be great to use with the kids over the holidays. Today I am going to tell you about the kits that I got and give you an ideal, quick recipe for the kids to try over the holiday!

These are the products that caught my eye...

Leftover Chocolate Cupcakes - Make Unloved Chocolates Loved Again!

Who doesn't love to receive a delicious box of chocolates? But I always find that we end up with the usual, unloved chocolates that end up being left until last.

That is how these cupcakes were created!

In our house you can guarantee that the last chocolates are the white ones and coffee ones. I love coffee but not coffee chocolates. But I hate to throw them in the bin. That is why I have used them in this recipe. The chocolates which have been unloved are reborn and loved!

This recipe gives you a perfect excuse to buy yourself a box of chocolates! To buy good quality, premium chocolates you are often looking at paying quite a bit. However it is possible to find some great discounts and promotion codes on the internet. One place to certainly take a look is on VoucherBin. There are often voucher codes for Thorntons, which are the chocolates that I have used in this recipe. So before you buy, take a look!

Anyway, back to the yummy part, here is how I made unloved chocolates loved again...

National Cupcake Week with Greens Cake Mixes

This week is National Cupcake Week and to celebrate I was kindly sent a box of Green's Mini Daisy Cupcakes to try.

These easy cake mixes are great if you are baking with children. All you need to do is add and egg and water to the mixture and whisk. They are great for the children to independently make.

Everything that you need to create these lovely looking mini cakes is provided in the box. You get the cake mixture, bun cases, icing, icing sugar and even a daisy cutter.

The step by step instructions on the back are easy to follow and there is no weighing required.

I did make these buns however they did not turn out at the picture on the front of the box.

The packet says that the mixture will make 24 mini buns however I found I only had enough mixture for 22 buns. As I had tried to make the mixture go such a long way they only filled half of the mini cupcake case when baked. However if you only wanted to make 12 mini cupcakes you would have had the ideal amount of mixture.

I love that this product provides everything you need to decorate these little treats. I will definitely be baking some more cupcakes and using the daisy decorations.

Disclaimer: I was sent the box of Daisy Mini Cupcakes for the purpose of this post. No payment was received. All views and opinions are my own and 100% honest.

Banana and Oat Cakes

As you all know, I am taking part in the wholegrain goodness challenge.

 

This has encouraged me to try some new bakes using wholemeal flour.

 

I thought that these cakes would be a great way to give both the kiddies and my hubby a yummy treat that has not only got wholegrain goodness in but also bananas for energy!

 

This is what we got...

 

Banana and Oat Cakes

 

Ingredients

 

225g wholemeal self raising flour

225g baking spread

225g golden caster sugar

2 large ripe bananas, mashed

100g whole oats

4 eggs at room temperature

1/2 tspn vanilla paste

 

Method

 

Heat the oven to 180C

 

1 - Cream together the spread and golden caster sugar

 

2 - Once they are light and creamy gradually add the eggs with a little flour to prevent curdling

 

3 - Mix in the vanilla paste

 

4 - Sift in the flour, adding the wholemeal that is left in the sieve, and mix

 

5 - Add the mashed banana and oats and mix until evenly combined

 

6 - Place the mixture in either cupcake cases or muffin cases for a larger cake

 

7 - Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean

 

8 - Remove from the tray and leave to cool on a cooling rack

 

These muffins are great little energy boosting, full of wholegrain snacks.

I have recently made some with added dates and walnuts which were equally delicious!

They are so versatile you could add nuts, raisins or any other dried fruit of your choice!

Enjoy x

 

Spiced Orange Cake

Now for a happier post.......
Cake!
I tried this recipe a few days ago but it was eaten before I got chance to ice it let alone take a photograph to post!
So yesterday with everything going on I hit the kitchen to distract my thoughts.
Before 8:15am I had bread dough and pizza dough proving!
I was on a baking mission!
Next it was time for the cake!
Last time I made this as a large cake. Yesterday we were going on a picnic with some family so I thought that cupcakes would be a better idea.
Here is my recipe

Ingredients

150g butter
150g golden caster sugar
3 eggs
Zest of 1 large orange finely grated
Juice of 1 large orange
1tspn cinnamon
1tspn mixed spice
175g self raising flour

Topping

100g full fat cream cheese
30g butter
150g - 175g icing sugar
1tspn of orange zest finely grated

Method

Heat the oven to 180C, gas mark 4, 350F

1: Cream the butter until lightly creamed
2: Add the sugar and mix evenly blended together
3: mix the flour, cinnamon and mixed spice together
4: Gradually add the eggs. With each egg add a spoon of the flour mix to prevent the mixture separating
5: Add the zest and orange juice with a spoon of flour
6: Sift in the flour and spices, mix until evenly blended
7: Either put into a prepared cake tin or put into cupcake holders and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when stuck through the centre
8: Cream together the cream cheese and butter
9: Add the orange zest
10: Gradually add the icing sugar and mix with a spoon before giving it a blast with an electric hand whisk
11: Leave it in the fridge for about an hour to firm it up before piping onto the cake.
12: Once the cakes are completely cooled, pipe on the topping

I have also added a little twist onto these cakes for my hubby. I have added a couple of handfuls of muesli to transform them into breakfast muffins!

Enjoy x

Lemon & Courgette Cupcakes

I am posting again.
Yes, you guessed it!
They are soooo yummy!
Here is my recipe:

Ingredients

150g softened butter
150g caster sugar
175g self raising flour
Zest of 1 lemon grated
Juice of 1 lemon
150g courgette grated
Cream Cheese Icing
100g full fat creamed cheese
25g unsalted butter
160g icing sugar

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C / gas mark 5 / 375F
1: Cream the butter until smooth
2: Add the sugar and mix until creamed together
3: Add the lemon zest and juice then mix
4: Add the eggs one at a time with a spoon of flour to prevent the mixture separating
5: Add the courgette and sift in the flour and mix until evenly blended
6: Spoon into cupcakes cases and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes out clean when put into the centre of the cake
7: To make the icing, using an electric whisk cream together the cream cheese and butter
8: Gradually add the icing sugar stirring it in with a spoon before finishing it off with the electric whisk
9: Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge for an hour before piping on once the cupcakes have completely cooled

Enjoy x