The Hummingbird Bakery Life is Sweet: 100 original recipes for happy home baking. Tarek Malouf
cream in a saucepan until it is hot, but don’t let it boil. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Mix in the Champagne, and then the cornflour.
6. Add a quarter of the hot cream to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously so that the egg doesn’t cook, but just warms up. Pour into the pan with the rest of the hot cream and cook over a medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture starts to get thicker and bubbles. Once the mixture has bubbled for 1–2 minutes, take it off the heat. If necessary, you may have to strain it through a fine sieve to get any lumps out. If it splits at any stage, take it off the heat and use a hand-held blender to whizz it back together.
7. Put the custard into another bowl and mix through the red colouring, butter and vanilla until the butter melts and everything is well mixed. Cover with cling film, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming, and put into the fridge until cold.
8. To make the frosting, in the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer with the whisk attachment or using a hand-held electric whisk, whip the cream on medium speed. When the cream starts to thicken, but before it’s whipped, add the sugar. Increase the speed and whip until it just starts to form peaks. Don’t overwhip or it will get too hard or split.
9. Take 100g (3½oz) of the cool custard. If the custard is very stiff, beat briefly with a spatula until smooth. Then fold into the cream and put the frosting in the fridge.
10. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, use a sharp knife and remove a piece of sponge to make a hollow in the centre of each cupcake, approximately 2cm (¾in) in diameter and about 3cm (1¼in) deep. Retain the cut-out piece of sponge.
11. Spoon the custard into a piping bag and fill the hollows in the cupcakes, then pop the removed piece of sponge back on the cakes. If, once you’ve done all the cupcakes, there is custard left over, you can spread it thinly over the top of each one, making sure not to go over the edges.
12. Finally, pipe or spoon generous amounts of the frosting onto each cupcake, gently smoothing over with a palette knife and making a nice swirl of frosting on each one.
Toasted Marshmallow Cupcakes
In America sweet potatoes are known as yams, and baked in the oven with sugar, spices and marshmallows they are a typical Thanksgiving side dish. Careful when using the cook’s blowtorch!
Makes 12 cupcakes
For the cupcakes
300g (10½oz) sweet potatoes
115g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened
140g (5oz) soft light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3 tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp vanilla extract
135g (5oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
For the frosting
70g (2½oz) caster sugar
¼ tsp cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
2 large egg whites
3 tbsp cold water
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g (1¾oz) marshmallow fluff
One 12-hole deep muffin tin, 12 paper muffin cases and a cook’s blowtorch
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6.
2. Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil and bake for about 45–60 minutes until tender. Once cooled, scoop out the flesh and mash.
3. To make the cupcakes, reduce the oven temperature to 175°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, and line the muffin tin with the paper cases.
4. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, cream the butter and sugar together for around 5 minutes on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, on a lower speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Then add the sweet potato flesh, maple syrup and vanilla and mix for a few moments until thoroughly incorporated. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Lower the mixer speed and mix in the dry ingredients in one slow but steady addition. Don’t overbeat.
6. Scoop the mixture into the paper cases until three-quarters full. Using a 50ml (1¾fl oz) ice-cream scoop can make this process easier and will result in even cupcakes. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until the cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
7. To make the frosting, mix the caster sugar, cream of tartar, pinch of salt, egg whites and cold water together in a small heatproof mixing bowl. Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water and beat with an electric whisk for 5–7 minutes until the mixture is very hot to the touch and stiff peaks have formed. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat for 1 minute more. Add the vanilla extract and marshmallow fluff and beat until combined.
8. Pipe or spoon generous amounts of the frosting onto each cupcake, gently smoothing over with a palette knife or spoon and making a nice swirl of frosting on each one.
9. Using a cook’s blowtorch, carefully torch the tops to brown them, avoiding the paper cases with the flame.
Chocolate Chip ‘Cupcakes’
These are a sort of chocolate chip cookie in a cupcake case. The texture is definitely not supposed to be cake-like, so don’t worry when they come out dense and chewy. We’d suggest eating them on the day of baking or soon after.
Makes 12 cupcakes
For the cupcakes
115g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened
80g (3oz) caster sugar
75g (2½oz) soft light brown sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
150g (5½oz) plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
For the topping
100g (3½oz) soft light brown sugar
1 large egg
Pinch of salt
170g (6oz) dark chocolate chips (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
60g (2oz) chopped pecans (or walnuts)
½ tsp vanilla extract
One 12-hole deep muffin tin and 12 paper muffin cases
1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, and line the muffin tin with the paper muffin cases.
2. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, cream the butter, sugars and vanilla together for around 5 minutes on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, on a lower speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix into the wet ingredients on a low speed in one slow but steady addition. Don’t overbeat. The cake mix