HAPPY JULY FOURTH // PINK CHAMPAGNE CUPCAKES

Happy July Fourth mothercluckers!!

We love any good excuse to bake up some amazing treats down at Tea House HQ and this American holiday is no excuse.

Whether it being a declaration of Independence or being a independent tea house owner, there is plenty of these yummies to go about.

I ain't going to lie, I have been off on another planet recently but it has been all good and I have plenty of exciting content heading for you in the next couple of weeks. I feel like I am on some sort of sugar high and while I am gliding through the sky I thought what better way to kick off July Fourth than with a brand spanking new recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery "Life is Sweet"*. It would be rude not to whip up a batch of Pink Champagne Cupcakes and not share them with my favourite girls.

Without further ado, this is what you will need.

For the Cupcakes :

160g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

175g caster sugar

115ml vegetable oil

115 ml Pink Champagne or like us classy northern girls a Rose Prosecco cheaper alternative.

 

Preheat your hot box also known as an oven to 175 degrees.

In a large bowl sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt. Sift, sift, sift.

In a separate bowl beat together the eggs, vanilla and sugar for 2 minutes.

Pour the oil in slowly but surely. Once this is well and truly mixed in add in a little bit of flour and then a little bit of champagne and repeat until it is all combined.

Pop the mixture into some little cases with an ice cream scoop for the perfect measurement.

Whack these little ladies into the oven for 15-20 mins.

When cooked to perfection put them aside and let them cool.

For the Custard :

350ml single cream

4 large egg yolks

100g caster sugar

80 ml of pink Champagne or pin fizz

30g cornflour

a touch of pink food colouring

30g unsalted butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

Now are you ready for the custard making? I had never made it before and was pleasantly surprised at how easy this was and how it panned out. 

Heat the cream in a saucepan until it heats right up but do not let it boil.

In a separate bowl whisk up the egg yolks and sugar together and then pop in the pink fizz and the cornflour.

Add a quarter of the hot cream in to the mixture and keep whisking so the egg warms a little.

Pour the sugary, egg mixture into the pan and cook over a medium heat until it starts to thicken. This is when the custard magic happens so do pay attention.

Pop it all through a sieve so that all the custard lumps are out. Pour this whole mixture into another bowl and add in the colouring, butter and vanilla until it all melts.

Put this into the fridge cover in cling film with the cling actually touching the custard so it does not form a crazy custardy skin.

For the Frosting :

300ml double cream

40g caster sugar

Pour in the cream and give it a good old whisk so it thickens up real good. Add the sugar but do not over whip.

Take out 100g of the chilled pink custard and fold into the frosting mixture.

Now for the fiddly bit. Once the cakes are chilled use a sharp knife to make the cakes hollow but keep the little lids as you will need these to put back on top.

Pipe in the custard and put the lids back on.

Pipe on a generous amount of the frosting and smooth over with a palette knife or you can just pipe a squiggle on top like mine as I tried and failed at the perfect frosting look in the book. I mean it's all going to get squandered anyway.

And there you have it Pink Champagne Cupcakes.

I know the recipe seems like a lot but do not be put off by the amount of ingredients. Most of the will be hidden within you larder cupboard somewhere. A glass or two of the left over Champagne also helps too, like, a lot to kick start your week.

Who would have thought I could whip up a pink champagne custard just like that? I am now itching to try some more of these amazing American style recipes out and fill the the tea house full of sweet sweet scents.

What are your favourite American recipes? Do share as I love to know what you lot like to yum down on.

This book is an absolute dream to bake from and I already have a fair few delights bookmarked such as the Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Cookies and I may even give the Tomato Soup Cupcakes a whirl you know. It is perfect for a first time baker up to a real skilled pro to someone just your average Tom like me.

Thank you to Sophie Brown for the help of your steady hands and custard making skills.

Love Carli x

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