Red Velvet Cupcakes

Recipe from Australian Good Taste magazine, February 2011 issue, page 16

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1½ cups caster sugar
1 cup buttermilk
200g unsalted butter, melted & cooled
2 eggs, room temperature, lightly whisked
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 teaspoons red food colouring

2 x 250g pkt cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups pure icing sugar, sifted
120g butter, extra, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, extra
Red sprinkles

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line fifteen 80ml (⅓ cup) capacity muffin pans with paper cases. Sift flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Stir through the sugar. Whisk the buttermilk, butter, eggs, vinegar and vanilla in a large jug until combined. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Add the buttermilk mixture. Stir until just combined. Stir in the food colouring.
2. Divide the mixture among the lined pans (approx. 1½ tablespoons each). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese, icing sugar, extra butter and extra vanilla until smooth
4. Pipe the icing over the cupcakes and top with the sprinkles.

Banana Cake

Ingredients

Melted butter, to grease
125g butter, at room temperature
315g (1 cup) caster sugar
1¼ cups mashed overripe banana (about 2 large bananas)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract/essence
100ml buttermilk
225g (1½ cups) self-raising flour
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 banana, extra, to decorate 

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon powder, to decorate
Fresh lemon juice, to brush

Ingredients – Cream cheese frosting

250g cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup icing sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla essence

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a round 20cm (base measurement) cake pan with melted butter to grease. Line the base and side of the pan with non-stick baking paper.
2. Place the butter, sugar, banana, eggs and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor, and process for 2 minutes or until well combined. Add the buttermilk and process until combined.
3. Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda, and process until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Shake the pan to settle the mixture. Bake in oven for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan for 10 minutes to cool slightly, before transferring the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, to make the cream cheese frosting, place the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat until mixture is light and fluffy.
5. Place the cake on a serving plate. Spread the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake.
6. Lightly dust the cake with sifted ground cinnamon powder.
7. Peel and thinly slice the extra banana. Lightly brush 1 side of each slice of banana with lemon juice. Arrange the banana slices, lemon juice side up, around the edge of the frosting to serve.

Notes & Tips

Buttermilk substitute: Place a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup regular milk. Let stand for five to ten minutes. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

Honeycomb Banana Muffins

I had a very, very ripe banana sitting in my fruit bowl today. Not content with just throwing it out, I've used it to make some yummy and very naughty muffins. As you can see in the photo below, there are only 11 muffins. That's because hubby couldn't wait for me to ice them all and helped himself to one soon after they came out of the oven!

Makes 12

Ingredients

2 cups self-raising flour
75g caster sugar
2 x 50g Nestle Violet Crumble bars, coarsely chopped
90g butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly whisked
⅓ cup buttermilk
¼ cup honey
2/3 cup mashed ripe banana

Icing
½  cup icing sugar
25g butter, at room temperature
1 tsp honey
½  tbs milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line twelve 80ml (1/3-cup) capacity muffin pans with paper cases.
2. Combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in three-quarters of the Violet Crumble. Make a well in the centre. Add the butter, eggs, buttermilk, honey and banana, and stir until just combined.
3. Divide the mixture among the lined pans. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Set aside in the pans for 5 minutes to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. To make the icing, use an electric beater to beat the icing sugar, butter, honey and milk in a small bowl until pale and creamy.
5. Spread the icing over the muffins. Top with the remaining Violet Crumble to serve.

 Notes & Tips

If you have a really sweet tooth, you can double the amount of ingredients for the icing or add more sugar into the muffins.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Nothing quite beats a sleep in on the weekend and fresh, fluffy pancakes! These are low in fat too!

Adapted from Super Food Ideas magazine, November 2003 issue, page 85

Makes approx. 20 pancakes

Ingredients

½ cup caster sugar
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups self-raising flour
2½ cups buttermilk
2 eggs
butter
maple syrup, strawberries & whipped cream to serve

Method

1. Sift caster sugar, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and self-raising flour in a bowl. 
2. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture
3. Whisk buttermilk and eggs together in another bowl 
4. Pour milk & egg mixture into the flour mixture. Whisk until batter is smooth. Stand for 10 minutes.
5. Add some butter to 2 non-stick frying pans. Heat over medium heat.
6. Pour approx. ¼ cup of batter into pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles form on surface. Turn. Cook a further 1 to 2 minutes or until cooked through. 
7. Transfer pancakes to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
8. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing pan between each batch. If you find the pan is getting too hot, reduce heat slightly.
9. Serve pancakes with maple syrup, strawberries & whipped cream.

Notes & Tips

Buttermilk substitute: Place a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup regular milk. Let stand for five to ten minutes. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

Using a medium-low heat allows the pancakes to cook slowly so they cook through to the centre and don't burn

Variations

To make blueberry pancakes:

Pour 2 tablespoons of the batter into the pan. Arrange a few blueberries over the surface of each pancake. Cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn and cook for 2 minutes or until golden. Repeat with remaining mixture