Butterscotch cupcakes with swiss meringue buttercream

Prep time - 20 min 
Cook time - 30 min 
Serves - 13 cupcakes 

Ingredients
For the cake 
1.All purpose flour - 1 2/3 cups
2.Brown sugar - 1 cup
3.Eggs-2
4.Baking powder-1/2 tsp
5.Baking soda- 1/4 tsp
6.Unsalted butter- 1/2 cup
7.Salt - 1/2 tsp
8.Yogurt - 1/4 cup
9.Milk- 3/4 cup
10.Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp
11.Vanilla extract- 1 tbsp

For the sauce
1.Brown sugar- 3/4 cup
2.Unsalted butter - 1/4 cup
3.Heavy cream - 3/4 cup
4.Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
5.Salt- 1/2 tsp.

For the buttercream 
1.Egg whites - 8
2.Cream of tartar- 1/2 tsp
3.Granulated sugar- 2 1/2 cups
4.Unsalted butter - 2 cups

Procedure
1.For the butterscotch sauce , place all the ingredients in a sauce pan on medium heat and let the ingredients get heated up without stirring.

                             

      

                                         
2. When it comes to a boil , after about 5 min , stir the mixture until smooth and keep aside .

3. For the cake , start by beating the sugar and melted butter for a minute. Add the eggs.

                                     

 



4.Mix all the dry ingredients and keep aside.

5.Add in the oil , vanilla and yogurt and stir the mixture until just incorporated .

6.Add the dry ingredients alternating with wet ingredients and mix for 1 min until you get a smooth texture.

7. Pour the batter evenly into cupcake moulds and bake for 22 min in a preheated oven at 180 c .

8. While the cupcakes are baking , make your buttercream . In a large bowl place the egg whites , cream of tartar , and the sugar and place this bowl over a bowl of boiling water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water) . Heat this mixture until the sugar get completely dissolved .

9.Take the bowl and whisk this mixture on high speed until it cools down, that is for 10 min.

10.When the mixture is completely cooled , add the butter , one cube at a time and mix it properly making sure that you scrape the sides of the bowl from time to time . Add the vanilla.

11. When the cupcakes are cooled , frost them with the buttercream and drizzle them with the butterscotch sauce. Enjoy :)

Pistachio cupcakes topped with chocolate glaze and pistachio nuts :)

Serves - 15 cupcakes

Prep time- 15 min

Cook time - 22 min 

Ingredients
For the cupcake

1.Eggs- 3.

2.Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup.

3.Pistachios (finely ground) - 2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp for topping.

4.Milk- 1/2 cup.

5.Apple cider vinegar (or distilled vinegar)- 1 tsp.

6.All purpose flour- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp.

7.Corn flour- 1 tbsp.

8.Granulated sugar- 1 cup.

9.Vanilla essence - 1 tsp.

10.Baking powder- 1 tsp.

11.Green gel food colouring- 4 drops.
For the glaze
1.Dark chocolate- 100g
2.Fresh cream - 200 ml.

Procedure

1.Mix all the dry ingredients ( flour, corn flour, pistachios,baking powder) and keep aside. Now add the vinegar into the half cup of milk and keep aside.

2.In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, i.e, for 5 min on high speed.

3.Add the eggs one by one and mix until just incorporated.Add the vanilla essence.

4.Alternate the dry ingredients and buttermilk ( milk and vinegar mixture) and mix until well blended.

5.Add the colouring and mix with a spatula.

6. Pour the batter evenly into cupcake moulds and bake at 180 c for 22 min or until the toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the cupcake. Cool them on a cooling rack.

7. For the chocolate glaze , melt the cream and chocolate in a microwave for 2 min, stirring every 30seconds.

8.When the glaze is done , holding each cupcake by its bottom, dip the cupcake into the glaze, allowing excess to drip off.
9.Top the cupcakes with the pistachio nuts and enjoy :)

Peanut butter filled dark chocolate cupcakes piped with dark chocolate ganache :)

Prep time - 25 min
Cook time- 25 min 
Serves- 30 cupcakes 

Ingredients:
For the cupcake
1.Eggs - 3
2.Granulated sugar- 1 cup
3.Demerara sugar - 2/3 cup
4.Unsalted butter-3/4 cup
5.Vanilla essence- 2 tsp
6.Cocoa powder - 1 cup
7.Instant espresso- 3 tbsp
8.All purpose flour- 1 3/4 cup
9.Buttermilk-1 cup
10.Yoghurt- 1/2 cup
11.Baking soda- 1 1/2 cup
12.Salt- 1/2 tsp

For the filling 
1.Peanut butter- 3/4 cup
2.Confectioners sugar - 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp
3.Unsalted butter - 4 tbsp
4.Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

For the topping
1.Chocolate ganache.

Procedure
1.Sift all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and keep aside.

2.In a bowl , cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy , 5 min.

3.Add in the eggs and one by one and mix until just incorporated.

4.Add the vanilla and espresso.
5.Add the dry ingredients in 3 batches alternating with the buttermilk.

6.Add the yoghurt and mix the batter for a minute on high speed.

7.Pour the batter in the cupcake moulds and bake in a preheated oven at 170 c for 25 min or until the the toothpick when inserted into the cupcake comes out clean.
8.Cool the cupcakes for 30 min .

9.Meanwhile to make the peanut butter filling , mix all the ingredients well until you get a creamy consistency . Place this filling in a piping bag fitted with a wilton 230 tip.

10.When the cupcakes are cooled, core them with a knife or a corer and fill the cupcakes with the peanut butter filling.

11.Pipe the ganache onto the cupcakes . Enjoy :)

Chocolate cake without oil or butter :)

Prep time - 15 min
Cook time- 25 min 
Serves - 6 

Ingredients:
1.Extra large eggs- 6
2.Sugar-3/4 cup
3.All purpose flour- 1/2 cup
4.Corn flour- 1 tbsp
5.Baking powder- 1 tbsp
6.Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp

Procedure:
1.Sift the flour, corn flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and keep aside.
2.Now in a large bowl , beat the eggs and sugar for about 15 min on starting from low and then slowly increasing the speed every 3 minutes.

3.Now add the dry ingredient mix slowly . Mix for another 5 min.

4.Pour the batter into an 8 inch round pan and bake for about 25 min in a preheated oven at 190 c .

5.Remove from oven and let it cool.
6.Cut the cake into layers , stack them up with chocolate ganache in between the layers and cover the whole cake with ganache.

7.Cool the cake at least for 2 hrs before serving.

Eclairs

Prep time - 15 min
Cook time-25 min
Serves-30

Ingredients:
For the pate a choux
1.Unsalted butter- 1/2 cup
2.Sugar- 3 tbsp
3.Water - 1 cup
4.All purpose flour-1 1/4 cup
5.Salt - 1/2 tsp
6.Eggs- 4 (large)

For the pastry cream
1.Egg yolks- 5 (large)
2..Sugar- 1 cup
3.Corn flour- 3 tbsp
4.Milk - 2 1/2 cups
5.Unsalted butter- 3 tbsp
6.Vanilla essence- 1 tsp

For the glaze
1.Heavy cream - 1/2 cup
2.Chocolate chips- 1/2 cup

Procedure:
1.Bring the butter , sugar , water , salt to a boil .

2.Reduce the heat and add in the flour slowly stirring it , for about 1 minute.

3.Transfer the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the eggs one by one , until well incorporated.

4.Transfer this mixture into a pastry bad fitted with a large plain round tip and pipe about 3 inch long and 1 inch wide on a baking sheet fitted into a cookie tray .
5.In a small cup whisk in an egg and some water and apply this mixture onto the piped mixture with the help of a pastry brush.

6.Bake for 20 -25 min until the eclairs become golden brown .
7. In the mean time , prepare your pastry cream.
8.In a medium bowl , combine the egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup milk and corn flour and keep aside.
9.Transfer the remaining milk and sugar into a medium saucepan and set it over moderate heat without stirring.
10.Transfer the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture and place this mixture over medium heat whisking constantly until the mixture thickens , about 1 minute.Add the vanilla.

11.Cool this mixture and place it in the refrigerator. Make sure the pastry cream is very cold when you are using it .
12. Take out the eclairs and let them cool.

13.Heat the cream and chocolate in a double boiler whisking constantly for about 2 min.Cool the mixture and keep it aside.
14.When the eclairs cool down and when the pastry cream is ready to be used , transfer the pastry cream into a bowl and whisk in the butter making sure the pastry cream gets creamy.Now transfer this pastry cream into a piping bag fitted with Ateco 230 tip.

15.Now , split the eclair lengthwise and pipe the pastry cream into the eclair .
16.Now pour the chocolate glaze onto the eclairs . Serve immediately

Churros :)

Prep time - 20 min 
Cook time - 10 min 
Serves- 6 

Ingredients :
1.Unsalted butter- 1/2 cup
2.All purpose flour- 1 cup
3.Sugar-1/4 cup
4.Salt-1/4 tsp
5.Eggs- 3 (large)
6.Cinnamon sugar - For dusting

Procedure:
1.In a medium saucepan , combine water , butter , sugar and salt and bring it to a boil.

2.Turn the heat down and sift in the flour and stir for a minute.

3.Transfer the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the eggs , one at a time , making sure they are well incorporated.

4.Transfer this mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip and pipe the mixture into the oil and fry them until golden brown.

5. You can also bake your churros as it is a healthier option . I have baked my churros here .

6.Once they are done , roll them in cinnamon sugar and serve.