Coconut Cake Recipe For Cupcakes

by Alice Steventon
(England)

This is a lovely coconut cake recipe I've adapted from an Ina Garten book, this would make a perfect thank you gift for your wedding party, guests or even a lovely gift for the bride and groom if your low on cash!

They also make gorgeous table settings with a guests name on top, or the perfect batter for a layer of cupcakes beneath your wedding cake!

This is one of my favorite things in the world to eat, so enjoy!

Coconut Cake Recipe For Cupcakes

Prep: 1 hr
Cooking: 35 mins
Serves: 18 - 20 Cupcakes

Ingredients

12oz butter, room temperature
14oz caster sugar
5 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
13oz plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
15oz shredded or dessicated coconut

For the frosting

1 lb cream cheese at room temperature
12oz butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 lb 8oz confectioner's sugar, sifted

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C/ 320 degrees F.

In the bowl, cream the margarine and sugar with a hand mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (you can use a wooden spoon if you don't have one or fancy a workout, just add another 5 minutes!).

With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

In a seperate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 200g of coconut.

Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, untill the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and leave to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a bowl, cream together the cream cheese, margarine and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the icing sugar and blend until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes once cool, and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

Heart Cookie Wedding Favors!

by Alice Steventon
(England)

Hi everyone! This is just a little recipe I did for Valentine's Day, I think it can be adapted to make wonderful wedding favors or thank you's!

Why not write your guests name on their cookie? It adds a real personal touch and can double up as a table setting.

Remember that you don't have to cut hearts out of your dough, any simple shape will be great! Stars work well too, anything that ties in with your wedding theme :)

Heart Butter Biscuits Recipe

Prep: 20 mins
Cooking: 25 mins
Makes about 15 cookies

Ingredients

150g butter, room temperature
225g plain flour (substitute 50g of flour for cocoa powder for a choccy hit)
75g caster sugar

To Decorate

icing sugar
food colouring
sugar decorations of your choice

Method


Dice the butter into a big bowl. Tip in the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt. Gently rub in the butter with your fingertips and bring the dough together into a ball. Wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 170 C (340 F)

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll to about 1/2 cm thick. Cut out heart shapes (or whatever you like) and lay onto a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-25 minutes, until lightly golden. Leave to cool on a rack.

To decorate the biscuits, mix together a few tablespoons of icing sugar with a few drops of water or colouring (you can even use a flavouring essence here) to make a paste. Get creative!

These lovely little biscuits are light and delicious, I hope you go as crazy as I did with the decoration!

Thanks for reading :)

Creamy Vanilla Fudge

by Alice Steventon
(England)

This is a delicious recipe by British dessert chef James Martin. I think these little squares of sweet vanilla fudge make a perfect wedding favor or gift! This is a classic British sweet, and will make your guests feel well and truly special!

Vanilla fudge

Prep time: 15 mins, plus cooling
Cook time: 25 mins
Serves:Makes about 36 pieces (6 pieces per person)

Ingredients

oil, for greasing
1 1/4 cups milk
12oz superfine sugar
3 1/2 oz unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Grease an 18cm square cake pan.

2. Put the milk, sugar and butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Heat slowly, stirring all the time, until the sugar has dissolved and the butter melted.

3. Bring to the boil and boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring all the time.

4. When the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage (115°C on a sugar thermometer), remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.

5. Beat the mixture with a spoon for a few minutes until it starts to thicken and the gloss disappears.

6. Pour into the prepared tin and leave to set at room temperature (do not put it in the fridge).

7. Once set, cut the fudge into small squares and store in a sealed container.

Lovely Lemon Syrup

by Alice Steventon
(England)

Making your own wedding cake? Stuck for ideas? If you're going for a multi-layer cake, spruce up a lemon sponge with my lovely lemon syrup!

Once you have baked your preferred lemon cake recipe, pierce it all over with a cocktail stick or toothpick. While its still warm spoon over the syrup and let it soak it up. Once you've let it soak for half an hour, freeze it until your ready to ice your cake.


Lemon Syrup:

6 tablespoons superfine sugar
juice of 3 lemons
4 tablespoons water

Method:

- Make the syrup by putting all the ingredients into a pan and heating until the sugar dissolves.

- Then bring to the boil and keep it boiling, stirring all the time for 2 minutes.

You can even make a ganache with half the normal amount of chocolate to moisten up a chocolate cake, or an orange syrup made the same way as the lemon syrup to spoon over a carrot cake! There are many combination's, so start experimenting!