Happy Birthday to The Queen Bee News!! (and a recipe for Little Ray of Sunshine Cupcakes)

Happy birthday to my little outlet!! Can you believe it's been two years!? I know!

To celebrate, I thought I'd let you in on my little secret recipe for a sure fire way to warm up even the hardest of hearts or the coldest of feet after a long late autumn hike. These taste just like pure sunshine. I promise.

Note: a fantastic UK/US Imperial/Metric converter for recipes can be found here.

For the cupcakes:

225g or 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
225g or 1 cup caster sugar
225g or 2 cups self-raising flour (or add 1 tsp baking soda if you don't have self-raising)
1tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence

For the Frosting:
115 g or 1/2 cup unsalted butter
225 g or 2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp orange essence OR 1 tbsp orange zest
Food colouring -- orange and yellow
Coloured sugar
Jelly Beans, gum drops or other candies of your choice!

1) Turn on a suitably sunshiny day record for singalong fun eg Vampire Weekend, The Shins, The Noisettes, Hot Chip etc or anything just a little bit Motown (it's just impossible to be sad with a "doo wop doo wop" in the background). AT ALL COST avoid the likes of Bon Iver, Elliott Smith or Nick Drake.
2) Now that you're happily singing along let's make some cupcakes! Turn the oven on to 170 C / 350 F and line your muffin tin with 18 cupcake cases.
3) Combine all the cupcake ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until smooth and pale, about 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon the batter into the cases, filling them just over half full.
4) Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean when you prick the centre of cake!
5) Boogie down while wiping up and getting on with the fun part, the icing!

1) Prepare the icing by beating the butter, icing sugar and orange essence (or zest) until smooth. Divide into two bowls.
2) Add a tiny amount of food colouring to each bowl and beat until mixed well. I urge you to start of with the smallest amount you can manage -- you can always add more to go darker, but you can't go back to pale! I use a toothpick and gel based food colourings.
3) Here's the fun part. Allow the cupcakes to cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes or so. The frosting will melt if you put it on too soon. Be patient! Do a little dance, make a little love, take the dog for a walk, organize your jelly beans -- anything to resist the urge.
4) Finally, once cooled the decoration can begin! Spread the frosting on the cupcakes, finish with coloured sugar and jelly beans! Get creative, if the flavour of sunshine doesn't cheer you up, decorating these little beauties definitely will!!

Got a thing for chocolate? Want to try a variation of this recipe? Go Chocolate Orange!
Using the exact same cupcake recipe, add 4 tbsp of cocoa powder to the mix and substitute 1 tsp of orange essence for the vanilla and 1 1/2 tbsp grated orange zest. Once mixed add 100 g or 3 1/2 oz of plain dark chocolate chips. Oh yeah (read with my very best Barry White voice).

For the frosting, we're going full on Chocolate Butter Cream:
100 g (3 1/2 oz) of chopped plain chocolate (I find 70% works best -- try Green & Blacks or the co-op for those of you in the UK)
2 tbsp double cream
50 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
100 g (1 cup) icing sugar

1) Put the chocolate, cream, butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Stir gently until combined -- DO NOT let it go to the boil. (Chocolate does funny things)
2) Remove from the heat and stir in the icing sugar until the mixture is smooth. Swirl onto cupcakes and top with orange coloured sugar and a slice from a Terry's chocolate orange. Bon appetit!

What do you do when a friend drops by?

You make a cupcake decorating station with
four different flavors of frosting!

And then you make her do the washing up.

Making stufff: the 'and her bird can sing... 'throw pillow

It was Zoe's birthday yesterday and to celebrate I threw together this little beauty. It's my first attempt at proper quilting - I mean with a traditional pattern - the log cabin. The results turned out to be anything but traditional.
I'm completely obsessed with the idea now and have already set about cutting up all the fabric I can get my hands on into these little 2 1/2 inch strips.
Oh and the embroidery on the back! I just love this little bird, inspired by one I saw in Doodle Stitching by Aimee Ray- a book I've mentioned before here on the blog and another book I just can't help being inspired by. Go out and get it now, even if you've never embroidered before - it is positively overflowing with simple yet stunning designs that can be infinitely used over and over again in a hundred different contexts. Check out her latest work here.
(Tweet.)
And for dessert.....
There is nothing happier than birthday cupcakes, don't you think?

Lavender Brown (and a recipe)

Did you see it? The new trailer for the upcoming Harry Potter movie was shown for the first time on BBC breakfast this morning.... It actually looks like it might be worth watching. I don't know about you, but I've read and re-read that series of books, but have been disappointed by every one of the movies I've seen. Granted, one of them was dubbed in Czech....

In honor of my favorite name in the series, Lavender Brown - only because that would be my porn name, I introduce my new favorite cupcake. (Favorite? Is that even possible when it comes to cupcakes?) Lavender & Honey Cupcakes. Sounds mad, doesn't it? Who knew you could eat lavender? I've lately become a little obsessed with growing things that I can eat. I'll give you a tour through my garden as soon as I can figure out how to upload photos - techno gremlins again. All will be revealed, don't you fret.

The marriage of lavender and honey is remarkable, sweet with a little tingle of tartness. Divine. If you can find lavender honey (worth the hunt) it will enhance the flavor even more.

Lavender & Honey Cupcakes - What you'll need:

for the cupcakes:

2 cups (225g/8oz) unsalted butter
2 cups (225g/8oz) caster sugar
2 cups (225g/8oz) self-raising flour
4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla
for the icing:
1 200 g/7 oz package of cream cheese
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tbsp honey
Blue food coloring

2 tbsp dried lavender flowers

1. Turn up Ray LaMontagne's Till the Sun Turns Black, get swept away in that first dreamy refrain. I especially like to pretend I'm the girl he sings to with the country mouth so plain and her skirt lifted to her knees as she walks through the garden rows barefoot and laughing.... Get a hold of yourself, girl, there are cupcakes to be made!

2. Mmmm. Cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 400 F/200 C/gas mark 6. Ready your muffin tin by placing 18 baking cases in the cups.

3. Combine all the cupcake ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and pale, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Spoon the batter into the cases, filling 2/3 the way full and bake for 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for about 5 minutes before removing them to cool on a rack.
For the icing, beat the cream cheese and icing sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Beat in the honey and a few drops of the food coloring. Stir in half of the lavender flowers. Spread the icing onto the cupcakes and sprinkle with the reserved lavender flowers.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen yummy summer cupcakes.

'My Baby's Gonna Make A Mint' Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

He did it! He passed his final exam! For the past three years, the G has spent all manner of spare time studying for his accountancy exams. CIMA to be exact, which is international management accounting which is different, er... somehow. I'm no expert, but my baby's got letters after his name now! Woo Hoo!

To celebrate, what else but cupcakes!

'My Baby's Gonna Make A Mint' Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

for the cupcakes
2 cups / 225 g cake/self-raising flour
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups / 225 g sugar
1 cup / 225 g butter
4 eggs
3 1/2 oz (100g) chocolate chips

for the icing
1/2 cup / 115 g butter
2 cups/ 225 g confectioners/icing sugar
1/2 tsp peppermint essence
green food coloring
3 1/2 oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 F/ 160 C. Place paper baking cases in muffin tins. In a medium bowl sieve the flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Set aside. Beat the sugar and butter together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until the mixture light and glossy. Add the flour mixture gradually, stirring until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon the mixture into the cases and fill about 3/4 of the way. Bake for 20 minutes or until a poker comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before removing to a rack.

Meanwhile, get started on the icing. Mmmm, icing. Beat the butter and icing sugar in a small bowl until smooth and the sugar is no longer lumpy. Stir in the peppermint and just enough food coloring to turn the icing a mint green. Decorate with chocolate chips or other implements of chocolate destruction.

Store without icing in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months!

For variations try these....

For Superbad Super Minty cupcakes, try using crumbled chocolate mints in the cake batter, like After Eights or Andes, those hotel pillow mints.

For something really crazy, how about chocolate orange minty cupcakes? Break a chocolate orange and crumble it into the cake batter or on top of the icing.

Did you notice our new kitchen fish? Introducing Moby Snoop Fish!! He's got his mind on his money and his money on his mind.

Sorry he's so blurry, but he's really fast. Really.

Easter wishes, some good old-fashioned Catholic guilt and a recipe for Easter Bunny Carrot Cake Cupcakes

My husband recently asked me a question that I haven't yet been able to answer honestly, and truth be told, I can't really get it out of my head either. He asked me why I'm always making things for people, buying gifts for no reason, breaking my neck to get wedding or birthday gifts out on time for friends or family whom can't even seem to remember when my birthday is. The answer is obvious to me on a certain level; it makes me really happy watch someone bite into a cupcake and do that little moaning thing while shrugging their shoulders and saying 'oh my god this is soooo good.' I'm secretly thrilled to watch my husband hunt for his Easter egg presents and see the Cheshire cat style smile on his face when he finds one.

There have been loads of weddings in our circle as of late, and as usual, I'm killing myself to try and make or get something for everyone - the G reminds me how dismal our wedding gift take was and asks why I'm trying so hard. I answer that people are busy, they probably just never got round to it. He then says 'but it never works out in return.' 'But it's not like that,' I insist, 'that's not what this is all about. I just find it really rewarding to pick out a thoughtful gift,' I say and mean it. But there's this irksome feeling at the back of my mind that I'm somehow trying to compensate for a shortcoming or leftover childhood guilt (there's a lot of that lingering around these days for some reason) or attention-seeking or some other sinister facet of my personality. Does this random insecurity strike you too and make you question your motives?
Despite my recognizing insecurity in other aspects of my life, my confidence in the kitchen is blossoming and I'm beginning to freestyle a little bit. And it's your lucky day, dear reader, since you'll benefit from my most recent act of benevolence with the following tasty recipe for some gorgeous little cupcakes. (Have I mentioned my burgeoning fantasy about opening my own little cupcake - coffee shop someday? The Queen Bean Cafe. With Hello, Cupcake! catering in the back. The afterhours music venue would be The Mean Bean. See, I've got it all worked out in my head....) I brought nearly three dozen of these beauties into work last week and they disappeared in a matter of minutes. The woodwork was concealing many more people than I had any idea that that even worked at the college who all came out and asked for the recipe. Here you go, folks. Happy Easter. Indulge.

The Queen Bee's Easter Bunny Carrot Cake Cupcakes:

makes 3 dozen cupcakes or one 9" layer cake

3 cups plain/all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 generous Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups olive oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup of drained crushed pineapple
1 1/2 cups shelled pecans, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
2 cups of shredded carrots
1 cup raisins

Frosting:
400g full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
2 1/2 cups of icing/confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 175 C /gas mark 4. Line cupcake/muffin tin with paper cases or grease two 9 inch cake pans.

2. Mix dry ingredients into a large bowl (incl. sugar). Add oil, eggs, vanilla and pineapple and beat well. Fold in pecans, coconut, carrots, and raisins.

3. Pour batter into pans or cupcake tins – fill about ¾ way full as the mix will rise. For cupcakes bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick or fork inserted in the centre comes out clean. For cakes, bake 50 minutes.

4. To prepare frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl, (if a bit stiff it helps to add the vanilla at this stage). ((Also, a note about reduced fat cream cheese: it’s just too runny for this frosting, you could try using half full fat and half reduced fat and see if that works)) Slowly sift the icing sugar in and beat until mixture is free of lumps. Stir in vanilla and lemon juice.

5. Allow cake to cool and add frosting. Garnish with chopped walnuts or pecans, or paper bunnies attached to toothpicks, if you want.

6. Devour with relish and delight. Calories don’t count on Easter.