Sweet Scarlet featured on Cupcakes Take the Cake

I'm very excited to be featured again on the blog Cupcakes Takes the Cake and have my Pink Lemonade Cupcakes & recipe featured.

Click here or on the image below to view.

Cupcakes Take the Cake Blog

Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcake with Nutella Hazelnut Buttercream

I was inspired by some Swiss Hazelnut Ice Cream I recently had, so I added Nutella and coffee to my regular buttercream recipe for that hazelnut taste.

Next time I think I will roast the hazelnuts and ground them up to a maize, then add them to the buttercream.

They were still good though!

Elise

Recipe: Pink Lemonade Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

Hey everyone.

I have wanted to make these Pink Lemonade Cupcakes for ages and finally got the chance on a sunny afternoon a few weeks ago.

I dressed them up with some handmade mini-bunting. Cute huh?

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes:

Makes about 12

1 cup plain or all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 pinch salt

1/2 cup caster or superfine sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

2 egg whites

1/3 cup lemon cordial concentrate (I used Bickfords)

1/4 cup buttermilk

pink food colouring

1. Preheat over to 180C (350F)
2. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt
3. In a large bowl whisk together sugar, oil, egg whites & corial concentrate until smooth
4. Alternately beat in flour mixture & buttermilk 
5. Add enough food colouring to turn batter pink
6. Scoop batter into cupcake cases in muffin tray
7. Bake for 20–25 minutes until tops of cakes spring back when lightly touched
8. Let cakes sit for 5 minutes and then turn out on to wire racks to cool.
9. Frost cooled cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream.

Lemon Buttercream:

3 cups icing sugar (confectioners sugar)

125g (3oz.) softened butter

2–3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon lemon essence

zest from half a lemon

1. Beat butter with an electric mixer until pale
2. Add 1 cup sugar, cream of tartar, lemon essence, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon milk. Beat well.
3. Add another cup sugar and 1 more tablespoon milk. Beat well.
4. Add final cup of sugar. Beat well. Add a little more milk if needed.
5. Divide buttercream into two bowls and colour using food colouring – a little goes a long way.
6. Fill the left side of you piping bag with one colour of buttercream.
7. Fill the right side of your piping bage with the other colour of buttercream. Your bag should look like it is half-and-half of the two colours when standing vertically.
8. Squeeze buttercream from the bag until the two colours can be seen, then pipe as normal.

Good luck!
Elise

Tutorial: How to Make Quick & Easy Gumpaste Roses

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Once you get the hang of these roses, you can start making them quite quickly.

Roses can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 12-months.

I have to say that this is the way that I make roses, and perhaps is not the way others might make them.

What you will need:

Non-stick mat, non-stick rolling pin, paintbrush, water, spatula, dusting pouche filled with corn starch, some gumpaste (I have used fondant with a little Tylose added) and a round cutter. I have used a 20mm cutter for this tutorial, but you can use any size cutter depending on what size you want your finished rose to be. 

You can also use flower modelling paste to make your rose

Roll your gumpaste using corn starch to stop it from sticking
to about 2-3mm thick. Cut out 7 circles using your round cutter.

Keep your circles under a glass or cup to stop them from
drying out. Store unused gumpaste in plastic or clingwrap.

Working with one circle at a time, squeeze the top half of the
circle between you thumb and forefinger.

Once squeezed, your gumpaste should be about the
same thickness as a real rose petal.

To make the core of your rose, gently roll your
circle inwards to create this spiral

Use your paintbrush to add a tiny amount of water to seal
the petal in the spiral shape. Don't add too much water or
you will end up with a sticky mess!

Working with one petal a time, squeeze the top edge of the
circles to make more petals. Place the new petal over the centre
of the join of the rose core. Wrap the petal around the core.
Use a paintbrush with a little water to get them to stick

Keep adding squeezed petals, overlapping the centre of the
new petals where the previous petals have met 

Slowly add more petals and your rose is starting to take shape

Once you have added all the petals, tease the petals open using your fingers 

Trip the bottom of use rose using a spatula or knife,
so that you have a flat-bottom on your rose 

That's your rose finished! 

I made my rose into a cupcake topper, by adding a
white fondant plate on the bottom and a bow that
I made from a silicone mold. Let your rose and
topper dry hard uncovered, overnight

Then add your topper to a delicious cupcake and don't they look great!

Good luck with this tutorial - I hope you have fun.

Until next time
Elise

Sweet Scarlet on Mission Hot Mama

So proud to announce that I have been interviewed by Jordan Nugent from Mission Hot Mama.

Mission Hot Mama is the brainchild of founder Jenni Hogan and is a place where moms can all help each other know it’s ok to spend some time on you and that you will be happier with your baby if you’re feeling amazing.

With a host of amazing contributors, the Mission Hot Mama Club is a must. Sign-up here.

Check out the entire interview and my recipe for Homemade Yoghurt Berry Pops here.

Recipe: Chocolate Pecan Brownie Cupcakes in a Cup

Hi, all. Some friends have seen the pictures already - but here is the recipe.

I made these pecan brownie cupcakes on the weekend. They were so easy and delicious. Add a touch of flare and bake them in their own cup or ramekin. Perfect for dinner parties or just for friends dropping by for coffee.

Serve these warm from the oven and they are even more delicious.

Chocolate Pecan Brownie Cupcakes in a Cup

Makes 6

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, plus extra for greasing

115g/4oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces

2 eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons golden or maple syrup

1 cup self-raising flour (or all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon baking powder)

1/2 cup pecan nut, chopped

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
2. Place chocolate & butter in heat-proof bowl. Set over saucepan of simmering water until melted. Stir occasionally. Cool for 5 minutes.
3. In a bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and syrup until well blended. Whisk in melted chocolate mixture. Fold in flour gently - do not overmix. Mix in two-thirds pecans.
4. Pour mixture into well-greased dishes until 3/4 full. Scatter the rest of the pecans over the top.
5. Place dishes on baking tray and bake in oven for 25–30 minutes, or until cakes have risen and are crisp on top but still feel slightly spongey.
6. Serve warm topped with a spoonful of heavy cream, ice cream or creme fraiche.

Enjoy!

Elise

Next tutorial: How to make gumpaste roses.

I'm bringing Fairy Bread back ...

A wonderful childhood memory

Whatever happened to Fairy Bread? As a kid, fairy bread was a staple at any birthday party. It's the ultimate party food really, well apart from the cake I suppose. It can be cut into any shape, topped with any colour sprinkles to co-ordinate with any theme and kids absolutely love it!

When I lived in the US, no one had ever heard of fairy bread (perhaps it's under a different name like cotton candy vs fairy floss) - so in case you haven't tried it - here's a quick how to:

1. Take a slice of bread and spread with butter or margarine
2. Cut to any shape you like using cookie-cutters
3. Top with a sprinkle of your desired colour of 00's & 000's or sprinkles

You're done!

I made these for the kids for lunch yesterday, served with some fruit salad & a glass of milk and their plates was left empty.

Until next time
Elise

Mother's Day High Tea

Hi all, welcome to my very first blog post.

Firstly, happy Mother's Day to all the mums. We deserve it don't we? Here is a High Tea Party for Mother's Day that I put together.

Enjoy and watch my blog for how-to-tutorials to come this week.

Mother's Day High Tea

I do adore afternoon tea. And it was a beautiful afternoon. The light was amazing.

Mother's Day Buttercream Rose Cupcake Bouquet

Stay tuned, I will be posting a how-to-tutorial on this Cupcake Bouquet this week.

All you need to make these pretty gumpaste roses is a small round cutter. I thin the edges of the petals between my fingers, no need for ball tools or forming mats.

FREE! Sweet Scarlet DIY Mother's Day Gift Tag & Party Dot Printables. 

Click here to download a printable PDF file for the above

Mother's Day Gift Tags & Party Dots.

Thanks so much for viewing my first ever blog post!

 Styling, Photography & Food by Elise Butler, Sweet Scarlet

White Cake Stand from Sharnel Dollar Designs

Bungalow Hand Block Print Tablecloth from The Brown Trading Co.

WELCOME!

Hi. Welcome to the Sweet Scarlet Design blog!

My first post is coming very soon - featuring some stylish Mother's Day cupcakes & printables. Hope to see you then.

Elise