BOO! Halloween Cupcakes

Happy Halloween! Cupcakes are one of my favorite things to decorate, they're really versatile when it comes to getting creative with them. For today, it's not about the recipe, it's about the decorations, but... baked goods always have to be tasty! I used a basic vanilla cupcake recipe with 7 minute frosting. I started my decorations with the frosting, I chose to use orange food coloring, which I thought would be the perfect background for any Halloween decorations. Then, I melted chocolate chips and with a piping bag created different figures and words, which you just have to put in the fridge for about 10 minutes or until they set; if you live in the tropics I suggest you use fondant or bakers chocolate, if not they'll melt... immediately, experienced it today. I also decided to create a pumpkin patch, which was extremely easy, I just crumbled chocolate cookies to create the dirt and lied the cupcakes on top of it. To add more of a Halloween spooky feel I added some chocolate tombstones. Hope you have a great Halloween and enjoy the post!!!

Xo,

Flor

¡Feliz día de las brujas! Los cupcakes son para mí el medio perfecto para decorar como quieras. Hoy no es tan importante la receta, sino la decoración con motivo de Halloween, pero claro, siempre tienen que ser deliciosos. Utilicé una receta básica de cupcakes de vainilla con "7 Minutes Frosting". La decoración de los mismos comenzó con el color del frosting, usé color vegetal anaranjado, el fondo perfecto para cualquier decoración de esta celebración. Luego derretí "chocolate chips" y con una manga pastelera (piping bag) creé figuras y palabras, lo puse en el refrigerador por 10 minutos y listo. Si vives en el trópico te recomiendo que utilices "Baker's Chocolate" o pasta laminada, de no ser así se te van a derretir, inmediatamente... lo experimenté. También decidí crear una siembra de calabazas, rompí galletas de chocolates para crear el suelo y acomodé los cupcakes. Para añadirle un poco de miedo a la decoración añadí lápidas de chocolate. ¡Espero que tengan una noche buenísima y les guste el post!

Me dejan saber!

Xo,

Flor

Very Lemony Crunch Cake

When I think about desserts on a lazy spring afternoon what comes to mind are light & fresh desserts, using fruits you just got at the market. When you try this lemon cake you'll understand what I mean by a light & fresh dessert. This cake is definitely for a lemon lover, but if you wish to tone it down you can use less lemon zest & juice. Originally I wanted to make Meringue frosting, but it was a rainy day so I knew the egg whites wouldn't rise, so I decided on the 7 Minute Frosting which is a great substitute for Meringue when you have a humid day. The difference between these 2 frosting is that the Meringue Frosting has an even lighter feel to it, the 7 Minute has a richer texture. I can envision this cake as the perfect dessert for a outdoor lunch. On what occasion would you use it?! Hope you liked the post!

Xo

Flor

Very Lemony Crunch Cake 
  Bake & Decorate by Fiona Cairns

For the Cake:                                                                    For the topping:
1 1/4 cups self-rising flour                                                 1/2 cup granulated sugar
a pinch of salt                                                                    juice of 1 large lemon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened plus more for the pan
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Lightly butter a 7'' springform pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and set aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set aside to cool slightly.
Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the eggs and sugar together until very light and fluffy (about 5 mins). Blend in the melted butter; then very gently fold in the flour mixture and lemon zest.
Finally, slowly fold in the lemon juice.
Pour and spread the batter into the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake springs back to the touch, or wooden toothpick comes out clean.

Meanwhile, make the crunch topping by simple mixing the sugar and lemon juice together. As soon as the cake comes out from the oven, pierce tiny holes all over it with a wooden toothpick and pour the lemon syrup evenly all over the surface.
Let cool completely in the pan. Remove the side of the pan and the side papers. 

7 Minute Frosting
Click on this link for the 7 Minute Frosting recipe.