Most mornings when I wake up I think to myself what will I be baking today and here it is another day for that. This post is going to be a little different to how I usually post.
I am baking some cupcakes and I thought we could go through it all step by step. However, this post will start and continue to be updated throughout the day. It is an experiment and not sure it will work, but let’s see how we go.
Lemon Curd
So far I have made some lemon curd. The link to the recipe I used is here, Lemon Curd. All the recipes today will be from Cupcake Jemma.
First I had to make sure that I had enough lemons. Then I made the curd. I have a slideshow for you.
The first part is done and now I need to go and do the next step.
To be continued.
Baking Vanilla Cupcakes
The next step for baking today is to make some vanilla cupcakes.
I have made these many times and they are great to use for many things. Such a basic recipe and so easy to make. I use my trusty Kitchenaid, my Christmas present last year. It is amazing and I absolutely love it.
My husband wasn’t too pleased about me buying one and said if I did, I better make sure I use it. Well, I think it is safe to say I have and a lot. I try to use it at least once a week, if not more.
These will be the base for the cakes I’m making.
This is another recipe from Cupcake Jemma and you can find the recipe and video here, Vanilla Cupcakes. I pretty much followed the recipe, except I put in 2 tablespoons of milk, and half a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
They are now in the oven baking. I did turn them just over halfway. My oven does not cook evenly so I have to do that.
Here are some shots of them baking.
Time to move on to the next part.
Be back soon.
Now for the topping
Buttercream, I mean who doesn’t love buttercream. I know my husband does and it is the only time he willing wants to lick the bowl.
Today I made Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Again the recipe was from Cupcake Jemma and you can find it here.
Meringue is fantastic and I love it. I could eat a whole bowl of normal meringue, but what it does for your cakes is on another level. I do think this buttercream version is better. It is easier to make, though be warned, it makes a lot. More than half is in the fridge and I will need to do some more baking to use it. Any ideas for cakes?
Some assembly is required
It is time to take all the elements of today’s baking and put them all together.
I wanted to try and replicate this, but with a different topping.
This is a cupcake I made a while ago with a swiss meringue topping. It was good, but I wanted to see if a different meringue on top would work.
Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
To make the cupcakes I had to make all three elements and put them together. I did the curd first so it would be cool enough. While the cakes cooled I made the buttercream. Then put them all together.
I used an apple corer to take out the centres of the cake and then filled the holes with the lemon curd. The Swiss meringue buttercream was put in a piping bag and then piped onto the cakes.
Here is another gallery with each step.
I would have loved to get some better photos of the final cakes, but it is so dark and overcast here at the moment so I will try tomorrow.
The photography
Photographing the process was interesting with following along on a baking day. I’ve never done that before. I had the Fujifilm X-T3 set up on Winston, my 3 Legged Thing tripod and moved it around the kitchen to take photos. Unfortunately, because it was dark and overcast the lighting wasn’t great. I had to use the kitchen lights. Not great.
Food photography is something I enjoy so I am thinking of doing more posts like this. I hope you enjoyed it.
Finally
Well, nothing really. I’m done for now. That’s it. If I can get some nice photos tomorrow I will post them in a different post. Enjoy your weekend everyone.
Hi great post. I love the thought of baking. When it comes to executing it, that’s another thing. I am very impatient and anxious to see my finishing product, I tend to speed things along and mess things up.
It is funny really, I wouldn’t have thought I was a patient person, but apparently when it comes to baking I am. Not really something you can speed up really. Maybe slow down and see what magic you can create.
Thank you
I’m hopeless at baking Leanne, but this recipe sounds divine! And I have loads of lemons 🙂
It is a great recipe, or recipes and the videos on YouTube make it that much easier to see. I need some lemons, do you want to send some my way, lol. You should definitely make the lemon curd.
Thank you Julie.
Loads of lemons, limes and grapefruit! 😀
You should make it with the limes and grapefruit as well Julie. I have had lime curd and it was divine. Let me know if you do it.
Will do! 👏
😀
Your cakes look so perfect! When I do recipe posts about things I have made I have the same problem with light but also a tendency to get flour on the camera. 🙂 Your photographs look really good.
Thank you RJ, good they look perfect, not really, but they taste pretty good. Oh so funny about the flour, I have to admit I used the tripod and a zoom lens so it was never too close, though I thought I had got buttercream on it at one stage, but luckily it missed.
Sounds like a fun thing to do. Yum!!!
Yeah, nice way to spend the afternoon, thank you Rusha.
I have had my KitchenAid for about 20 years and I would be lost without it. So glad you enjoy yours, Leanne.
I wish I had got one years ago, but to be honest I only found out the existed a few years so. Better late than never, I really am enjoying it. Thank you Lois.
Yum!
They were Lena, thank you.
these are beautiful and look delicious !
Thank you Beth, they were quite good.
So appertizing!
Thank you Diana, they were, so good.
Perfect!
I hope they are, the proof is always in the tasting. Thank you Fabio.
Bravo, Leanne! Either with your eyes or your hands, you are an authentic artist. Thank you!
What a wonderful thing to say Fabio, thank you so much.
Delicious!
I hope so, still haven’t tasted them yet, maybe that should be next. Thanks Carol.
I have a friend who gifts me with a big jar of Lemon Curd each Christmas. I try to make it last to July…not so lucky this year! Yum!
You are very lucky, it is great stuff, I love it on muffins.