Hoppo Bumpo (n): A children's game. Played by folding one's arms and hopping on one leg. Aim is to bump opponents, so that they lose their balance. Last person standing wins.


September 19, 2008

A week of baking ... (egg-free) chocolate ladybird cupcakes



I'm hoping I might just squeak in a baking contribution before Mike's yummy Week of Baking is over!

These ladybirds are from my birthday party archives. The cupcake part is super easy to make - all done with the flick of a switch in the food processor.

The decoration was inspired by the Australian Women's Weekly Kids Party Cakes cookbook. I used licorice, blue M & Ms and white writing icing gel to make the ladybirds. The butter icing was coloured with a Wilton gel, as its pretty tricky getting icing this red with regular food colouring (you can buy this from specialist decorating shops and online stores).

Serve these cakes at the end of a party, just before the children go home. You don't want to be around when the red icing kicks in.

Egg-free chocolate cupcakes

I make these cakes egg-free to cater for allergies in our family. If you don't have this worry, then simply use 2 fresh eggs in place of the No Egg powder and reduce the milk to 3 tablespoons.

125g butter, melted
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 heaped teaspoons Orgran No Egg*
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7 tablespoons milk
  1. Preheat the oven 10 160 oC
  2. Throw all the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine
  3. Add the butter and process until combined
  4. With the motor running, add the milk
  5. Spoon into paper patty cases and bake for 20 minutes

* In Australia, Orgran No Egg powder is available in the health food aisle at the supermarket and in health food shops. It works very well in baked goods.

11 comments:

  1. I love cupcakes! DS just brought home a cupcake today from pre-school today. I *think* one of the mums made it and it looked too good to eat. Chocolate ganache at the top and decorated to look like a boy. Too cute!

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  2. I made ladybugs for Poppy's party too, though yours are extra cute. I always feel like an extra psecial mum when I am baking.

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  3. Whoo! Those are very cute. Thanks for the tip about the colour gel - I always wondered how decorators got dark colours. My reds always look rather gruesome, dark pink. (Not that I make cupcakes more than once a year, sadly...)

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  4. Those cup cakes are GEORGEOUS! I have to find that cook book you mentioned...

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  5. Terrific ladybirds!! They look too good to eat.

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  6. YUMMO! you clever chicken. You have some fruity mail on its way :D

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  7. They are too cute to eat! But I would anyway.

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  8. they look fantastic - you should go into business!! very cute.

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