#royalbakes

Late night semi-impulsive baking - The Queen’s birthday cupcakes shared from Buckingham Palace’s bakers https://www.instagram.com/p/B_PstbZnaF2 . I halved the recipe, which made six cupcakes.  There seems to be one error in the recipe, 150c (300F) is a very low baking temperature for a cake.  After 18 minutes, the centers were semi-liquid, so I bumped up to 350F and 8 more minutes, to get something more cake-like. Another bug that turned into a feature, I didn't fully melt the dark chocolate bar before I added to the icing, but the result was delicious: a light chocolate buttercream with nibs of dark chocolate. 

My results were Dance 10 Looks 3 cupcakes.  If you follow the link to the Royal results, mine are definitely less professional.  I think the low temperature is why I ended up with brownie-like cracked tops.  Go with the usual North American cake baking temperature of 350F.

Dance 10: The recipe (especially made with cake flour) had a wonderful light crumb and a chocolate flavor that was both delicate and intense.  I halved the recipe, which was easy, and for the finer English caster sugar, took American granulated and put it in my spice grinder for about 10 seconds.  Longer than that and it's powdered sugar.  The other option I saw online was that US granulated sugar is finer than UK granulated, and can work in cake recipes if you don't melt the butter, but instead cream it with the sugar (a standard method here).

These princess cupcakes in pink and gold are fit for a queen! With their pretty pink and gold color scheme, quilted texture, and cute bow and tiara accents, these will make any princess feel like a princess.

Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour. 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened. 1/2 cup vegetable oil. 1 cup buttermilk. 4 large eggs. 2 tsp vanilla extract. 1 tsp baking powder. 1/2 tsp baking soda. 1/2 tsp salt. Pink gel food coloring. Edible gold dust. Pink and gold cupcake liners. Fondant for tiara and bow decorations. Edible pearls or sprinkles for embellishment.

Instructions: Preheat your oven to 350F 175C and line a cupcake pan with pink and gold cupcake liners. In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and granulated sugar. Beat until creamy and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with buttermilk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Divide the cupcake batter into two equal portions. Add pink gel food coloring to one portion until you achieve your desired shade of pink. Fill the pink and gold cupcake liners with alternating layers of pink and plain batter, filling each liner about 2/3 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack. While the cupcakes are cooling, roll out the fondant and cut out tiara and bow shapes using cookie cutters or templates. Brush the fondant tiaras and bows with edible gold dust to give them a royal, golden touch. Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, decorate the tops with the fondant tiaras, bows, and edible pearls or sprinkles. Your Pink and Gold Princess Cupcakes with Quilting, Bow, and Tiara decorations are now ready to dazzle your princess-themed party!

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Add a touch of magic to your princess party with these delightful and colorful cookies. The swirls of vibrant colors and a sprinkle of edible glitter make them fit for royalty!

Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened. 1/2 cup granulated sugar. 1 egg. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. 1/4 teaspoon salt. Food coloring pink, purple, or your choice. Edible glitter or sprinkles.

Instructions: In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the mixture, and beat until well combined. Gradually add the flour and salt, mixing until a dough forms. Divide the dough into equal portions, depending on how many colors you want to use. Add a few drops of food coloring to each portion and knead until the color is evenly distributed. Wrap the colored dough portions in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F 175C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take small portions of each colored dough and gently roll them into ropes. Twist and shape the ropes to create colorful swirl patterns. You can also use cookie cutters for different shapes. Place the shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between them. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cookies are completely cool, you can sprinkle them with edible glitter or colorful sprinkles for an extra magical touch. Serve these enchanting princess cookies at your royal party and watch the smiles light up the faces of your little guests!

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes