malt-easter cupcakes

malteaser cupcakes. i don't think i really need to explain why i thought that this would be a good idea, so i'll let the recipe speak for itself. deliciously moist vanilla malt cupcake base contrasted with fluffy buttercream loaded with malteasers and topped with even more chocolate - it's just a winner. I've been making malteaser cupcakes at easter time for the past few years because like a normal human being i'm obsessed with the malt-easter bunnies. but each time i've made them, while they look like a milllion bucks, i've never quite been able to nail the cupcake base. It's always been, too chocolatey or too subtle in flavour or too dry, so when i finally nailed the recipe I just knew that i had to share it with you. 

I wish i could bake each and every one of you a malteaster cupcake but i don't think they'd make it out the front door - they're seriously too good to share. so you're going to have to make them for yourself, i promise you won't be disappointed.

the recipe

recipe makes 12 cupcakes

cupcakes

preheat the oven to 180oC / 160oC fan-forced. in the bowl of an electric mixer, add the flour, sugar, horlicks, bi-carb and butter – mix on low to combine. in a separate bowl or measuring jug, combine the milk, eggs and vanilla extract. add the wet ingredients to the bowl slowly, while incorporating on a low speed. once the batter is just combined, scrape down the bowl and beat on high for 20 seconds. use an icecream scoop to divide the batter between 12 cupcake cups or liners filling each one two-thirds full. bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes. cool completely before frosting.

frosting

in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. add the icing sugar gradually, mixing on a low speed until all combined. at this stage the frosting should be quite thick, add 3-4 tablespoons of milk to achieve a pipeable consistency. if using, add the food colouring and then fold through the crushed malteasers. pipe or spread the frosting onto the cupcakes and serve. if desired, top the cupcakes with malteaser malt-easter bunnies and mini eggs.

i'd love to see your creations, if you make these delicious cupcakes share them with me by using  the hashtag #mrtimothyjames on social media.

what's your fav easter choccy? ever made a batch of cupcakes and eaten them all yourself?(no, me either 😜) tell me all of the things in the comments below!

love and cupcakes timothy xx

do it yourself: statement art

you know that spot of your home, or room where it's just a little bare and when you walk past it you always think - i really need to find some art to go there. well... if you're into modern art then i've got the perfect idea for you and you can totally do it yourself. let your inner artist out and also release a little frustration out too while you're at it - art really can be therapy. 

this really couldn't be any easier, get creative with how you apply your paint to your canvas - throw it, pour it from a metre above, dip your fingers in paint and flick it heck squeeze it straight from the tube. the best thing about this art is that there are no rules, and everyone's piece will be completely unique. don't be threatened by this project, i promise you'll love it and before you know it's kind of addictive to create because each piece is so original. what makes this even easier is you can grab literally everything you need for this project from your local spotlight. 

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you will need. a canvas, black and white acrylic paint, disposable cups, drop cloth and a paddle-pop stick or disposable knife.

step one. lay down your drop cloth so that it extends at least 50cm away from the canvas on all sides.

step two. mix your desired amount of shades into your disposable cups, use a paddle-pop stick of disposable knife to stir each colour starting with your lightest shade so you don't have to clean your stirrer after each one. 

step three. get creative with your paint application - splash, flick, drizzle, throw, splatter *insert more adjectives here* to create your desired look. 

step four. leave your canvas to dry, depending on your climate and how thick the paint is in places this may take up to a week.

step five. display/style your new artwork with pride - you made it and no one can ever re create it exactly as you have, it's truly an original artwork.

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if you want the print you see styled with my artwork you can grab it below, when you print it just adjust the scale so that the words are proportionate to your desired frame.

if you make your own statement art piece i'd love to see how it turns out, share it with me on social media use the hashtag #mrtimothyjames

ever thrown paint at something to release your frustration? are you a fan of modern art? tell me all of the things in the comments below.

happy diy'ing love timothy xx

gingerbread cupcakes

i'm not going to lie, i'm a little bit obsessed with gingerbread yet i never seem to find a reason to make it, but... cue christmas, the time of year when indulging your hearts desires is perfectly normal. so, i had an idea the other day to whip up a gingerbread house completely from scratch, because i've always wanted to make one myself and you know - two birds, one stone. but as life would have it, making a gingerbread house from scratch is much easier said than done, so as i stood looking at my completely miserable attempt at 2am i decided gingerbread houses just aren't my forte. 

then came the next idea, a much more practical one if i do say myself, a fusion between two of my obsessions - gingerbread and cupcakes. these cupcakes are super delicous, moist, pack a punch of flaour and best of all they look adorable! if you're craving gingerbread this holiday season too, i hope you'll give these guys a go - they won't disappoint.

the recipe

recipe makes 12 cupcakes

cupcakes

preheat the oven to 160oC / 140oC fan-forced. in a microwave safe bowl, melt together the butter, chocolate, sugar, milk, vanilla and syrup in 30 second intervals stirring between each burst until smooth. cool for 15 minutes. once cooled, add in the egg and whisk to combine. in a separate mixing bowl, combine the two flours and two spices. add the combined wet ingredients into the dry ingredients in thirds, incorporating slowly and gently, you want to do this by hand as you don’t want to incorporate any air into the mixture. once the mixture is prepared, divide it amongst 12 cupcake liners filling each one two-thirds full. place the cupcakes on the bottom shelf of the oven, and bake for 30-40 minutes rotating the trays halfway through. cool completely before frosting.

frosting

in a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and cream in 30 second intervals, stirring thoroughly between each burst to make a ganache. set in the fridge to cool for 30minutes, or until thick and creamy. whip the butter for 5 minutes or until pale in colour. slowly incorporate the icing sugar until you have a thick buttercream. add the the cooled ganache and whip until soft and smooth. use a piping bag and nozzle to pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes, add some sprinkles for extra interest. chill cupcakes before serving, top with a gingerbread cookie and enjoy.

i'd love to see your creations, if you make these delicious cupcakes share them with me by using  the hashtag #mrtimothyjames on social media.

are you obsessed with gingerbread too? have you ever tried to make a gingerbread house from scratch? leave me a comment below!

love and cupcakes timothy xx