Fabulous Fillings and Frosting

Yummy cupcake fillings and frosting

Cupcakes are like mini presents, wrapped up on the outside you're never quite sure what you are going to get in the middle. You can experiment with an array of flavour combinations and so many textures. I'm going to share a few of my  favourites with you guys...lots of simple and yummy recipes to inspire you and your baking...
First things first though....if you want to get the most out of your fillings you need to make sure you remove enough of the inside of the cup cake, you also want it to look neat and keep the portions the same for each cup cake. My tip is to use an apple core remover like in my picture below. insert into the middle of the cupcake, twist and lift. Its that simple. You can can make the gap as big or small as you like. You can also keep the top part of the cake to recover if desired... 

Chocolate ganache

Chocolate ganache works wonders as a filling in most cupcakes. Its smooth and silky texture melts in your mouth and its so easy to make and use.

You can use whatever chocolate you like. I usually use  8 ounces of good quality dark chocolate and 4 ounces of white chocolate but the choice is yours.

 Ingredients

12 ounces chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1 cup heavy cream

• Place chocolate pieces in a large bowl. 
• Heat heavy cream on medium high until it comes to a boil. 
• Remove from heat and immediately pour cream over chocolate and stir until completely mixed and glossy. 
• Allow ganache to cool before pouring over cakes as a glaze. The longer you allow the ganache to cool, the thicker it will set

Cream cheese frosting

This tastes lovely with carrot cake but also works wonders with other cupcakes as well.

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. 
• Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. 
• Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. 
• Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. 
• Add vanilla, and stir to combine.

Buttercream Frosting

Perfect all round frosting. Tastes fantastic and works really well for traditional fairy cakes.

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
6-7 cups powdered or confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
6-9 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla

• In large bowl, cream butter until very fluffy. 
• Add part of the sugar and salt and beat again. 
• Continue adding sugar and milk in small batches, alternately, beating until very fluffy. 
• Stir in vanilla. 
• Fill and frost cake.

Buttercream can be experimented with lots of different flavours here's a few others you can try:

Chocolate Buttercream 

Here’s a rich, sumptuous version of chocolate butter icing. You can make a simple Cocoa-Flavoured Icing by following the basic butter icing recipe (one part butter to two parts icing sugar) and adding 1tbsp of cocoa mixed with 0.5tbsp milk. But this recipe, with real melted chocolate, lends a little extra luxury to your cake.

Ingredients
110g (4oz) icing sugar
50g (2oz) unsalted butter, softened
25g (1oz) plain chocolate, broken and melted in a double-boiler, then cooled slightly
1tbsp milk

• Just beat the butter until soft and add the icing sugar, beating vigorously. (You can do this in a food processor if you have a half-size bowl.)
• Then add the melted chocolate and the milk, and beat to combine.
• Spread over and inside your cakes.
• Give it a twist: Try this icing with white chocolate, dark chocolate, or a cream liqueur like Baileys instead of the chocolate and milk.

Coffee Buttercream 

You can adjust and tinker with this basic coffee butter icing recipe. Make it into a latte-flavoured icing by dissolving the espresso in hot milk, or make a mocha icing by doubling the amounts and using 1tbsp espresso/1tbsp cocoa.

Ingredients

110g (4oz) icing sugar

50g (2oz) unsalted butter, softened

1tbsp espresso powder blended with 1tbsp hot water

• Beat the butter until soft, add the coffee, and combine.
• Finally sift in the icing sugar, beating vigorously.
• Spread over and inside your cakes.

Marshmallow Icing

Marshmallow icing is made by semi-cooking a meringue mix. This icing is soft, fluffy and sweet, with the appearance of whipped cream.

2 egg whites

225g (8oz) caster sugar 

½ tbsp cream of tartar  

120ml (4floz) 

• Start with 2 egg whites, and whisk them until they form stiff peaks.
• Now make a simple sugar syrup: combine 225g (8oz) caster sugar with ½ tbsp cream of tartar and 120ml (4floz) water in a saucepan.
• Bring it to the boil, then simmer rapidly until the syrup forms a strand when you lift out a spoon.
• Slowly pour the syrup onto your whipped egg whites, beating (use a food processor or electric whisk for best results).
• The egg whites will start to cook and thicken, becoming more fluffy.
• Keep beating until the icing is cool and spreadable.

Raspberry lime curd

1 cup frozen raspberries, defrosted (after they’re defrosted, they look like about 1/4 cup)
zest of 4 limes
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/3 cup lime juice (from about 4-5 limes)
pinch of salt

Press raspberries through a fine sieve to extract all the pulp. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together zest, butter, and sugar. Incorporate eggs one at a time and mix until smooth. Add in raspberry pulp, lime juice and salt. Mixture will be curdled. Don’t freak out!

Pour mixture into a large saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes. Raspberry lime curd will come together and thicken. When it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, remove from heat. Strain through a fine sieve into a glass bowl and allow to cool. Refrigerate or freeze until you need it.

Lemon Curd

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
zest of one large lemon ( I used 2)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
pinch of salt
6 large egg yolks

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat.  Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and zest.

Mix together the sugar, salt and cornstarch and add it to the pan.  Whisk in the egg yolks until smooth and return to heat. Cook over medium-low heat for roughly 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Do not allow the mixture to boil.

Once thickened, strain the mixture though a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Allow to chill in the refrigerator completely before using.

Apricot filling

Apricot Filling adds true fruit richness to a variety of cupcake flavors. 

Ingredients:
2 (6 oz.) pkgs dried apricots
1 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons Grand Marnier (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice1/2 - 3/4 cups granulated sugar

• In small saucepan place apricots and water and allow to stand, covered for 2 hours. 
• Simmer 20 minutes on very low heat, tightly covered or until apricots are soft. 
• Puree along with any remaining liquid in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. 
• Add Grand Marnier, lemon juice and sugar, mix with several on-off turns. 
• If desired, for a sweeter filling add more sugar. 
• Fill cupcake.

Strawberry Cream Filling

It’s the cream of the crop! Strawberry Cream Filling combines juicy berries with heavy cream for a lush, decadent surprise.

Ingredients

1 pkg (16 ounces) frozen sliced strawberries in syrup thawed

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons cornstarch

• Combine strawberries, cream and corn starch in medium saucepan. 
• Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened, about 8-10 minutes. 
• Remove from heat and chill before filling cupcakes or using as an icing on cupcakes

Chocolate mousse filling

Chocolate Mousse Filling is light and fluffy, just like your cupcakes!

Ingredients
4 eggs separated
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups (4 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Easy-Add pure vanilla extract Add to shopping list pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon liqueur of choice (e.g. Kahlua, Chambord)
1 cup heavy cream whipped

• In medium saucepan, combine egg yolks and milk. 
• Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is almost boiling and is thickened enough to coat spoon. 
• Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips, vanilla and liqueur; continue stirring until chocolate is melted. 
• Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. 
• Beat egg whites until stiff; fold gently into the chocolate mixture. 
• Fold in whipped cream. 
• Refrigerate until ready to use

Caramel filling
Ingredients
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• Add the butter, brown sugar and milk to a small saucepan. 
• Heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, about 3-5 minutes over medium heat. 
• Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. 
• Allow to cool slightly and it will start to thicken. Spoon it into the cupcake holes.

Caramel frosting

Ingredients

2 sticks butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream, or more if needed
16 oz. confectioners’ sugar (~ 4 cups)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add in the brown sugar and cream. 
• Heat until it boils, then remove it from the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. 
• Slowly add in the confectioners sugar while mixing. Add the vanilla. 
• Continue mixing until the frosting is completely cooled and is light and fluffy.