Cupcake Porn

How did I get this far in life without it?

Oh Ebay, you have enabled me to pay homage to this utterly delicious brand. I intend to wallow (luxuriously) in their cotton-ness and cozyness and revel in the fact that I paid absolutely nowhere near the full retail price...now if those Frenh Sole ballet flats don't sky rocket I'll be in luxe brand heaven.

I am attempting to mix up (ha!) my baking, when cupcake making I normally just used a standard sponge receipe but as I knew (and am now giving into) I am actually supposed to be using a cupcake batter...who knew?! Well I did, but let's not nit pick.

Sooo I used a Hummingbird Bakery (in Kensington...go. Now.) receipe, and it worked, they are lighter and rise flatter-if that makes sense-and are therefore easier to ice as there's no weird peaky bit protruding from the center. The only snag is that as there's milk in the mix, they don't keep particularly long. But then again, if they are any good I doubt they'd make it past that evening. The frosting from that book also work well although I dispute the amount of milk in their chocolate frosting, it was far too sloppy and the cakes had to be refrigerated to stop the frosting sliding off-much to my disgust. I'll be posting the cake and (revised) frosting receipe on Tales from the Kitchen along with an absolutely amazing chocolate orange loaf cake which also-as I've discovered to great glee-converts well into cupcakes.

No reason really for the Wagamama's shot except for the fact my tea disappointed me and I want this....

My cutey bum cow girl, I couldn't resist....