One batch, twelve flavours, in collaboration with Crock Pot.
I do love a good cupcake, me. What’s better than a good cupcake? A selection of good cupcakes! Who has the time though (or the waistline) so make six or twelve dozen cupcakes to get a variety of flavours to serve at an afternoon tea party.
Why not make one batch with twelve different flavours?!
Ok, I admit, this probably takes just as long to make as it would to make a dozen different cupcake recipes, but it’s jolly good fun, and there’s loads of different cakes to eat too! Win!
Every Autumn Crock Pot hosts a #Crocktober campaign, a social media drive highlighting the versatility of slow cooking. This Crocktober their social campaign is created around interesting ‘Weekender’ ideas – themed recipe suggestions featuring a slow cooker recipe.
I was asked to come up with a selection of cupcake recipes for an afternoon tea, and despite a few failed attempts at making cupcakes in my trusty Crock Pot (although the Internets assures me it can be done!), I opted for the oven. I do love my Crock Pot, mind – it’s great for slow cooking stews and meats. Proper Autumnal comfort food. Minimal effort. What can be better than that?
So yes, back to the cupcakes!
One recipe, twelve different flavours. The batter itself is really simple to make – it’s a basic fairy cake recipe divided into half, and one half of it is flavoured with chocolate. When you start with this the possibilities are endless – simply divide each half into sixths and flavour each sixth as you desire – I’ve gone with some of my own personal favourites. Weighing out your batter in advance makes this job a lot easier, and ensures all your cupcakes will be the same size.
You can even combine a flavoured vanilla with the chocolate batter for a swirl effect. Simply spoon into the prepared case and swirl together with a toothpick.
It’s the frosting and decorating that takes awhile. To make life easier you could just either frost with chocolate or vanilla frosting, but I’ve gone the extra step and I’ve flavoured several of the cupcake frostings individually to complement their cake base. For example, a wee splash of gin in the gin & tonic variety, a little dash of rose syrup in the vanilla rose, a swirl of peanut butter flavoured frosting in the peanut butter chocolate swirl recipe, etc.
Or, don’t use a piping bag (as you’ve got to remove and wash the nozzle between each cupcake!). Simply spread on with a palette knife and decorate as desired.
So what do you think of my cupcake ideas? I think they’re perfect for an afternoon tea party, or even a birthday party, as long as you don’t mind spending an afternoon pottering about in the kitchen playing with flavourings.
Follow CrockPot on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for recipe inspiration – they’ll be rolling out some rather fantastic Weekender Ideas during #Crocktober!
What’s your favourite cupcake flavour? Let me know in the comments!
A Selection of Cupcakes for Afternoon Tea
Ingredients
for the basic cupcake batter
- 125 grams butter room temperature
- 125 grams caster sugar
- 2 large free-range eggs
- 125 grams self-raising flour
- 0.5 tsp Madagascar bourbon vanilla bean paste
- 2 tbsp full fat milk
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder (for the chocolate batter)
for the flavourings in the cupcakes
- 1/2 tsp lime juice (gin & tonic flavour)
- 1 pinch lime zest (gin & tonic flavour)
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice (lemon flavour)
- 1 pinch lemon zest (lemon flavour)
- 0.5 tsp smooth peanut butter (chocolate peanut butter swirl flavour)
- 0.5 tsp rose syrup (vanilla rose flavour)
- 0.5 tsp toffee sauce (toffee chocolate flavour)
- 1 tsp fudge pieces (chocolate fudge flavour)
- 2 tsp desiccated cococnut (coconut flavours, divided)
- 1 pinch chilli powder (chilli chocolate flavour)
- 1 tsp milk chocolate chips (double chocolate flavour)
for the buttercream frosting
- 225 grams butter room temperature
- 600 grams icing sugar
- 1 tbsp Madagascar bourbon vanilla bean paste
- 5 tbsp double cream
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder (for the chocolate frosting)
icing flavourings & decorations
- 1 lime slice (gin & tonic decoration)
- 0.5 tsp gin (gin & tonic frosting)
- 1 pinch lemon zest (lemon decoration)
- 0.5 tsp lemon juice (lemon frosting)
- 1 tsp American peanut butter candies (choc peanut swirl decoration)
- 0.5 tsp smooth peanut butter (choc peanut swirl frosting)
- 1 tsp milk chocolate curls (chocolate decoration)
- 1 tsp pink white chocolate curls (vanilla rose decoration)
- 0.5 tsp rose syrup (vanilla rose frosting)
- 1 tsp white chocolate curls (vanilla decoration)
- 1.5 tsp toffee sauce (toffee chocolate, divided)
- 1 tsp fudge chunks (chocolate fudge decoration)
- 2 tsp coconut flakes (coconut decorations)
- 1 pinch chilli flakes (chilli chocolate decoration)
- 1 tsp white chocolate chips (double chocolate decoration)
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Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C and line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cupcake cases.
- Weigh your mixing bowl and keep a note of the number.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.
- Sift in the flour, add the milk and beat until well combined.
- Weigh your mixing bowl with the batter in it, and divide the mixture equally in half. You should have two bowls with approximately 250 grams of batter in each one.
- Add the cocoa powder to one half to make the chocolate batter.
- For the chocolate, double chocolate, chilli chocolate, chocolate fudge and coconut chocolate flavours, measure out 1/6th of the final weight of your chocolate batter into a small bowl - approximately 40-42 grams of batter - one at a time, adding each of the flavourings before spooning into the prepared baking case. Take a note of where you've placed each flavour - jotting down a diagram helps.
- For the gin & tonic, lemon, vanilla rose, vanilla and vanilla coconut flavours measure out 1/6th of the vanilla batter and add each of the flavourings one at a time. Spoon into the prepared baking cases.
- For the peanut butter chocolate swirl flavour, measure out 25 grams of vanilla batter and stir in the peanut butter. Drop in small spoonfuls, along with 20 grams of chocolate cupcake batter into the prepared cupcake case. Swirl using a toothpick. Repeat for the toffee chocolate flavour.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until light golden and well risen. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare your frosting by beating together the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and 4 tbsp double cream together. Divide the mixture evenly in half (weighing it out makes this so much easier) and add the cocoa powder and another tbsp of double cream to one half.
- Measure out three 70-75 gram bowls of vanilla frosting. Add the gin & lime zest to one, the lemon juice to another and the rose syrup to the third. Pipe over the top of their respective cupcakes and decorate with a lime slice, lemon zest and pink chocolate curls. Frost the coconut vanilla and plain vanilla cupcakes with 70 grams of frosting and decorate.
- Measure out two small bowls of 40 grams of chocolate frosting and set aside. Frost the chocolate, double chocolate, chilli chocolate, chocolate fudge and coconut chocolate flavours with the remaining icing and decorate with their respective decorations.
- For the swirled frostings, add the peanut butter to 25 grams of vanilla frosting and swirl with one of the 40 gram bowls of chocolate frosting. Decorate with chopped American peanut butter candies. Repeat with the toffee swirl frosting, and topping with a drizzle of toffee sauce.
Why not listen to an audiobook while you cook?
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OTHER CUPCAKE RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
Chocolate & Chilli Cupcakes by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
Rose Buttercream Plant Pot Cupcakes by Emily’s Recipes & Reviews
Chocolate & Vanilla Cupcakes by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
Sloe Gin Cupcakes by Jen’s Food
Dark Chocolate & Bourbon Vanilla Steampunk Cupcakes by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
Chocolate Chai Masala Cupcakes by Tin & Thyme
Salted Caramel Apple Cupcakes by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes by Planet Veggie
S’mores Cupcakes by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
SHARING WITH SOME LINKIES
Recipe of the Week by A Mummy Too
This is a commissioned recipe. Thank you for supporting the brands who make it possible for me to do what I love: mess up my kitchen (in this case big style!) and share recipe stories!
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Have you made this recipe?
Take a photo and tag @tangoraindrop or use the hashtag #elizabethskitchendiary and share on Instagram and Twitter. It would make my day to see your creations!
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Rana
Hi from where you bought cake stand pink colour nice.
Thx
Elizabeth
I bought it at a local village shop here in Shetland. No idea where you might find one online, I’m afraid!
dominica
Gin and tonic cupcake omg !! Marry me lool ! They look so perfect its unreal and the flavours are sooo unique !! Thank you so much for sharing this with us.. 🙂 Have a lovely day! Visit me whenever you have time kisses Dominica! xXx
clairejustine
oh wow, I love the idea of making different cupcakes at the same time. These all look amazing. I would want to try one of each at the same time! Beautiful cupcakes ..
Amanda @ Rhyme & Ribbons
Looks gorgeous!
NOM NOM Boris
Yuumy yuumy in my tummy!!! They look great and I like how its more of frosting and fun thing son top then the cake part. I prefer that hahahhaa
TheHungryScribe.com
Wow, 12 different flavours, that’s really impressive. And they all look absolutely delicious.
Kate - gluten free alchemist
12 flavours from one mix? Amazing! Should the recipe include a pack of straws to decide who gets G&T??
Laura@howtocookgoodfood
I love all of your cupcakes and would eat them all but I’m afraid as a cookery teacher who teaches regular bake parties that involve me washing up buckets and bowls of buttercream i never ever make them as it is the hardest thing to wash up alongside melated bowls of chocolate. Can I just eat yours instead, they are so gorgeous!
kate @veggie desserts
This is so amazing! What a wonderful treat to get such a selection. Well done!!
Jacqueline Meldrum
Oh my god you are mad! I would never. It would be one flavour or nothing. Jeezy peeps. Look gorgeous though and I bet they taste great.
Donna
Oh wow, you must have the patience of a saint to make twelve different flavors 🙂 I have to admit, they all sound delicious and I will definitely be choosing one to try out with my daughter tomorrow (she has been asking me to make some with her for weeks, and baking is not my specialty)!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Elizabeth I am in awe!! This must have taken you hours and hours – not to mention all the separate bowls to wash up!! They all look incredible.
MissPond
Beautiful photography and what a wonderful idea! I do the same with rainbow cakes so it seems common sense to do it with flavours too- just never thought to do it that way. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Natalia Molinero
omg! I could eat all of them. They look so yummy! I’m curious about the gin & tonic one haha x
Heather @Boston Girl Bakes
Oh this is so clever! Love this idea..and ambitious 🙂 Gorgeous cupcakes!
J @ Bless Her Heart Y'all
Well this is just the cutest! Darling cupcakes and so so cute for an afternoon tea!
Kristina
First of all, LOVE the photography and wow, those cupcakes look bloody delicious! x
Aish Padihari
Gorgeous photography. I’m in love. They look too pretty to eat.
Platter Talk
Great post! I skipped over here from Pinterest to investigate. Love this post, love the recipe, love the pictures!!! Thanks. : )
Sabeeka
I love this idea… Esp since my kids have different taste buds.. One likes vanilla and the other prefers chocolate.. And my older one loves decorating the cupcakes… Will try these soon!!
Kavey
Gosh, so impressed with the idea of making different flavour cupcakes using one base batter and adding flavourings to different portions! Very cool!
Choclette
I am loving your cupcakes Elizabeth. Twelve different flavours is amazing, but I can imagine a fair amount of fighting going on as to who gets the G&T one. The piped swirl makes such a difference. I really ought to master piping, but I hate doing it. It always seems such a faff.
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes
These cupcakes are so pretty! I love that you can easily change up the flavours too.
Jenine
These look beautiful and delicious! I love all the garnishes as well.
Michelle @ Greedy Gourmet
Phew, you’re much more industrious than me when it comes to baking but would you mind if I come over for a bite … or two..or three?
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy
Those cupcakes are beautiful and they are ALMOST too pretty to eat. I love the sound of a gin and tonic cupcake.
Brian Jones
Yowsers, now that is a real labour of love, great selection of flavours though particularly the rosewater idea!
Amy @ Pressure Cook Recipes
Hi Elizabeth,
Can never say no to a good cupcake!
Thanks for sharing the selection of lovely recipes 🙂
Amy
Rachel
These cakes look just too pretty to eat, not that I wouldn’t be the first person to dive in x
Nikki
Your cakes look amazing! Almost too good to eat! Almost! 🙂
Kathleen Hazell
oh my I would love to do this some afternoon that I have a bunch of bored teenagers along. I think they would love doing this and experimenting. Sounds fun 🙂 x
Claudia | Gourmet Project
I want the gin & tonic vanilla cupcake! What a lovely idea and beautiful pics. Pretty in pink 🙂
Amanda | Chew Town
I love the idea of 12 different cupcake flavours in a batch – its just the sort of crazy idea I’d have myself. At least you are honest in saying it might take just as long as 12 batches, but I love pottering around the kitchen and making umpteen different things, so this is right up my alley. Your combination of flavours is wonderful – I’ll take one of each please… do you ship to Australia?!
Pati robins
We just made them! Omg – its best thing we eat x
Johanna @ Green Gourmet Giraffe
These look a great idea – the main problem I could foresee would be that if I made this for a group everyone would be arguing over it – but it would be brilliant for example if you had people with certain tastes that you could cater to (nut allergies, the odd friend who doesn’t like chocolate and that person who just wants a very plain cupcake while others don’t)