Rosewater Cupcakes and friends

So today I’m starting a 3-part series on my blog called ‘Create With Canon’. I was given a pocket-friendly Canon PowerShot SX600 HS to use over the next few months and even though it’s a lot smaller than the camera I normally shoot with, I’m keen to see what it’s capable of and so far so good. I’m really having fun with little guy, because it’s compact and so easy to use, so here is part one in this project and it’s called Rosewater Cupcakes and friends. Hope you enjoy it.

I invited two of my very good friends over for a little tea and some Rosewater Cupcakes, which I lovingly and quickly baked a few hours before they arrived. I have never made anything with rosewater in it before, but it smells like Turkish Delight so I was only more than happy to dive head first into this recipe and into the end results.

The recipe I used came from my Hummingbird Bakery book and it’s super straight forward, which is my favourite way to bake. It doesn’t call for too many ingredients and the only thing that you might not have in your house, that you’ll have to nip out and buy is the rosewater, which I got at my local supermarket.

I have included the recipe below for you guys to have a gander at, like I said these are nice to make and even nicer to eat. The cake part is soft and the rosewater flavour, which is in the cupcakes and icing is not too overbearing, in fact it’s just right so don’t be tempted to add more. If any of you try to bake these let me know, or even better invite me over for a little taste hehe.

Following this recipe is a bit about my two friends that I had over, Anna-Belle and Jo, so that you can get to know them a little better.

Rosewater cupcakes: Made ±20 cupcakes

° 80g unsalted butter (softened)
° 280g caster sugar
° 240g plain flour
° 1 tbsp baking powder
° 1/4 tsp salt
° 1 tbsp rosewater
° 240ml whole milk
° 2 large eggs

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190° and line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

2. Using an electric whisk or a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment whisk the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt on a low speed until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

3. In a jug whisk (by hand) the rosewater, milk and eggs together. Pour three-quarters of the milk mixture into the dry mix on a low speed to combine. Increase the speed to medium and and continue to mix until smooth and thick. Scrape down the sides, add the remaining milk and continue to mix until the mixture is once again smooth.

4. Divide the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to just under 3/4 of the way. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until well risen and springy to the touch. Mine came out quite golden, but still nice and soft.

Rosewater Icing:

° 500g icing sugar
° 160g unsalted butter, softened
° 3 tsp rosewater
° 50ml milk

Directions:

1. Combine the butter and icing sugar using an electric whisk or a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment. The mixture will be quite powdery in the beginning.

2. Mix the rosewater with the milk in a small jug and while the machine is still running, gradually pour the mixture in.

3. Increase the speed to high and mix until light and fluffy. I added a small dash of light pink food colouring gel to mine.

4. Decorate the cooled cupcakes and then be prepared to eat 2 to 3 in a row!

You know the type of friend who can come over and just hang on the couch with you and watch TV or talk rubbish, the type who is more than happy to join you in stuffing as much chocolate in your face as your face will allow ? The kind of friend that doesn’t demand maximum attention all the time and is so easy to be around? Well that friend to me is Jo a.k.a Stubs.

I have known Jo for just over 7 years now and she is honestly one of the kindest, sweetest people that has ever come into my life and I know for a fact that we will be friends for years to come. In fact our plan is to live in the same old age home and drink gin and tonics all day long while we play bingo and win everyone else’s money.

Jo is an talented art director, who owns her own company called The Spanish Coalition, she’s  a collector of many things (a woman after my own heart). She’s a crazy cat lover and she has green fingers, not green thumbs. Jo can also dance the crap out of you on any dancefloor. No doubt.

Next is Anna-Belle, she is my friend, my business partner and my soon-to-be-sister. She is also one of kind and definitely one of the best people that I have in my life. Anna-Belle runs a cool blog called Shesaid, she loves the internet and Joburg and she has hair like a My Little Pony, one day it’s pink , the next it’s purple, it’s amazing!

We have only been friends for a couple of years, but our friendship has grown fast and strong, maybe because we are doing so many things together, like run Jobest (our review site, which lets people know about all the cool spots in and around Johannesburg). We have also just started a new little company called Golden, which is all about online content creation (that’s a whole other post that is coming soon hee) and she is just about to marry my brother-in-law! In fact we’re so busy that I think I may hangout more with Anna-Belle than I do with my own husband these days. But I’m happy she came into my life and is going to be part of it for a very long time to come.

Nina James was also obviously invited, she kept me company whilst I baked. Damn it I love this child!

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