Cheese Cake, Chocolate Mini Cakes and Cupcakes

This weekend, it is just us the offspring (I shall not call myself a child!!!) at home! As awesome as that sounds, that is not really how it pans out. There are no sudden bouts of freedom - no parties at home, no parties anywhere else and no trashing the house either. I have to say we are, for the most part, well behaved when left home alone. So early in the morning we went grocery shopping. My sister and I went crazy for dessert ingredients, much to the annoyance of our brother. Having two very hyper dogs also means the grocery money has to be split between human food and the ever expensive dog food and treats. But we managed well.

So home we came with our purchases.  I must say I was in such a good mood and proceeded to do some work on the CAD designs I've been busy with all week. Midway through my drawing my computer crashes and I lost all the work I had added onto it :(.

For no other reason then to get myself in a better mood (actually so as not to scream at my siblings and cousins or bash things about) I did some baking with my sister. While she made a gorgeous cheesecake I made chocolate mini-cakes, vanilla cupcakes and caramel cupcakes.

Cheesecake

Beautiful Cheesecake 

I have to say, I suck at a cheesecake and it is something I doubt I will ever master. My sister on the other hand just does this beautifully and effortlessly. I watched her blitz some tea cookies in the blender before adding melted butter to them and lining a baking dish with her blitzed goodies and placing them in the refrigerator to set. Then she worked on her filling - this bit I must say I found daunting and do not quite remember how she did it.  After putting the filling bit on the base, she then garnished the top with grated dark Swiss chocolate.

Chocolate Mini Cakes

Chocolate mini cakes

I made the ever favourite, among kids anyway, chocolate cake. I did not want to go through the hassle of assembling a cake and icing it. So I used brownie baking equipment to make mini cakes instead. After turning them out and allowing to cool, I made a chocolate butter icing which I layered on top of each mini cake before decorating with smarties sweets and mini eggs.

Vanilla and Caramel Cupcakes

Vanilla cupcakes and Caramel cupcakes

I also made two types of cupcakes, a vanilla and a caramel one. Firstly I made the vanilla cupcakes and then made a white royal icing for the topping before finishing them off with flowers made with multi coloured sweet balls and miniature eggs.

Since my brother and my little cousin made cupcakes last week, I ran out of vanilla and used caramel as a substitute. For the frosting bit of the caramel cupcakes, I made pink and blue royal icing and decorated the cupcakes the same way as the vanilla cupcakes.

In hindsight, I think I might have gone a little overboard with the baking. But I'm sure a sugar high (or a downward spiral for me) is just what we need to get us to the parent's return. We do plan to save them some.

Welcome home cupcakes?

Or this for "Welcome home cupcakes?

As always, let me know what you think and also let me know of any suggestions for new recipes and decorating tips.

Till we bake again. Addi :)