My first cupcake attempt.

A couple of weeks ago, I've bought myself a how to make cupcakes cookbook - with 200 different cupcakes recipes! That should keep me busy...

Well suprisingly, cupcakes really are super easy little yummy things to bake. Ok, I probably did go for the easiest recipe there is in the book, warm pecan and caramel cupcakes.

So I started off with this (funny to think how simple ingredients, mixed together, can make something so delicious!):

      - 125g lightly salted butter, softened
      - 125g light muscovado sugar

      - 2 eggs

      - 150g self-raising flour
      - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
      - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
      - 100g pecan nuts roughly chopped
      - 250g caramel sauce

- Line 12 section bun tray with paper cake cases. In a bowl, add in a bowl the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and vanilla extract and beat with an electric whisk for about 1min, until light and creamy.

- Mix in 3/4 of the pecan nuts and divide the mixture between the paper cases.

- Bake in preheated oven (180°, gas 4) for 20min, and transfer to a wire rack.

Looking ok so far....

- Heat and stir gently the caramel sauce in a saucepan, over medium heat, until it's melted, but must not boil. Then drizzle the caramel sauce over the cupcakes while they're still warm and scatter what's left of the pecan nuts. And hopefully, the cupcakes should look like this:

Pic from the recipe book

My cupcakes

Well, I think I did a good job - maybe my caramel sauce doesn't look as thick, but I didn't make the sauce from scratch (was too lazy). I also didn't use Photoshop. And yes, they were delicious, approved by my boyfriend and male work colleagues... phew!

So that was it for a first try. Very proud of myself ( I never, ever bake). I'll now step up my game, and try the carrot cupcakes!

You can get the recipe book Hamlyn All Colour 200 Cupcakes from Amazon, here.

xxx