17. Oreo Cupcakes and Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipes

OH OH OH WHERE TO YOU AT? I hear you all ask. Well, since my last post, I had a ton of bricks dropped on my head in the form of 6 exams which I spent most of the Christmas holiays revising. Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and Happy New Year (it's Shrove Tuesday in 4 days and here I am still saying Happy New Year). Oh well. Since my exams finished 2 weeks ago, I've been doing what I love the most- reading and baking. For this post, I thought I would actually share the recipes for the 2 previous weekend bakes. I've decided that I will try and bake something every weekend and read a book a week.
I've just ordered 7 books off Amazon so I think it would be a nice idea for the next 7 posts to feature a review for each of those books and a recipe for the weekend bake. Now bear in mind that the weeks when I have 9 hours of labs -_____-, I might not be able to do a post so don't go cursing me! D: I won't reveal the names of the 7 books just yet so it's a nice surprise. If any of you try the recipes below or any of the others featured on the blog, then please comment and add your photos! Your comments could include some suggestions or what you liked/disliked about the recipe.
Anyway, let's crack on with my first weekend bake which I made and then ended up comfort eating when my Murray was defeated by Djokovic in the Australian Open final but I am still proud of my boy for getting into yet another Grand Slam final and defeating Federer too. Well done to Djokovic as the best player won on the day.

Oreo Cupcakes
To make 12 Oreo Cupcakes you darlings will require:

• 100g plain flour
• 20g cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 100g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 whole Oreo biscuits
• 100ml milk
• 2 medium (free range of course) eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 40g unsalted butter

To make the accompanying buttercream icing, you will need:

• 170g icing sugar
• 2 crushed Oreo biscuits
• 85g unsalted butter, softened
• 1-2 tbsp of milk (either semi skimmed or full fat)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

You will need the following utensils:

• Cupcake tray lined with paper cases
• 2 bowls
• Electric or hand whisk
• Tablespoon
• Teaspoon
• Weighing scales
• Measuring jug
• Sieve
• Skewer
• Cooling rack
• Rolling pin

Method

1. Place an Oreo biscuit in each of the paper cases lining the cupcake tray. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Sift the plain flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder into one bowl and combine all the ingredients until they are well mixed.
3. In the second bowl, beat the butter and caster sugar with the whisk until you achieve a creamy and fluffy consistency. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until all of the ingredients have fully combined.
4. To the second bowl, add the contents of the first bowl slowly alternating with the milk and mixing slowly and constantly with the whisk.
5. Add an equal amount of the mixture to the cupcake cases and place in the oven for 15 minutes or until you can insert a skewer into the centre of each cupcake and it comes out completely clean.

As the cupcakes are cooling on the cooling rack, make the buttercream icing.

1. Beat the icing sugar, vanilla extract and butter until you get a fluffy consistency.
2. Add the milk.
3. Place the Oreo biscuits into a bag and crush with a rolling pin until they are the size of breadcrumbs.
4. Add the crushed Oreo biscuits to the buttercream.
5. When the Oreo cupcakes are completely cool, decorate them with the buttercream by using either a piping bag or a pallet knife.
6. If you have any Oreo biscuits left over, crush them or cut them in half to add a finishing touch to the cupcakes.
7. Enjoy with a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate!

Here are some photos I took before we all devoured them:

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Now time for the recipe for my second weekend bake, yay!

To make an 20cm cake to serve between 6-8 people, you darlings will need:

• 250g caster sugar
• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 3 medium (free range) eggs
• 200g unsalted butter softened
• 100ml milk
• Zest of 2 lemons

To make the syrup (drizzle), you will need

• 100g caster sugar
• Juice of 2 lemons

You will need the following utensils:

• A mixing bowl
• A 20cm cake tin (either loose bottom or normal)
• Tablespoon
• Teaspoon
• Weighing scales
• Hand or electric whisk
• Measuring jug
• Skewer
• Knife

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees Celsius
2. Add the butter, caster sugar, lemon zest and eggs to a bowl and whisk until you acheive a cream and fluffy consistency. 
3. Add the plain flour, milk and baking powder to the bowl and mix until all of the ingredients have combined completely.
4. Grease the cake tin and pour in the mixture
5. Bake for an hour or until you can insert a skewer into the centre of the cake and it comes out clean
6. While the cake is in the oven, mix the caster sugar and juice of lemons until you get a gloopy, syrupy consistency
7. As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, pierce the cake with the skewer about 20 times and pour on the syrup all over the cake using a tablespoon.
8. Enjoy with a refreshing cup of green tea

Here's a photo of my attempt:

Until next time, take care.

Love,
Mancunian Sheep x