Thursday, 7 August 2008

She talks to rainbows



We've got some great new goodies in the shop today! As well as a heap of new beautiful Rachel Carley pieces, we have a brand spanking new range of cross stitch kits Stitch'd Ink! These super cool kits are made by City Down who hails as the NZ Cupcake Queen, this lovely lady has her fingers in many cupcakes- she is a graphic designing, cupcake baking, cross stitch making prodigy! She's also the creator of the cupcake project which has been getting some well deserved press lately including Frankie & Sunday magazine.

I like making cupcakes too, yes I certainly do! Although I'm no Queen, I'm more of a cupcake Lady... Oh no wait, there's one of those already! She had the stall next to us at Craft 2.0... Um maybe I could be the Duchess of cupcakes. That'll do.

Speaking of cupcakes I would like to share this fabulous recipe which I have adapted from vegweb.


Spiced Pumpkin & Sultana Cupcakes

(These are so easy & so vegan!) Makes about 24.

3 cups plain flour
2 cups sugar (I always use raw)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons of Cinnamon
2 teaspoons of nutmeg
1 & 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar (I use cider vinegar)
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup of sultanas

For the pumpkin-
1 & 1/2 cups of chopped pumpkin
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Cook pumpkin in a small pot with 1 cup of water, sugar, nutmeg & Cinnamon until mushy, drain & mash until smooth. Mix dry ingredients first. Once the mixture is even, mix in wet ingredients & pumpkin. Continue mixing until you obtain an even batter (no lumps). Stir through sultanas. Pour into cupcake tins (with pretty papers of course!) and bake for approximately 40 minutes until golden. Top with frosting/ icing sugar.

I make frosting by whisking together vegetable margarine (about half a cup), icing sugar, & vanilla with a splash of soy milk for creaminess. I'm not sure of the measurements but the key is to keep adding icing sugar until the mixture is quite stiff & doesn't separate if left for a little while.

Nom nom! X

4 comments:

lily, rosemary and the jack of hearts said...

yormy. I'll take two batches from the dutchess please! I'm home sick and watching the next season of ANTM and it's doing my head in :(

Swonderful said...

oh no! you get that with ANTM. It's not good for the soul... Poor sick girl! X
Good news- I am coming up for the show at the end of the month!

lily, rosemary and the jack of hearts said...

oh you are! I'm so pleased :) I'm nearly over the sickness- one more day and I think it'll be done. Shame it has to be a work day though! Those cupcakes are making my mouth water.

Anonymous said...

Good post.