In our new series on catering at home for a communion or a special occasion, Tara Walker of the award-winning Tasty Tart cookery school shares her recipes for wowing a crowd. This week it’s time for sweet treats: banana and chocolate cupcakes and gluten-free mini lemon and mint polenta cakes.
Gluten-free mini lemon & mint
polenta cakes
(Makes approximately 10)
This recipe can be made as a full cake in a 9” tin. Bake for an hour if doing a whole cake.
Ingredients:
230g of butter230g of caster sugar4 large eggs140g of polenta200g of ground almonds2 tsp of baking powder (make sure it is gluten-free)Zest and juice a lemon (saving 3 tbsp for the icing)A couple of sprigs of mint, finely chopped3 tbsp of lemon juice100g of icing sugar 1 Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas mark three.
2 Line up mini cake papers or mini loaf boxes on a baking tray.
3 Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
4 Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly.
5 Once the mixture is combined, add all the dry ingredients and the mint, zest and juice, and hold back three tablespoons of juice for the glaze.
6 Transfer the mixture to the cake papers or mini loaf boxes, spread evenly, then cook for about 30 minutes (depending on the size of your cake papers), or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
7 To make the icing, mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice until the lumps have disappeared.
8 Drizzle the lemon glaze over the top of the cake and garnish with some mint flowers or leaves.
Chocolate &
Banana Cupcakes
Makes 12
Ingredients:
175g of plain flour110g of caster sugar110g of butter, softened50ml of milk2 eggs½ tsp of vanilla extract1 tsp of baking powder55g of dark chocolate, chopped1 large banana, mashedFor the buttercream icing:
150g of butter, softened150g of icing sugarTo flavour: any type of extract you wish, such as vanilla, lemon, strawberry or almond and any food colouring
To decorate: sprinkles, toppers, marshmallows, etc. We are making swirled two-flavour frosting with chocolate and vanilla.
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C or 170°C fan/gas mark five.
2 With a whisk, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy.
3 Add the eggs one by one and then the milk.
4 Add the flour and baking powder and mix until just combined.
5 Pour the batter into the paper cases and pop a little chocolate and banana into each one.
6 Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and firm on the top.
7 To make the buttercream, whisk the butter until light and fluffy, then add the icing sugar. Stir in a few drops of flavour essence and food colouring. Use a piping bag to decorate the cupcakes with the buttercream icing.
The Tasty Tart, Sandpit, Termonfeckin, Co Louth. Visit www.thetastytart.ie for more information.
More recipes from The Tasty Tart:
Marinated salmon, stout bread, and goats cheese tartlets
Chicken curry and slow roasted shoulder of pulled lamb
In our new series on catering at home for a communion or a special occasion, Tara Walker of the award-winning Tasty Tart cookery school shares her recipes for wowing a crowd. This week it’s time for sweet treats: banana and chocolate cupcakes and gluten-free mini lemon and mint polenta cakes.
Gluten-free mini lemon & mint
polenta cakes
(Makes approximately 10)
This recipe can be made as a full cake in a 9” tin. Bake for an hour if doing a whole cake.
Ingredients:
230g of butter230g of caster sugar4 large eggs140g of polenta200g of ground almonds2 tsp of baking powder (make sure it is gluten-free)Zest and juice a lemon (saving 3 tbsp for the icing)A couple of sprigs of mint, finely chopped3 tbsp of lemon juice100g of icing sugar 1 Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas mark three.
2 Line up mini cake papers or mini loaf boxes on a baking tray.
3 Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
4 Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly.
5 Once the mixture is combined, add all the dry ingredients and the mint, zest and juice, and hold back three tablespoons of juice for the glaze.
6 Transfer the mixture to the cake papers or mini loaf boxes, spread evenly, then cook for about 30 minutes (depending on the size of your cake papers), or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
7 To make the icing, mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice until the lumps have disappeared.
8 Drizzle the lemon glaze over the top of the cake and garnish with some mint flowers or leaves.
Chocolate &
Banana Cupcakes
Makes 12
Ingredients:
175g of plain flour110g of caster sugar110g of butter, softened50ml of milk2 eggs½ tsp of vanilla extract1 tsp of baking powder55g of dark chocolate, chopped1 large banana, mashedFor the buttercream icing:
150g of butter, softened150g of icing sugarTo flavour: any type of extract you wish, such as vanilla, lemon, strawberry or almond and any food colouring
To decorate: sprinkles, toppers, marshmallows, etc. We are making swirled two-flavour frosting with chocolate and vanilla.
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C or 170°C fan/gas mark five.
2 With a whisk, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy.
3 Add the eggs one by one and then the milk.
4 Add the flour and baking powder and mix until just combined.
5 Pour the batter into the paper cases and pop a little chocolate and banana into each one.
6 Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and firm on the top.
7 To make the buttercream, whisk the butter until light and fluffy, then add the icing sugar. Stir in a few drops of flavour essence and food colouring. Use a piping bag to decorate the cupcakes with the buttercream icing.
The Tasty Tart, Sandpit, Termonfeckin, Co Louth. Visit www.thetastytart.ie for more information.
More recipes from The Tasty Tart:
Marinated salmon, stout bread, and goats cheese tartlets
Chicken curry and slow roasted shoulder of pulled lamb
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