London - October 31, 2006

Ghoul for Love

Hummingbird’s Halloween Cupcake Recipe

They’ll be around later, a-knocking at your door. Trick: cheap-tasting, plastic-coated sweeties. Treat: homemade frosted Halloween cupcakes, baked using a Hummingbird recipe. Result: eternal popularity with everyone in the neighbourhood.

Halloween Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing

Cupcakes (serves twelve):
2 eggs
235 ml whole milk
235 g plain flour
15 g baking powder
¼ tspn salt
85 g unsalted butter
285 g caster sugar
½ tspn natural vanilla essence
250 g Libby’s pumpkin puree

1. Preheat oven to 170C; place cupcake cases into muffin pan.
2. Mix butter, sugar, flour, salt and baking powder in bowl until crumbly.
3. Slowly add milk and vanilla until batter forms.
4. Add eggs, mix until well combined.
5. Fold in pumpkin puree.
6. Fill cupcake cases 2/3 full; bake at 170C for approximately twenty minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Allow to cool.

Frosting:
500 g sifted icing sugar
160 g unsalted butter at room temperature
½ tspn natural vanilla essence
65 g whole milk
Orange food colouring

1. Sift sugar into mixing bowl; blend until combined.
2. Add butter in small chunks; beat until combined.
3. Add vanilla and 5 tbspn of milk; beat until combined.
4. Increase mixer speed and beat until light (at least five to ten minutes). Add more milk if mixture is too thick; more sugar if too soft.
5. Add food colouring in small amounts until desired colour is reached.
6. Scoop generous amount of frosting onto cupcake and swirl with a spatula. Decorate with Halloween sprinkles and sweets.

Also available at The Hummingbird Bakery, 133 Portobello Road, W11 2DY (020 7229 6446 or hummingbirdbakery.com).