I got the Love Bakery book, Cupcakes from the Heart, last month and I can hand on heart say it is one of my favourite cookbooks in my collection. So far I have made vanilla (sneakily I used Love's vanilla cupcake recipe via the Amazon reader for my Daring Bakers Challenge in August to make Brown Butter Baked Alaska cupcakes -they were divine I recommend trying the vanilla cupcakes using browned butter!), the pumpkin cupcakes and my favourite so far, the rhubarb and custard cupcakes.
The day my book arrived at work a colleague and I drooled over it for some time, deciding that the rhubarb cupcakes sounded lush. I was lucky enough to try one the very next day at Love Bakery and it lived up to the lushness!
A couple of weeks ago while Manny was at a festival I took a break from my baking with odd ingredients and decided to bake something delicious for a change - there was only one contender - rhubarb and custard.
The recipe suggests making a fresh rhubarb compote for the centre or using rhubarb jam. I checked our local Sainsburys for rhubarb but it looked beyond rotten and I couldn't face a bus or tube journey to Waitrose so I got some tinned rhubarb and made my own compote with that - it came out really nicely if I do say so myself.
I also got some lovely little rhubarb and custard sweets to decorate the cupcakes, but be warned, if you do this only do it when you are serving them as the colour runs out of the sweets over-night into the frosting!
These are definitely in my favourite cupcakes to bake list - nice moist cake, with a tangy filling and a lovely custard'y topping. How could you fail to love it!?
*Every time I think of Rhubarb and Custard this pops into my head, so the title is a tribute to one of my favourite kids tv shows, not a spelling error!
I was waiting to try them as rhubarb is now out of season so your tip about tinned rhubarb is most welcome !
ReplyDeleteThis looks amazing and I don't even like rhubarb! I've ordered my book today and can't wait for it to arrive. I have heard that this is the best cake from the Love Bakery. Can't wait to try making them too.
ReplyDeleteLooks gorgeous! Love the flavours. Great idea to use the sweeties for the decoration
ReplyDeleteI have the theme music playing in my head whenever I hear the words "rhubarb and custard"!
ReplyDeleteI love this book too and will definitely be making these at some point- I adore rhubarb.
They sound absolutely gorgeous. I love rhubarb pie and custard, but as a cake mmmm. I can feel a Homer moment attacking me lol
ReplyDeleteMerkyfitz -I've seen some rhubarb around. Like I said in Sainsburys it was gross but seen some ok looking stuff in Waitrose. With the tin I used less sugar than they suggested and rinsed it as well pre cooking.
ReplyDeleteBaking Addict - did you get it from the Book People? It's only a fiver via them! It's a lovely book with some really good recipes
Thanks Katie - they were really nice and great with a cup of tea!
Sam - its not just me then!! I must make the apple ones you made - they look divine. I'm not keen on honey so wondering if I could leave it out?
Archies Mum - it definitely is a drool-worthy cake!
I ordered it off Amazon for a tenner!! Oh well too late now but looks like it will be well worth it!
ReplyDeleteI loved those cakes, and the brown buttered ones too :) And they look so great as well, you should be well proud of them :)
ReplyDeleteI think you should give the ones with honey a go. I bet you'd make them taste nice and as a Winnie Pooh fan you should learn to love the honey :)