Cactuar Cupcakes & Chocobo Lamington

[Ari]

Kinda tempted to try to make one of these sometimes.

Serves: 9-12 Cupcakes Ingredients:

215gm / 1 cup sugar
120gm / ¾ cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
50gm / ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
12gm/1 tsp baking soda
3gm / ½ tsp baking powder
3gm/ ½ tsp kosher salt
1 large egg
125ml / ½ cup milk
½ tsp white vinegar
125ml ½ cup strong black coffee
62ml / ¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla bean paste/extract

Vegemite Salted Caramel:

⅔ cup white sugar
1 tbsp glucose / light corn syrup
2 tbsp water
⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp salted butter
¼ tsp Vegemite

Buttercream:

170gm salted butter
2-3 cups powdered icing sugar
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
(optional) vanilla bean paste or flavouring of choice

Extras: Shortbread cookies, crushed to fine sand texture Green and brown fondant Black edible marker Toothpicks Piping bag or ziplock bag Cupcake tin & liners Hand or stand mixer

[Ari]

The Lamington

Ingredients:

325gm (2 ⅓ cups) plain all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
240gm (1 ¼ cups) salted butter, softened
250gm (2 ⅔ cups) white sugar
4 large eggs
60gm / ¼ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Assembly:

2 ½ cups powdered icing sugar
2-3 tbsp milk or cream
2 cups desiccated coconut
Yellow and orange food colouring
Chocobo eye - blue & white fondant or 1 white chocolate button painted with blue food colouring
½ cup (250ml) berry jam
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, whipped until stiff peaks with 1-2 tbsp powdered sugar

Extras: Gloves Piping bag or ziplock bag Pastry brush 32x23cm / 9×13 inch baking pan Hand or stand mixer