Sorry for the lack of post everyone! Been really busy with a whole series of events happening one after another :

First was moving out of the old place

Moved into the new place (which I totally love!)

Started my placements

Ended the first placement

Had an assignment due

Didn’t sleep for 40 hours straight

Totally knocked out right after! haha

PHEW! that was a long list!

Didn’t really have the chance to bake or post! But here I am! Back in my comfort zone – the kitchen. (:

I had such a great time at my first placement! The teachers were so giving, sharing with me everything that I need to know and learn. The students, they were awesome. I already miss them! The environment and culture of the school was exactly what and where I wanna be – inclusive.

When it was my last day at that beautiful school, I just had to bake something for everyone there to thank them for everything! and I wanted to bake them something I knew everyone would like (with fingers and toes crossed!) I went back to the recipe book, and used a recipe that was a family favourite! Just to be safe. hehe

Was really nice knowing that everyone enjoyed these little cupcakes of mine and really funny to hear the teachers discussing what ingredients that they think was in the icing! haha. But very humbling. (:

My initial plan was to make the usual peach and cream cheese cupcakes. But silly billy me bout canned apricots instead! It didn’t even hit me that I bought the wrong fruit until i finished baking them, and was tasting the juice the fruits were in and realise it wasn’t as sweet as it should be, a little tart even! I was a little worried that the fruit was spoilt. haha Would be too late to salvage it! So only when I checked the can, did I realise it was apricot! But wasn’t a bad “mistake either, cause it turned out the cupcakes were just the right degree of sweetness! Thank goodness!

I was a little worried when I made the yogurt-cream cheese icing as it felt a little too runny, and even when I let it set in the fridge for an hour, it was still too runny. But I piped the first layer and let it set over night and place the rest of the icing in the fridge to set as well. In the morning before I brought them to school, I piped the second layer and it worked! and actually gave the icing two-tones! Which I thought was quite pretty (:

So here’s the recipe for apricot cream cheese cupcakes topped with apricot yogurt-cream cheese icing !

Apricot Cream Cheese Cupcake

125g unsalted butter, softened

250g cream cheese

200g caster sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

2 cups (300g) self-raising flour, sifted, plus extra to dust

450g apricot, cubed

Steps :

1.     Preheat the oven to 180⁰C and line 12 mini cupcake pans with paper case

2.     Place the butter, cream cheese and caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until pale.

3.     Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined.

4.     Add the vanilla and fold in the flour and a pinch of salt.

5.    Stir the cubed apricot through the mixture.

6.     Spoon into the cupcake cases and bake for 12-14mins or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allowed to cool.

Apricot Yogurt-Cream Cheese Icing

250g cream cheese, room temperature

113g unsalted butter, softened

43g greek yogurt

50g pureed apricot, strained through a seive

150g icing sugar (add more to get the consistency you want)

Steps :

1) Cream the cream cheese, butter and pureed apricot till smooth and no visible lumps.

2) Add the yogurt till well combined.

3) Add the icing sugar till you get the consistency you want!

4) Place half of the icing into a piping bag and place the rest into the fridge. Pipe the icing on the cupcake and let it set overnight (just make sure it’s setting in an aircon room if you’re living in a hot climate!).

5) Place the rest of the icing that has been setting in the fridge overnight into another piping bag, and pipe another layer of the icing on top, and top it with a small metallic cachou.

ENJOY! (:

Make it for a party or for any occasion, I promise you it will be a hit! (: