Cooking cupcakes...

Cupcakes are everywhere at the moment. At birthdays, at weddings, at morning teas, afternoon teas and for dessert! To be honest, I have been a bit non-committal on the cupcake front for a while now. They just don't interest me over something like a beautiful fruit tart or pastry. Until now.

I was meeting some friends for afternoon tea, and said I would bring something sweet. I didn't have much in the cupboard (story of life and subject to another post!). I always have the basics of a cake floating around, so cupcakes were an easy option. Rifling through the pantry for my cupcake holders, I came across a packet of dried rose petals, and I thought how pretty and girly! All it takes is a flash of inspiration, one flavour - one element!
Throwing in some vanilla, white chocolate and good friends, beautiful moist cupcakes and a lovely afternoon chatting emerged! Other combinations of flavours keep springing to mind. Cupcakes... everywhere!

Rose and vanilla cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 ¼ cup plain flour
1tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarb soda
1 cup sugar
100g butter
150mL sour cream
2 eggs, seperated
1tsp vanilla paste
1T rosewater

To decorate:
100g white chocolate
100mL thickened cream
½ cup icing sugar
Dried rose petals

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Cream sugar and butter together. Beat in egg yolks, sour cream, vanilla and rosewater. Stir in flour, baking powder and bicarb soda until well combined. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks emerge. Fold gently the egg whites into the cake batter. Fill cupcake holders/pan two-thirds full with cake mixture. Bake for 15-20 mins.

Heat cream until just below boiling point. Remove from heat and add white chocolate, stirring until it has melted into the cream. Cool the ganache in the fridge. Sift icing sugar into ganache and whip until thick. Top cooled cupcakes with ganache and sprinkling of dried rose petals.

Makes 12