Cola Cupcakes

The turn of the Cola cupcakes this Sunday. These were picked by my pregnant Sister-in-law as she loved the fizzy Orange cupcakes I made earlier in the year. Was also keen on trying the Lemonade variety but I didn't have the syrup in stock for that, the mixed box I bought didn't include it. Does have cherry and Dandelion and Burdock so might see how they do as my own twist on unusual cupcake flavours. Although there could be a reason why they aren't included in the cook book..we will see.

Any way, back to the topic at hand. Making the sponge went without a hitch. What I like about these sort of cupcakes is the fact that the basis of the cake is the standard to all the cupcake recipes, I think I know the ingredient measurements off by heart almost, having made so many cupcakes now. The soda stream syrup flavouring is added into the milk which gets poured into the dry ingredients in two batches. All fine and I got a lovely smooth texture to it. Made the usual 16 cakes out of this mixture. Sometimes I think I might be able to get one or two more, as even though I try to make sure there is an even amount of batter in each case, some of them overspill the side a little and end up wonky and stuck to the cake tray. I just trim that bit off back to the casing and cover it in icing though, so no-one is the wiser.

Onto the icing and I made sure to half the quantity for this recipe. I haven't made any cupcakes in the last few weeks that have been covered with the usual buttercream frosting and so have made up the full quantity of icing just in case. These ones I know it makes too much. Was surprised that the amount of cola syrup that goes into the icing is as the amount put into the sponge mixture when halving it. It should have been 1 tablespoon for sponge and then, if you made up the stated amount of icing, 2 tablespoons for the frosting. I know the icing is always the strongest flavour when making something that uses the same ingredient in both but I think the cola might have been too sickly otherwise. The way I worked it out seemed to be just right, I had a lick or two from the bowl just to double check.

Onto the cupcakes the icing went, about 1 and a half tablespoons per cake and once smoothed out I decorated with Haribo cola bottles. Started out adding two to each cupcake, as the cook book picture shows but half way through I realised I wouldn't actually have enough to finish that. In the end I did 8 cupcakes with two cola bottles and 8 with only one. This worked out perfectly as it also used up all the Haribo packet too.

Photo taken and then some of the cupcakes departed from us to my friend's and neighbours. I always give away a few to others to try. Making two recipes a week/weekend means there is plenty of cake around for myself to fill up on and if I didn't offer some to others I would 1) become very fat and 2) they would go to waste and get thrown away..and no cake deserves that.

The cupcakes were finished on Sunday afternoon but I didn't actually try one myself until Tuesday morning. Been a little busy baking other goodies for hubby and an order and I was also polishing off the last of the Chocolate Fondant cupcakes too. They are so indulgent and needed to be eaten up since they were made on Thursday. Back to the Cola ones though. The flavour surprised me, it does indeed taste like cola and its odd to have that flavour in your mouth when chewing and now in a liquid. The icing wasn't too sickly as it might have been if the full amount of syrup recommended was in there and it went well with the subtle sponge flavour. These cupcakes, along with the Lemonade and Fizzy Orange ones, would be great for a Kid's party I reckon. Might try and see what other Soda stream flavoured ones I can knock up on my own too