The best cupcake in London

It’s that question that’s been bugging me ever since I became obsessed with making my own cupcakes… who makes the best cupcake in London?

I’ve decided to document this journey and add in all my comments and try to taste test from all the good bakeries.

First up: Lola’s Cupcakes - I’ve tried these quite a lot, having them so close to work and not being able to resist! I’ve long been a fan of theirs and today I tried a custard cream cupcake, and it was yummy. I tend to find store-bought cupcakes slightly dry as they have been sitting out for most of the day, and this cupcake was slightly dry, however the custard filling inside definitely helped keep it moist. The buttercream on top was nice however ot exceptional. A good all round cupcake for custard lovers.

Overall I give this cupcake a 7/10 as it was nice but not groundbreaking!

Where shall I review next? Suggestions welcome!

Perfect for Passover Meringue Cake!

It’s that time of year again, not just Easter but the Jewish festival of Passover!

I know at this time of year I struggle (for 8 days) to bake some really good stuff, as substituting normal flour for potato flour or cake meal doesn’t always work out! Your best bet is to find a flourless recipe that can work well!

Lemon Meringue Curd cake with Caramelised Berries:

I saw this recipe on Saturday Kitchen and it looked amazing! Unfortunately mine didnt come out as well but it tasted good all the same!

Ingredients: (Adapted of course!)
For the meringue
8 free-range egg whites
200g/7oz caster sugar
For the lemon curd (Nigel Slater recipe)
zest and juice of 4 unwaxed lemons
200g sugar
100g butter
3 eggs and 1 egg yolk

Carton of whipping cream – to mix in after

For the garnish
110g/4oz white caster sugar
Variety of berries (I used blueberries and raspberries)

Method

1. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl and until soft peaks are formed. Gradually add the sugar and continue to whisk until glossy and well
combined. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle.
2. Pipe or spread the meringues to form 4 even circles.
3. Place the meringue into the oven and cook for 20 minutes, or until the mixture holds it shape. Turn off the heat and leave in the oven for
at least two hours. Once crisp, remove the meringue from the oven and set aside to cool.
4. Meanwhile for the lemon curd, place the lemon zest, juice, butter and sugar into a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. when the butter is melted, pour in the whisked eggs. Whisk occasionally until well combined and thickened.
5. Whip the cream until soft peaks are formed. Mix in the lemon curd until it is combined to your taste.

6. Spread the lemon curd-cream mixture on the meringues and layer on top of each other.

7. For the garnish, heat the caster sugar and 50ml/2fl oz water in a frying pan the sugar melts and the mixture is golden-brown in colour. I then drizzed this onto the berries placed on the cake.

Et Voila! (You may notice my cake only has 3 layers – one broke and so we used it to crumble on top!