HELLLLLLO you guys!!!!!!!!!!
Now, before I officially get into the Valentine’s baking mode, I’d just like to apologize {as always} for not being around much these past few weeks.
As you can see, MY NEW BLOG IS REAAAAAADY AND I FEEL SOOOOO INCREDIBLY PROUD!!!
Is it weird that I keep staring at my brand new blog for hours together and then find that I’m getting all teary and misty-eyed??
{Not to worry, the tears are from staring at the screen blatantly}
Hahahaha
I had the weirdest time ever!!! It was realllly so stressssful!!!!!! Consuelo!!!!!!!! You’re advice worked immensely!!!!!! I literalllly gobbled up cookies one after the after without any shame whatsoever! But in the end, it was all good! haha
Anyways, before I even begin posting my recipe, I just want to say MASSSSSSIVE THANK YOU to Robyn, who was so kind and patient!!!! {Trust me, I harassed her with my incessant questions about the new blog design} But she was just so sweet every single time and this is the final result!!! If you ever do feel like getting a blog design done, please visit The Blog Boat! I Insist!
Oh Oh Oh!!! And my LOGO??????????????????????
Do you like it?????????
There was just this random doodling session on in one of my college lectures and at least something productive came out of it! Now, I’m not much of a graphic designer but I do have a dear friend from the animation classes that I used to take who happily transformed my doodled, sketched look into this lovely logo! I am just beaming!!!!!!!!!!
UPDATE: SINCE THIS POST WAS PUBLISHED, I HAVE TAUGHT MYSELF HOW TO CODE AND THE CURRENT BLOG DESIGN HAS BEEN CREATED AND DEVELOPED (CODED) BY YOURS TRULY. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A CUSTOM BLOG DESIGN TOO, GET IN TOUCH THROUGH MY CONTACT FORM HERE AND I’LL BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS.
Okay, so now, my rambling about my new blog is done! Now we shall enter into the Valentine’s mode!
I made these cupcakes to celebrate Valentine! and I’ve decided to call them – ‘Virgin Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes’ I don’t have anyone special in my life so I’m going to be shameless and hog all of these cupcakes myself!
Sorry, Not sorry!
Hahaha
A refreshing cocktail inspired cupcake filled with a luscious strawberry margarita filling and soft, moist cupcake, thanks to the soda!
Ingredients
- 125 gms self raising flour
- 125 gms butter
- 100 gms sugar
- Zest of one large lime
- Zest of one large orange
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1/4th tsp vanilla essence
- 100 mls soda water
- 1 cup strawberries
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1/4th cup lime juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup soda water
- 150 gms unsalted butter
- 300 gms icing sugar
- 3 tbsp strawberry margarita filling
- Zest of one medium sized lime
- Zest of one orange
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Break in the eggs one at a time making sure you mix well between each addition of egg.
- Add the zest of lime and orange as well as the vanilla essence.
- Sift the flour and baking powder and add to the mixture.
- Add the soda.*
- Fill about 2/3rd of the cupcake liner with the cupcake batter and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until a skewer or a knife inserted in the centre of the cupcake comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool overnight. {Place them in the refrigerator overnight.}
- *The mixture may look curdled when you add the soda. Do not worry. Just give it a thorough mix and it will be fine.
- Place the soda water and the sugar in a large saucepan.
- Add the strawberries {halved}, orange juice and lime juice.
- Cook over medium high heat until the syrupy looking mixture turns jammy. {This should take approximately 15 minutes}
- Keep stirring to avoid the mixture from getting burned.
- Once it reaches a thick jam like consistency, turn off the heat and let it cool completely.
- Cream the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
- Divide this icing into two separate bowls.
- In one bowl, add the strawberry margarita filling and in the second one, add the zest of lime and orange.
- Pop these bowls into the refrigerator to chill for about 10 – 15 minutes.
- Take a cupcake and use a cupcake corer to get the centre of the cupcake out. If you do not have a cupcake corer, you can use a knife. Use the knife along the centre portion of the cupcake and cut out a deep circle from its centre.
- Fill the centres with the strawberry margarita filling.
- Pop the lid of the cupcake back on and press to accommodate the filling.
- Fill one piping bag with the strawberry icing and the other with the citrus icing and cut the tips of the piping bags.
- Place both the piping bags into one piping bag attached with a star nozzle and pipe swirls on the cupcake. Top with a strawberry.
Okay, so you can obviously replace the soda here with tequila, I chose to go for the virgin version, just because I didn’t want to spend massive bucks on alcohol. I’d rather spend it on Chinese Takeout, a large chicken pizza and a slice of pie!
So, what are your special plans This Valentine’s? I’m going to be in my PJs watching rom-com all day long – Bride Wars, Sweet Home Alabama, A Lot Like Love, The Proposal, The Ugly truth oh yeah!!!! The likes!
xx Samina
These are so gorgeous! I could seriously just stare at them but then I would need to gobble them down because they sound so delish!
hahaha!!!!!!! Thank you SOOO MUCH Jocelyn!!!! 🙂 They tasted really nice! The soda works!!! 😀
These look gorgeous Samina! A perfect flavour combination for St. Valentine’s day! I really love the new look blog too – congratulations!! (Apologies my upper case doesn’t seem to be working – makes me look illiterate!! ;-))
Thank you sooooo much Jo!!!! No, No!! It’s not you, it’s my blog design I guess! Even I can see only lower case letters when I’m typing but they change to upper case when published! That’s a little confusing! 😀
Lovely cupcakes! great blog look!
Aww!!! Thankkkks a million Sarah & Arkadi 🙂 🙂
i AM SPECHLESS, THE BLOG’S NEW LOOK IS GORGEOUS AND YOUR NEW LOGO IS THE CUTEST THING EVER!!! i REALLY REALLY REALLY LIKE IT!!
yAY! gLAD YOU GOT TO DEVOUR LOTS OF COOKIES. tHOSE ARE REALLY HELPFUL WHEN BLOGGY PROBLEMS ARE IN SIGHT, AREN’T THEY??? 😉
aND OH WOW, THESE CUPCAKES LOOK ADORABLE! cAN’T WAIT TO SEE ALL THAT YOU’LL BE BAKING sAMINA!! gLAD TO SEE YOU’RE BACK BY THE WAY :—-)
Thannnnnkksss a million Consuelo!!!!!!!!! I’m so so so gladddd you liked it!!!!! 🙂 And I couldn’t agree more!!!! These blog issues can be so depressing! Cookies work like magic!!!! I hope I can keep up with the regular posting schedule though! hahah!
These cupcakes look so delicious and creamy, Samina! yum!!
aaah!!!! Thankkkkk you Marcie!!!! 🙂
Big congrats, Samina, on the new blog design! It’s utterly gorgeous! The first thing I noticed was the clever logo- so cute! And then your beautiful photographs… seriously I want to reach right into the screen and grab one of those juicy strawberries. Amazing! Love the recipe, too!
Ahh!!!!!!!! Thankkkkkk you sooooo much Allie!!!! College lectures can sometimes actually be beneficial! Who would’ve thought! hahaha!! I’m soooo gladddddd you liked the cupcakes! <3 🙂
I am lovvvvvvvin’ the new blog design, girl! Congrats!!! I totally think we should celebrate by having a dozen of these cupcakes! They look amazing!!!
Thaaaaannkkkkkkk youuuu Kristi!!!!!! Yusssss we shouldddddd!!!!! {even if it means we have to do it virtually! } 😀 🙂
Samina, I love your new page. It looks awesome!! I’ve got to make these cupcakes , they looks amazing!
Thankssss a millllion Cindy!!!! 🙂 Yus Yus you should! They are sweet and tangy at the same time! I hope you like them! 🙂
these cupcakes look so pretty samina! love the sound of the margarita filling in these too – sounds delicious! yay for your new blog design – it looks fabulous! hope you have a great weekend 🙂
hi samina! awesome blog and pictures are satiating. sorry caps not working! can’t wait to try these cupcakes- such a colorful, creative post
these cupcakes look lovely! Such an awesome treat. Annnnnnnd new blog designs are super exciting. Congrats!
Oh my Gosh I love the new blog design!!! It’s so beautiful. And the logo is adorable!!! These cupcakes are perfect for Valentine’s day for sure…love the pictures 🙂
congrats! Your new blog design is lovely and these cupcakes look and sound absolutely delicious!
Wow, these sound amazing!
Congratulations on your blog design! I think it looks amazing, and your logo is so great! and these cupcakes – wow. they look delicious!
These cupcakes look so great and the idea caused me a great big smile! Love the redesign!
Your blog looks amazing and these cupcakes are beyond adorable! x