Banana and Chocolate Cupcakes

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C.Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
2. Slowly pour the milk into the flour mixture, beating well until all the ingredients are well mixed. Add the eggs and beat well.
3. Stir in the mashed banana by hand until evenly dispersed.
4. Spoon the cupcake mixture into the paper cases until two thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until light golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched.
5. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
6. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the Chocolate frosting on top and finish with the chocolate shavings.

Below is a picture of me at every step in the recipe.

Below is the review for the Banana and Chocolate Cupcakes. I asked an impartial person to give me their opinions on certain aspects and an overall rating at the end.

Banana and Chocolate Cupcake
Aesthetics:
The chocolate shavings appear attractive initially. Although the icing is chocolate coloured you can identify that it will have other flavours when you bite into it. Definitely the most pleasing on the eye so far. In terms of smell there is a hint of banana but it is not overpowering and the cinnamon and ginger do not come through at all, therefore the icing must overpower the smell of the cake itself. The weight of the cake it noticeable and it is without doubt heavier than the previous cakes.

Taste:
It really tastes like banana despite the scent not being there, and also the cinnamon and ginger come through as soon as you take the first bite. It is not light and airy, but the juxtaposition of the fruit and the chocolate is appealing. The consistency is quite chewy because of the mashed banana, however this is not a bad thing; it is just interesting to taste in the mouth.

Additional Comments:
The chocolate sprinkles are a bit of a pain as they just fall of the cake and make a mess around your mouth. These are the first cupcakes to be tried that have a fruity aspect and the first time that the icing has complimented the cake rather than overpowered it.

Rating:
9/10

Below is a picture of the final cakes.

Chocolate and Hazelnut Cupcakes

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C.
2. Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
3. Slowly pour the milk into the flour mixture, beating well until all the ingredients are well mixed. Add the eggs and beat well.
4. Spoon the cupcake mixture into the paper cases until two thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until light golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched.
5. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. When the cupcakes are cold, hollow out a small section in the centre of each one and fill with a dollop of hazelnut and chocolate spread.
6. For the hazelnut and chocolate frosting: beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
7. Slowly pour in the milk, then when it is all incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes.
8. Stir in the hazelnut and chocolate spread by hand until evenly dispersed. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the frosting on top and finish with as many hazelnuts of your choice.

Below is a picture of me at every stage in the recipe.

Below is the review for the Chocolate and Hazelnut Cupcakes. I asked an impartial person to give me their opinions on certain aspects and an overall rating at the end.

Chocolate and Hazelnut Cupcake
Aesthetics:
The presentation it very nice and the icing looks very appetising. An interesting colour, not too chocolatey. Presentation wise they are the most impressive so far. The hazelnuts on top are cute but a little swamped by the rest of the cake. Smells a lot like coffee which is odd because there is no coffee in the recipe.

Taste:
There are a lot of flavours instantly. Chocolate mixed with the hazelnut. Very moist and the little scoop of Nutella in the middle is a nice touch. The hazelnuts on top add a very nice crunch, so much so that there could be more if there was room.

Additional Comments:
Quite rich but definitely the most tasty so far. Would receive a higher mark, but the richness means only one can be eaten at a time.

Rating:
8/10

Below is a picture of the final cakes.

Lemon Cupcakes

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C.
2. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
3. Add the egg to the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated. Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not over mix.
4. Spoon the cupcake mixture into the paper cases until two thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until light golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched.
5. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
6. For the lemon frosting: beat the icing sugar, butter, lemon zest and food colouring together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
7. Slowly pour in the milk, then when it is all incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes.
8. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the frosting on top and decorate with a little lemon zest.

Below is a picture of me at every step in the recipe.

Below is the review for the Lemon Cupcakes. I asked an impartial person to give me their opinions on certain aspects and an overall rating at the end.

Lemon Cupcake
Aesthetics:
Honestly doesn’t look very appetising due to the icing. It appears too lumpy and it looks like there may be too much of it. However it smells really nice, with the lemon coming through creating an enticing aroma. The few strands of zest on top finish the cake of nicely and gives you a taster for what you are about to eat.

Taste:
The lemon is not overwhelming because it is only really present in the icing, and you cannot really taste it in the cake itself. The zest placed on top seems to be where the real flavour is coming from. In general the texture is spongey and does not feel as greasy as the previous vanilla cupcake.

Additional Comments:
Prefers the size of this particular cake, as it is more manageable and doesn’t fill you up too much. Would definitely recommend baking this size of cake again.

Rating:
6/10

Below is a picture of the final cakes.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 170C.
2. Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
3. Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla extract together in a jug, then slowly pour about half into the flour mixture, beat to combine and turn the mixer up to high speed to get rid of any lumps.
4. Turn the mixer down to a slower speed and slowly pour in the remaining milk mixture. Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not over mix.
5. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two thirds full and bake in the preheated over for 20-25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted should come out clean.
6. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
7. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the chocolate frosting on top and decorate with chocolate vermicelli.

Below is a picture of me at every step in the recipe.

Below is the review for the Chocolate Cupcakes. I asked an impartial person to give me their opinions on certain aspects and an overall rating at the end.

Chocolate Cupcake

Aesthetics:

At first impression it smells like coffee, which the taster is not sure of because they do not like coffee. Appears very dark, so much that the sprinkles on top are not easy to notice and could be easily missed. It appears homemade when you really look at it and begin to notice the little imperfections like missing icing.

Taste:

The cake itself is very moist and spongey. The top of the cupcake has a thin crust on it, adding a crispy edge. It’s surprisingly light considering how rich it appears on the outside. Seems to be a lot more cake than icing, but the proportions are pretty much dead on. However the sprinkles are a bit pointless, no taste seems to be coming from them because they are overpowered by the other flavours.

Additional Comments:

Thought it would be very chocolatey but found it easy to eat and was not completely stuffed at the end, could even attempt to eat another. Five minutes after consumption the taste was still present and pleasant on the palette.

Rating:

6/10

After consideration 7/10

Below is a picture of the final cakes.

Vanilla Cupcakes

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C.
2. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on slwo speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Gradually pour in half the milk and beat until the milk is just incorporated.
3. Whisk the egg, vanilla extract and remaining milk together in a separate bowl for a few seconds, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not over mix.
4. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two thirds full and bake in the preheated over for 20-25 minutes, or until light golden and the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
5. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
6. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the Vanilla frosting on top and decorate with hundreds and thousands.

Below are the images of me at each step in the process.

Below is the review for the Vanilla Cupcakes. I asked an impartial person to give me their opinions on certain aspects and an overall rating at the end.

Vanilla Cupcake
Aesthetics:
Looks nice, because the icing looks green give the impression it will be minty, but the smell is very sweet with a hint of vanilla. Not overpowering, but subtle. The strands add colour and make it look like it’s a cake designed for kids. This is not a bad thing; it just doesn’t look very sophisticated, and is more on the frivolous side.

Taste:
Icing is similar to that found on Costco cakes, therefore quite sickly. However there is just the right ratio of icing to cake, and has the potential to me more sickly if there were more icing. Likes the sprinkles when eating because they add a crunch and another feeling on the palette. Fairly light texture, but leaves a feel of grease behind. Only other criticism is that it’s a bit plain, and it tastes more sugary that vanilla.

Additional Comments:
Obviously the first taste test so there is a while to go and plenty other flavours to try, therefore saving the really positive, or negative, feedback for later. Vanilla is a good place to start as it provides a neutral starting point.

Rating:
3/10

Below is a picture of the final cakes.

What is Good? Part IV

For my fourth topic for this summer research project I have chosen 'Cupcakes'. What I will do specifically with this project is take recipes from the 'Hummingbird Bakery' cook book and follow these recipes to create a range of various cupcakes. I will document each stage in the creation process through photography and will also use imagery to capture a final image of each specific recipe. At the end of each creation I will ask an impartial, yet constant, person to give their opinion on various aspects of the cupcake. I will ask for a rating for each one and when I have followed all the recipes I will determine which is the 'Ultimate Cupcake'.

Mexico Summary

I thought I would summarise my experiences in the country of Mexico for the end of this particular choice of topic. In general the experience was amazing, the things I saw and the activities I participated in were unforgettable. I had always wanted to go to Mexico, just because I thought it would be colourful and bright, but when I got there I discovered so much more. I knew the trip I was going on was called 'Ancient Civilisations' but I couldn't grasp the wealth of knowledge and visuals I would learn and see whilst I was there. We visited five different ruin sites, each one with its own personality and architectural style, each one more beautiful than the last. Another experience that was incredible was being led through the jungle by a genuine native. The things he knew and his heritage clearly visible, the whole day was eye opening. Below is a list of all the highlights I can think of from the trip:

Snorkeling in Akumal, ancient seaturtles, the crystal-clear turquoise waters of the Caribbean, Chichén Itzá, Temple of Kukulkan, incredible ballcourt/murals, Ik Kil cenote, colonial Merida, oldest Cathedral in the America’s, the beautiful Cuzamá Cenotes, fun travel to get there/back, long travel day to Palenque, great pizzas and great music at el Panchan, lost palaces and terraces in the jungle, walking barefoot up waterfalls, the outstretching view of the Yucatan, King Pakal, curving speed-bumpy road up to San Cristobal, Misol Ha and Agua Azul waterfalls, Zapatistas, San Juan Chamula & Zinacantan w/ Ceaser, shopping, Palenque Rojo theater, the Underworld, the nightbus, riding bikes to the Zapotec ruins of Monte Alban, amazing view of the Oaxacan valley, chapulines, Mezcal factory, local fabric weaving/color mixing, the 2,000+ yr old Cypress tree in Tule, busride to Mexico, Frida Kahlos house, Diego Rivera murals, museum of Anthropology, the mighty ruins of Teotihuacan, and the mighty midget parrot of the Lucha Libre.

Looking back now it's hard to believe that we managed to fit all that into a 16 day tour, but we did, and that's what made it so great. Not once did the group decide to sit back and let the experiences pass us by. No matter how tired we were from the hellish journey the day before, we always picked ourselves up and experienced something new every day. It was without doubt the best two weeks of my life and something I will never forget. Therefore how could it not be chosen as one of my topics for 'What is Good?'

Favourite Photo's

Below are my choices of favourite pictures from my Mexico trip. I chose to narrow it down to five even though I could probably pick at least 50 and love every one.

So picture one shows a close up shot of a large scale 'catrina' that was placed out side of a little artisan shop in San Cristobal de las Casas. A 'catrina' is a depiction of a skeleton dressed in elegant clothes and usually a big hat. The idea was originally taken from the Mexican born engraver Jose Guadalupe Posada, who created a small illustration that represented the upper classes during the reign of a particularly unpopular president Porfirio Diaz. The original image is meant to communicate that it does not matter how wealthy and elegant you are, you are still as likely to die as any other person. However due to the skeletons presence the image has become synonymous with the 'Dia de los Muertos' celebrations and finding a 'catrina' similar to this in any shop or any street is not as rare as you might think.

I chose the next picture because of the three things that are represented in it. Firstly the tree you see on the left is no ordinary tree, it is in fact one of the oldest tree's in the world, estimated at nearly 1500 years old, and does possess the widest trunk of any tree in the world. The circumference measures 36 metres. Next to the tree is a beautiful church that was built specifically to accommodate the large tree and the annual celebrations that take place in homage to the 'miracle' of the tree. The third aspect shown is the blue and white 'papel picado', which is a popular form of paper decoration in Mexico. This particular decoration was present because of the Feast of the Assumption of Mary on 15 August, a date that we just missed by a few days.

The third pictures show the discarded cacti that are used in order to make 'mezcal', a particular type of tequila that is specific to the Oaxaca area of Mexico. The group went to an authentic mezcal manufacturing establishment and witnessed the whole process that is required to make this type of tequila. I thought this composition was interesting because with all cacti's cut up and discarded it is hard to tell what they once were. But infact the alcohol is made from the heart of these plants called maguey. This is the brand of tequila that is famous for having a worm in the bottom, a nice treat for the last person to drink from the bottle.

This fourth picture was taken whilst standing on the Pyramid of the Moon at the ruin site of 'Teotihuacan'. It's a great shot because it basically shows all the impressive sights available here, besides from the well preserved murals still visible in the residential areas. On this picture you can see the Avenue of the Dead to the right and the Pyramid of the Sun to the left. What's even more interesting about this site is that it has never been identified which group of indigenous people constructed it, but most think that it must have been the Toltec's. There are many myths about the two large pyramids and why there were constructed but the most popular being they were created after the self sacrifice of two god's who jumped into fiery pits. 

I chose this last picture because it captures the group trekking across a waterfall in the Palenque jungle. This day was probably the most testing of all days, as it involved a four hour trek through the dense jungle in the state of Chiapas. We had to walk through water and mud, over and under giant tree trunks, and up and down slippery slopes, where more than one person fell over. However it was so gratifying because at the end of the trek we witnessed an un-excavated temple in its natural state surrounded by tree's and then stepped out into the main archeological Palenque site, where we saw some of the most grand Mayan ruins ever. That is a definitely a day I will never forget.

Mexico Photo's

Below are the contact sheets for the cameras that I took to Mexico. I took two different types of camera for different days. For more detailed and artistic pictures I took my Canon 400D SLR and for days where I had little room for baggage I took my Samsung ST45. Both camera's proved useful and captured some amazing visuals. Below is each image in a small form, after that I will post my 5 favourite images and give a brief description of what each one is showing. Below are the seven contact sheets for my Canon.

Below are the seven contact sheets that belong to the Samsung camera. I have to admit that I did not take some of these pictures, but in fact my sister did. Some are basically repeated images from above but obviously on a lower resolution camera. I think the mix between colour and ancient brickwork is extraordinary.

What is Good? Part III

17 days ago I left this country for a trip that had been booked for almost a year. That trip was a 16 day adventure around Mexico. I knew that I couldn't go on holiday for that long without doing any work so I decided to incorporate my trip with my work. Therefore for my third topic for 'What is Good?' I chose to explore the idea of why I consider Mexico to be 'good'. For this project I would not have had access to the internet or any form of secondary research, so I would use purely my own experiences. I decided to take a journal where I documented every day's activity and also collected certain items, sort of like a scrap book. I also decided to take my camera so I could capture the most most impressive things I saw and document all the culture that makes Mexico so interesting and diverse. Below are the scans of my journal that I took with me.