Domestic Goddess

My news: I've moved to a beautiful flat in south-west London, I have a job in Covent Garden, I'm living with some university friends and I have Sky TV with plenty of Beyonce related videos recorded i.e. brilliant times are being had. My only complaint is that I have quite sore feet and calves. And London is making me spotty (urgh).... 

Today is my first proper day off and the only thing I wanted to do was bake. So I made banana and blueberry muffins with cream cheese icing and then some of my classic red velvet jobbies! Perfect housemate, perfect colleague? Naturally.

Of course, my ineptitude at life in general got in the way and I forgot to put the olive oil in the banana muffins so they've all stuck to the cases. Moron. And the food colouring made the red velvet cupcakes orange. AND I put too much cream cheese in the icing so it went sloppy. Lame.

banana muffins...
300g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g light muscovado sugar
50g porridge oats
2 medium really ripe bananas
250ml plain yoghurt
5 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs
2 tsps cinnamon
150g frozen blueberries

1. Preheat oven at 170℃.
2. Mix the flour, bicarb, sugar and oats in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas until nearly smooth. Stir the yoghurt, olive oil, cinnamon and eggs into the mashed banana until evenly combined. Pour the liquid mixture into the well and stir gently with a wooden spoon. It'll look lumpy but DON'T OVERMIX!!!! Tip in the blueberries and give it a little stirring. 
3. Divide the mix between the muffin cases - they will be quite full. 
4. Bake for 18-20 mins until risen and dark golden. Cool for 5 mins in the tray before lifting out onto a rack to cool completely.
5. Classic cream cheese icing (recipe below) on top if you fancy it but not neccessary. They are mouth-watering without.

red velvet cupcakes...

I've slightly adjusted my recipe, I reckon they are so much nicer this way.

60g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
1 egg
25g cocoa powder
Red food colouring

Tsp vanilla extract
120ml plain yoghurt
150g plain flour
½tsp salt
½tsp bicarbonate of soda
1½tsp white wine vinegar

cream cheese icing...

I've changed my cream cheese / butter ratio. Bloody delish now.

300g icing sugar
50g unsalted butter
125g cold cream cheese
Tsp vanilla essence

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. Cream sugar and butter until pale, soft and fluffy. Add egg slowly. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract. Add this to the butter mixture, it makes the colour really even. Add half the yoghurt and stir until well mixed, then add half the flour, and beat until everything is well incorporated. Repeat until all the yoghurt and flour are incorporated and the mixture is smooth then add the salt and bicarbonate of soda, then the vinegar. Don't mix batter too much as it will loose it's lightness.
3.  Fill cases three-quarters to give them room to rise and cook for about 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
4. For the cream cheese frosting beat the icing sugar and butter together then add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated and it's light and fluffy but stiff. Only ice the cakes when they are completely cool.