The Queen’s pastry chefs have shared their chocolate cupcake recipe online to mark the monarch’s 94th birthday.

Her Majesty spent her birthday in lockdown at Windsor Castle on Tuesday with her husband, Prince Philip, 98.

To celebrate the special day, the royal pastry chefs divulged their chocolate cupcake recipe – which includes the secret ingredient of 15g of vinegar – to inspire the nation to get baking during isolation.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_PstbZnaF2/

Buckingham Palace shared the recipe and method on Instagram, along with images including rows of delicately decorated cakes with pale pink, yellow and lilac royal icing, each adorned with an EIIR cypher, golden crown or a rose.

The post read: “If you or a loved one are celebrating a special occasion during isolation why not treat yourself to some #RoyalBakes? Remember to share your creations with us!”

Queen’s cupcake recipe

Ingredients for the cake sponges – (serves approximately 15)

• 15g vinegar
• 300ml milk
• 50ml vegetable oil
• 60g butter (melted and cool)
• 2 eggs
• 5ml of vanilla essence
• 250g of self-raising flour
• 75 of cocoa powder
• 300g caster sugar
• 10g bicarbonate of soda
• 100g white chocolate chips
• cupcake cases

Ingredients for the buttercream topping

• 90g of high percentage dark chocolate
• 100g butter
• 125g icing sugar
• Pre-made royal icing
• Add food colouring to create different colours

Cake sponge method

• Preheat the oven to 150C
• Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl
• Whisk the eggs in a separate jug, with the vanilla essence, melted butter, oil, milk and vinegar
• Slowly add the wet mixture into the dry mixture, little by little
• Ensure the batter is smooth with no lumps
• Finally add the chocolate chips (alternatives could be nuts, dried fruit)
• Lay the cupcake cases onto a tray
• Use a metal spoon to equally divide the mixture into the cases
• Bake for around 15-18 minutes, take out of the oven when golden and springy to touch
• Leave to cool

Buttercream icing method

• Cream the sugar and butter together, until light and creamy
• Add in the warm melted chocolate
• If you have a piping bag to hand, pipe the icing on the top of cakes for decoration (otherwise gently use a teaspoon or small spatula to ice)

Royal icing method

• If decorating with royal icing, roll the icing out and cut into circular disks
• Lay the disc over the cupcake and mould to required shape

The Queen received well-wishes from family members via Zoom calls, including one with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their 11-month son Archie – her youngest great-grandchild.

The Royal Family also shared touching private footage of the monarch as a carefree young princess to mark her special day.

Archive film from the Royal Collection Trust showed Princess Elizabeth playing with a pram as a toddler, as well as on a seesaw and skipping and jumping around a garden with her younger sister, Princess Margaret.

It also showed her sitting on a horse and dancing on a yacht with Margaret in matching outfits as they learnt dance steps from their mother.

Source: Read Full Article