Christmas is the season of happiness and hope, which is celebrated on a grand note with colorful festivities. Elaborate decorations, toasting wine to each others' health and obviously the sumptuous Christmas feast which is enjoyed by the family truly reflect the jocund spirit of the season. The quintessential Christmas feast is incomplete without the tasty cakes, desserts and many more sweet dishes. Cakes in unique shapes and flavors appear every year and cake baking competitions are often conducted during the Christmas-New Year season. The wine goes really well with a perfect slice of cake, and the Christmas festivities are kicked off at many places by sharing cakes and wine. Wine would be prepared at homes in mud jars. The flavour of the wine and the cake often depend upon the tastes and interests of the family members. The preparations for the Christmas celebrations often begin even before December. Children deck up their homes and hang socks on the door frames hoping that Santa Clause would pay them a visit and drop in some amazing gifts and delicious sweet goodies.
Here is a simple recipe to bake cute vanilla flavoured cup cakes decorated in the shape of Santa's belt.
Ingredients
429 gms all purpose flour (maida)
265 gms sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
375 ml milk
125 ml vegetable oil
125 gms unsalted butter
2 tbsp yogurt
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
For butter cream
200 gms unsalted butter (in room temperature)
500 gms icing sugar
A pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla essence
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius
In a bowl add the all purpose flour, baking powder, sugar and salt
Mix well using a hand mixer
Add unsalted butter into it and beat well
In another bowl add milk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla essence and beat well
Add this mixture into the flour mixture and beat well
Pour the batter into cup cake moulds and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes
To prepared the butter cream, beat the butter in a bowl
Add the icing sugar gradually and keep beating
Add the vanilla essence and salt
Mix well until it reaches the right consistency
Separate the butter cream into two bowls
Add red and black food colours in each bowl
Transfer the red and black coloured butter cream into piping bags
Once the cup cakes are cooled down, pipe the butter cream onto the cakes in the shape of Santa's belt.
