Spiced Apple Cup Cakes

What you need:

125g (4oz) butter softened
125g (4oz) light soft brown sugar
2 medium eggs
125 (4oz) self raising flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 desert apple cored and grated
1 desert apple cored and sliced

For the topping:
4 tbsp apricot jam
2 tbsp water

Oven 190C/ 375F/ gas 5

What you do:

Beat together the butter and sugar untill light and fluffy. Add the eggs and then sift in the flour and cinnamon. Beat the mixture untill smooth then stirr in the grated apple.

Devide the mixture between paper cases and arrange sliced apple on the top of the cakes.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until the cakes have risan and are fim to the touch. Cool the cakes on a wire rack.

Warm the apricot jam with the water in the microwave for a few seconds then brush over the top of the cakes.

What we thought:

"It took quite a lot of work, but it was worth it!"
"They're quite chewy, I think it's the apple"
"Ooh they're lovely!"

Marks out of ten?!

"8"
"Better than 8, 9 I think"
"Tasty but lots of grating 8"

Brilliant Banana Buns

What you need:

125g (4oz) butter softened

125 (40z) caster sugar

2 medium eggs

125g (4oz) self raising flour

1 ripe banana, mashed

hand full of chopped walnuts

oven 190C/ 375F/ gas 5

What you do:

1. Beat together butter and sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add the eggs flour banana and nuts and beat till the mixture is smooth.

Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake in the centre of the oven until the cakes have just risen and are firm to the touch. This will take about 12 - 15 minutes.

2. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

What we thought:

"Really easy to make and delicious!"

"Fantastic flavour!"

"I like the nuts with the banana!"

Marks out of ten?!

"10"

"Yes me too 10!"

Choc full cup cakes!

Ingredients:

4 oz butter softened
4 oz caster sugar
2 medium eggs
3 oz self raising flour
1 oz coco
3 oz white chocolate drops
1 oz chopped baking cherries (optional)


What you do:

1. Pre heat oven to 190C / 375 F / gas 5
2. Beat butter and sugar together together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs to the bowl and sift in flour and coco.
4. Stir in the chocolate and cherries.
5. Carefully spoon mixture into cake cakes.
6. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until the cakes have risen and are firm to the touch.
7. Put them on a wire rack to coo.

To make chocolate butter cream

6 oz Butter softened
4 tablespoons coco
3 tbsp hot water
12 oz icing sugar
Few drops of vanilla extract

1. Beat the butter in a bowl to soften.
2. In a different bowl put the coco and the water and mix it to make a paste.
3. Add the coco paste to the butter and sift in icing sugar and vanilla. Beat the icing until it is very smooth.
4. Wait until cakes are cold before you ice them (we were a bit too eager and our icing melted!)

What we thought:
"My goodness! That's a cake and a half!"
"These are so good, very rich though, I don't think I could eat more than three!"
"Why would you put cherries in a perfectly good chocolate cake?!"

Marks out of ten/
"11"
"20"
"10 for the cake none for the cherries!"