Early morning balloons and passionfruit cupcakes

Still a little bleary eyed, Carter and I headed out this morning before the sun was even up to check out some balloons  launching from a park near our home as part of an annual balloon festival here in Hamilton.Maia is usually quite keen to attend these events, but this morning (for the first time) she opted to stay tucked up in bed with her book while Carter and I went ballooning. The upshot of this was that Dad stayed home too and hung out the washing and made the school lunches while we were gone 🙂I don’t actually have much desire to go up in a balloon, but I love watching them get blown up and floating off. Carter loves it too, although I’m pretty sure he is more enthusiastic about actually riding in one!

Ive been sitting here for about 10 minutes trying to figure out a clever way to segue from ballooning to cupcakes, but the early morning is clearly taking its toll, and I cant seem to do it. SO on a completely unrelated note… also making me smile this week are these tiny vanilla cupcakes with passionfruit icing!

They are positively luscious… passionfruit adds an  amazing flavor, and our vine has been laden with fruit for weeks.

Here’s a recipe for you to try, based on this ultimate vanilla cupcake recipe. If you don’t have passionfruit growing at your place right now, maybe you can find a jar of passionfruit syrup to add to the cream cheese icing for a little burst of tropical flavor!

Mini Vanilla and Passionfruit Cupcakes (makes about 24).

• 225 grams sugar
• 175 grams plain flour, not self-rising
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 57 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 75 grams sour cream
• 1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (not imitation)
• 2/3 cup whole milk

1. Preheat oven to 175 C. Place mini cupcake liners in mini-muffin trays.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.
3. Add butter and mix on medium-low speed for about three minutes.  Because there is so little butter, you’ll end up with a very fine crumb texture.
4. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.
5. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.
6. Slowly add milk and mix on low speed until just combined.  The batter will be a bit runny, but don’t worry about it.
7. Fill cupcake liners just over 1/2 full.
8. Bake for 10 minutes (for mini cupcakes or about 14 minutes for large cupcakes) and then test to see if they are done…when a toothpick inserted in the cupcake cener comes out cleanly.
9. When the cupcakes are done, remove them from the tins and leave on a cooling rack to cool.
10. Once cool ice with passionfruit cream cheese icing (below).
11. Eat one or two… or three… or four (they are mini cupcakes after all!)

Passionfruit cream cheese icing

• 250g Philadelphia cream cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar (confectioners sugar)
• Pulp of 3-4 passionfruit

Using mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Gradually stir in the icing sugar (not too fast or it will go everywhere) until well combined, then add the passionfruit. Don’t over mix once the passionfruit is added because it could break up the pips.

Have you ever been ballooning?  Do you love/grow passionfruit? Hope you are having a fun week! Janette xxxx