Sesame Vanilla Matcha Panda Cupcakes with Green Tea Filling

Vanilla and Sesame Cupcake

Makes 12-14 full sized cupcakes. I made 8 large and 8 mini cupcakes from this batter.

• 3/4 cup self-rising flour

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup/125g unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used Queen's vanilla bean paste)

• 2 teaspoons of tahini

• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180c.

Step 2 - Line a (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.

Step 3 - In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

Step 4 - In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add tahini and beat until just combined.

Step 5 - Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Add sesame seeds. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.

Step 6 - Pour batter into measuring jug and pour into liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Step 7 - Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Cupcake recipe adapted from Magnolia Cupcake bakery

Green tea and vanilla creme patisserie

• 1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk

• 1 oz (25 g) caster sugar

• 7 fl oz (200 ml) whole milk

• ¾ oz (20 g) plain flour

• ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon matcha powder

Step 1 - To make the pastry cream, break the egg into a medium-sized mixing bowl, then add the egg yolk and sugar. Next, put the milk on to warm over a gentle heat while you whisk the eggs and sugar together until the mixture becomes thickened and creamy – about 1 minute with an electric hand whisk on the first speed. Then sift in the flour and whisk that in.

Step 2 - Now turn the heat up to bring the milk to boiling point and then whisk the milk into the egg mixture. After that return the whole lot to the pan and continue to whisk, this time with a balloon whisk, over a medium heat until the mixture becomes very thick – keep the whisk going all the time because the mixture can catch very easily if you don't. As soon as a bubble on the surface bursts, remove the sauce from the heat and quickly pour it into a bowl, then stir in the vanilla extract.

Step 3 - Divide the pastry into two bowls and add 1/2 teaspoon of matcha powder to one bowl and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste to the other and mix well to incorporate. Cover the pastry cream with clingfilm to prevent a skin forming, and leave it to get completely cold.

Creme patisserie recipe from Delia Smith’s Summer Collection.

To decorate both pandas and bears:

• 1/3 packet of Chocolate fondant

• 1/3 packet White fondant

• Cutters (large and small, I used regular round cutter and also the end of an apple corer for the smaller ears)

• icing sugar or cornflour and vegetable oil to prevent fondant sticking

• Pink decorations for mouth (I used small pink hearts)

Step 1 - Make the white fondant pieces first. Rill out fondant dusting surface with cornflour or icing sugar to prevent fondant sticking to surface or rolling pin. Use biscuit cutter roughly the same size as surface of the cupcake to make the "face" of the Panda cupcake. Then make eyes for the pandas and the bears as pictured.

Step 2 - Lightly grease a new chopping board and use biscuit cutter roughly the same size as surface of the cupcake to make the "face" of the bear cupcake, ears for the bear and ears for the pandas and also pupils for the eyes of the pandas and bears.

Assembly

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Step 1 - To assemble, cut out deep cone of cake from the centre using a sharp knife. As I wanted these to be like the custard filled Beard Papa Chouxs I dug quite deeply and almost towards the edge. You may have to "Dig" twice to get it as cavernous as possible. Be careful not to hit the edge. Keep a thin "top" of the cupcake to replace back onto the cupcake.

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Step 2 - Fill with custard and replace with cupcake top. Then add ears, faces and eyes onto the pandas and bears. For Bears see story here

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