Brownie cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting to welcome Baby Elijah!

There's nothing that says 'Welcome to the world Baby' than a batch of cupcakes...in my opinion! so when we heard some of our new friends from church had welcomed a new arrival I got into the kitchen to do some baking.

I made my favourite brownie cupcakes because the parents of the new baby had enjoyed them a few weeks before, so I figured they would enjoy them even more second time round.  Plus the first time I had made them I was still getting to grips with our new oven and to my taste they were slightly burnt, no-one else seemed to mind, so this time I ensured they were baked to perfection.

Around a year ago I ordered a whole load of chocolate moulds from an American seller on eBay.  They were practically giving them away they were so cheap...so although at the time I didn't know any pregnant people I knew they would come in handy! I also bought tons of Christmas moulds that I'm excited to getting around to use this year! So the moulds I used had baby bottles, rattles...

little sleeping bubbas...

and even praying toddlers! how cute is that! I thought it was apt since they were for friends from church! 

I also wanted to personalise them a little so I got out the good old fondant, tinted it blue and really wanted to make perfectly round discs to sit on top of my cupcakes.  I looked around my worktop to see what I could use and I saw my collection of piping nozzles.  I used my biggest one and pressed the underneath of it into the fondant and it created the perfect sized circle! 

I then used my letter stencils to spell out 'Baby Elijah' and after leaving them to air dry I placed them on top of the frosted cupcakes along with a few blue heart sprinkles for good measure! 

I was pleased with how they turned out, as were Elijah's parents but the verdict is still out on what Elijah thought himself! 

Brownie Cupcakes:

Makes 36 Mini's

Taken from Martha Stewart's 'Cupcakes' Book

225g/8oz milk chocolate

113g/ 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)

225g/1 cup caster sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

62g/ 1/2 cup plain flour

31g/ 1/4 cup sifted cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F.  

Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Stir occasionally until just melted, about 4-5 mins.

 Remove bowl from heat.  Whisk in sugar and salt until mixture is smooth, whisk in eggs to combine.  Gently whisk in flour and cocoa just until smooth (do not overmix).

Fill cupcake cases until 3/4 full.  Bake, rotating tin halfway through, until a cake tester inserted halfway in centres, comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 15-18mins (If you are baking regular sized cupcakes, bake for 25 mins).

Vanilla Bean Frosting:

Makes enough to frost 36 Mini's...plus some leftover for quality control :)

Taken from Cupcake Project

250g/2 cups icing sugar

225g/1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste 

1 tablespoon milk

Mix together sugar and butter until they are blended and creamy.  Add vanilla bean paste and milk and continue to beat for another minute.  If desired, add more vanilla bean paste to taste, or more icing sugar to make a stiffer consistency.