Baking for a Cause!

When there is call for a “Cause” to Bake for, I am up there volunteering that a much needed cause is the Australian RSPCA! The RSPCA help 1000s upon 1000s of helpless animals each year through rescues, care, shelter and rehousing the numerous animals including domestic, livestock and wildlife.

I decided to bake & frost a batch of cupcake especially for the laaaaaadies!

Devils Food Cake Cuppies with a Rosewater flavoured Swiss Meringue Buttercream, piped on the top just like actual rose. With glitter of course!

Not a flavour I would think would have usually worked but not long ago I gave a dessert a go.... how unusual for me.... and it was a chocolate and rosewater parfait. It was to die for!

Price RSPCA Cupcake Day = $1.00 each
Special Cook for a Cause price.

We made $120.00 which was donated on 17 August 2011 to the RSPCA. My Cuppies (to be honest) were a huge hit and were first to go in the sale! A very proud moment.

The texture of Swiss Meringue Buttercream is fantastic to pipe with. I thought that I had ruined it when I whisked the 5 egg whites and the 1 1/4 cup of castor sugar, I needed to take off the double boiler and into the kitchen aid and whisk on high until it was white, thick and just prior to the stiff peaks you add in the butter and or shortening..... given it was late and I had obviously momentarily lost my baking mind... I tipped in the hot egg white mix and then immediately added the butter and started to whisk! What had i done?? It went to a white milk like consistency and I freaked out! I flicked the switch to super high speed, fingers crossed, whisk it baby.... and ran to start googling like a crazy girl on how to recover adding butter in too early, googling however was not very successful, however when i returned about 15-20 minutes later to peek in the mixer..... volare!!!!! I had stiff meringue!!! I couldn't believe it!! Moral of the story - believe and you can recover a swiss meringue buttercream failure.

A shout out to Dianne at http://www.createdby-diane.com/2011/02/pink-rose-cupcakes-for-your-sweet-valentine.html for the fabulous utube link on the rose frosting tutorial. Uing piping tip Wilton 2D and the technique was easy and effective! Thank you Dianne XXX.