I am a huge fan of Bake It Pretty and have placed quite a few orders from there.  However, I moved back to Australia in November, and even though Amanda ships internationally, it is quite a hefty shipping fee.  So I didn’t expect to ever be able to find anything like the stuff at Bake It Pretty in Australia.

Well, I was at Thomas Dux today, which I think is sort of like an Australian version of Wholefoods, and they were selling a very cute Donna Hay cupcake kit (expect a review of her chocolate cupcake kit here soon!).  When I got home I looked for any existing reviews of the kit online.  I found mixed reviews, but it generally seemed that people liked the end result of the cupcake mixes.

But what is it that has me so excited?  When I was searching for Donna Hay’s cupcake kits online, I came across Little Betsy Baker (although they are currently out of Donna Hay’s chocolate cupcake kit, FYI). Wow, this is like an Australian version of Bake It Pretty!  There are tons of beautiful things here!  Here are some of my favorites:

• Oven thermometer
• Mini Spotty Dotty kids’ apron
• Donna Hay baking cups
• Paper Eskimo baking cups
• Donna Hay brownie mix
• Cherry blossom sugar decorations
• I Love Chocolate twist ties

Just to name a few!

I can’t wait to place my first order!  If you’re a member of Little Betsy Baker you get 10% off your orders and exclusive member deals.  You can also find Little Betsy Baker on Twitter and Facebook.

Note that I have not been paid from or asked by Little Betsy Baker to write this post, I just wanted to share my excitement with others!

It tastes amazing!  We used apples to dip into it, but it would taste great with bananas and strawberries as well.

This is my bonus World Nutella Day recipe for all you Nutella-lovers!

Nutella Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
Adapted from In Mama’s Kitchen
Makes approx. 2/3 cup

Ingredients
3 tablespoons Nutella
3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
pinch of salt
1/4 cup milk

Method
Thoroughly mix Nutella, cream cheese and salt until no streaks of cream cheese remain.  Mixture may be a little grainy-looking.  Slowly add milk a bit at a time and stir until milk is thoroughly mixed in.  You should end up with a nice smooth, creamy dip for your fruit.  Store in refrigerator.  To soften up the dip after removing from the refrigerator, just stick it in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds.

While in France I did find some, and purchased it to bring home.  The funny thing is, after I tasted it, I didn’t like it!  I also thought it was strange to put chocolate on bread.  So I don’t think I even finished the small jar of it that I had brought home.

Years later, and I do mean years later, after I moved to Australia, I noticed that Nutella was plentiful in all the grocery stores.  I decided to try it again, because it sure did look nice, so maybe my tastes had changed over the years.  Luckily for my tastebuds, I loved it!  Unlucky for my waistline, however!  Nutella has nearly been a staple in our household since then.

I’ve tried plenty of my own Nutella creations in the past, including my popular peanut butter and Nutella swirl cookies, and Nutella-coffee frosting.

This is my second year submitting to World Nutella Day; this year I made a variation of the fried peanut butter and banana sandwich.

It’s a fried Nutella and banana sandwich with a cinnamon-sugar crust.  This has already had mixed reactions.  Some love the idea, some hate the idea and think it’s disgusting.  Someone even suggested that instead of frying the bread, to toast it in the toaster.

If I’m going to eat a banana with Nutella, I usually just spread a layer of Nutella on a naked banana, slice it into rounds, then eat it.  I’ve even eaten a plain un-fried Nutella and banana sandwich.  But, as I thought with the fried peanut butter and banana sandwich, the extra step of frying it brings a new depth to the taste.

Now, I wouldn’t go and make one of these sandwiches every day, but it does make a nice treat once in a while!

The recipe is below, but please note that I just estimated the amounts of what I used.  This is a recipe where you can use however much (or less) of anything that you like!

Nutella & Banana Sandwich With Cinnamon-Sugar Crust
serves 1

Ingredients
2 slices wholemeal bread, or bread of your choice
Approximately 1/2 teaspoon butter
Cinnamon-sugar, you can buy this at the store or make it yourself
1 ripe banana
Approximately 1 tablespoon Nutella, or similar

Directions
Heat a skillet over low-medium heat.  Meanwhile,  spread a thin layer of butter on one side of each slice of bread.  Sprinkle a good amount of cinnamon-sugar on the buttered side of each slice.

Slice the banana into enough rounds so that you can layer the unbuttered side of one slice of bread with the rounds.  Spread Nutella on the unbuttered side of the other slice of bread.

Carefully place the bread with the bananas, buttered side down, into the skillet.  Immediately place the other slice of bread, Nutella side down, right on top of the bananas.

Fry until golden brown, then flip the sandwich over and fry until golden brown.  Keep your eye on it, it can burn easily!

Let cool, slice diagonally if you like, and enjoy!

So what are you waiting for? Go celebrate World Nutella Day!

See Ms Adventures In Italy, Bleeding Espresso and World Nutella Day for more information.

Being a foodie, I also really love Australia’s native herbs and spices, such as wattleseed, lemon myrtle, mountain pepper and bush tomato, to name a few.  I’ve never cooked with any of these native spices before but now that I’m here for good I would really love to experience these herbs and spices that you can only find in Australia.

Luckily, my husband grows a variety of plants in the garden, including a lemon myrtle tree.  He picked some leaves from the tree earlier this week for my first experiment in baking with Australian native spices.

I thought I’d have to wait weeks for the leaves to dry, but I found a very helpful post from Simple Daily Recipes on how to dry basil in the microwave.  It looked so easy and quick that I decided to try this on the lemon myrtle leaves.

All you need to do is wash and dry the leaves, lay them in a single layer on a paper towel straight on the microwave’s glass plate, cover the leaves with another paper towel, then microwave on high for one minute.  Check the leaves for brittleness, then microwave at intervals of 20-30 seconds until they break with gentle pressure.  For more detailed instructions, visit Simple Daily Recipes.

Next you’ll need to ground the leaves into a very fine powder.  For this I recommend a mortar and pestle.  The smell of the lemon myrtle while doing this is wonderful and very lemony.  Not all of the leaves ground down very well, so I sifted the powder through a fine mesh colander to separate the bigger pieces that didn’t grind down.

After finishing up the lemon myrtle, I started on the cupcakes.  I chose the flavor of coconut to accompany the lemon myrtle.  The cake recipe is one I have used before from Ina Garten:

And they are the same ones that you see in the photo of me on the “About” page.  What I did differently was add 2 teaspoons of ground lemon myrtle to the flour mixture.

I must take this opportunity to state how much I miss my KitchenAid stand mixer.  I have a Breville stand mixer here, and it’s good, but it is NOT a KitchenAid.  Most of all, I miss my Beater Blade.  I have to constantly stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl; how annoying!

Anyway, I made a lemon myrtle sugar syrup to drizzle on the top of each cupcake.  I poked holes in the tops of the cupcakes with a fork to make sure the syrup would drip down inside of the cupcake.  I decided to make the sugar syrup because I wasn’t totally sure about how strong (or not strong) the lemon flavor would be in the cake.

To frost the lemon myrtle cupcakes, I wanted a coconut cream cheese frosting that had coconut milk or cream.  I found just what I wanted at Good Eats ‘n Sweet Treats.  After frosting the cupcakes, I coated each one in sweetened, shredded coconut.

I couldn’t wait to taste these!  They are really nice and not too sweet.  It’s not a cupcake for kids; it’s the sort of cupcake you’d serve with tea or coffee for a morning or afternoon snack with a friend, if that makes any sense!  The lemon myrtle taste isn’t too strong; it’s more of a hint of lemon, while the coconut is actually the stronger flavor.

Overall, these are some lovely cupcakes and a great effort for my first baking experience with an Australian native spice!  I invited the neighbors over for morning tea to sample of these cupcakes and they really enjoyed them.  I even sent them home with the leftovers!

Lemon Myrtle Coconut Cupcakes
Adapted from Ina Garten
Makes approximately 14 cupcakes

Ingredients
170g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 extra-large eggs, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground lemon myrtle
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
100g sweetened, shredded coconut

Method
Preheat the oven to 325F (160C).

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, lemon myrtle, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in coconut.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner evenly with batter. Bake for 20-25, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

Lemon Myrtle Sugar Syrup
Adapted from Lemon Myrtle Australia
Makes approximately 2/3 cup

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2-3/4 teaspoons ground lemon myrtle
juice from half of a lemon

Method
Bring all ingredients to the boil stirring until sugar is dissolved. Strain lemon myrtle from syrup. Poke holes into the cupcakes with a fork, then either dip cupcakes into syrup or spoon the syrup over the cupcakes. This is best done when the cupcakes and syrup are still warm.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Good Eats ‘n Sweet Treats
Makes enough to frost 14-16 cupcakes

Ingredients
340g cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons coconut cream
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method
Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed about 1 minute. Add the whipping cream, coconut cream, and salt; beat until combined. Frost cupcakes when they are completely cool.

I placed my order in October for a Chocolate Chip Off The Ol’ Block, and a Banana Butterscotch Bad Boy.  I was so excited to try them, but unfortunately there was a problem with the shipment and I did not receive it in the specified time frame of 2-3 days.  I emailed customer service, and also phoned the post office.  Apparently the shipment had not been scanned from the sender’s post office, so tracking was telling me that it wasn’t even in transit yet.

Bangerang Bake Shop was so kind and reshipped my order about a week later, but surprise, my first order arrived before the second did!  I was a little wary about their freshness, as it had been a week since these cupcakes were shipped.  I put them in the refrigerator and hoped for the best.  A couple of days later, my second order arrived in the specified time frame.  Now I had four Bangerang cupcakes-in-a-jar!

I knew I’d like the chocolate chip one the best, so I saved it for last and tried the banana butterscotch cupcake first.  Bangerang even included two plastic forks!

The first thing I can tell you about this cupcake is that there is no mistaking that this is banana!  It’s obviously made with tons of real bananas, and the butterscotch is so rich and creamy.  Delicious!  The cake itself was definitely delicious, but it wasn’t as soft and moist as I had expected.  It was more of a muffin texture, but a very yummy muffin!

Next up, the chocolate chip one.  This was one of the Cupcakes For A Cause, where the proceeds would go to the CancerCare For Kids program, so it included a sugar smiley face.  This program has ended, so the smiley faces are no longer included in this cupcake.

As I expected, this was definitely one of the best cupcakes I’ve ever eaten.  It’s the only chocolate chip cupcake I’ve had that actually tasted like a chocolate chip cookie.  The cake was softer and moister than the banana one.  The vanilla bean buttercream is to-die-for.  The addition of the mini chocolate chips brings everything together and you get one of the most amazing tastes that have ever entered your mouth!  This is an amazing cupcake, I was so glad I had two of these babies!

I kept my cupcakes in the refrigerator and reheated them in the microwave before I ate them.  I really recommend doing this yourself as well, as it makes the cupcake taste like it’s almost straight from the oven.

If you are looking for a big yummy cupcake for yourself or someone else as a treat, Bangerang Bake Shop’s cupcake-in-a-jar would definitely be the way to go!  :)

Note that I have not been paid from or asked by Bangerang Bake Shop to write up this review, I just wanted to share my experience with others!

For our vote-winner, the batica from Sugar Plum of Vanillastrawberryfields, we are required to use a fresh coconut and grate it down (which is a bit of work!) and then to let the cake batter sit for at least four hours. The recipe was a little hard to understand, mainly because it’s not made in a traditional manner, but this is what made it special. What we liked about it is that it is very unique and traditional. It was definitely a moist cake with a lovely coconut flavor. 2 out of my 5 taste-testers preferred Sugar Plum’s batica.

For our competitor, the coconut rough cupcake from Catie of Catie’s Cakes & Cookies, the extra steps were the preparation of the chocolate-coconut nests and the coconut malibu truffles. Making these two particular things is not an easy task when it is so hot; a lot of refrigeration was necessary! When all was done and everyone had messy fingers!, the taste-testers really liked the chocolate-coconut nests and the gooey-ness of the truffles. This is what made these cupcakes so special. So special in fact, that 3 out of my 5 taste-testers preferred Catie’s coconut rough cupcakes.

This means that our winner in the throwdown by just one vote is Catie of Catie’s Cakes & Cookies!

Congratulations Catie!

Once again, I want to also congratulate you again Sugar Plum and everyone else who entered their coconut cupcakes!

Cupcake Hero will now return to I Heart Cuppycakes, so stay tuned over there to see what the next Cupcake Hero theme ingredient will be. :)

One night as I was putting her to bed she told me she wanted to make her own cupcake.  I asked her what kind of cupcake did she want to make.  She said she wanted a vanilla cake, pink raspberry frosting, a cherry on top and a piece of white chocolate.  I promised her I’d help her make them.

And later, we made her cupcake together.  They ended up being incredibly cute, don’t you think?  The recipe is made up of Billy’s vanilla cupcakes, a basic vanilla buttercream that has been tinted pink with red gel and flavored with LorAnn raspberry flavoring from Bake It Pretty, and topped with a maraschino cherry and a shard of Ghirardelli vanilla bean white chocolate.  The cupcake liner is also from Bake It Pretty.

In case you’re wondering why I didn’t use real raspberries to flavor the frosting it is because I have realized that raspberries actually turn frosting purple, and my daughter wanted pink frosting, so I had to artificially flavor and color it.

It was a fun experience for my daughter to see her cupcake brought to life, and for me it was a great moment to realize how creative she is!

However, as you all know, it’s not over yet.  Sugar Plum’s cupcake must first enter a throwdown with the cupcake of my choosing.  My taste-testers will then decide whose coconut cupcake will win December’s challenge.  So whose cupcake have I chosen?

The Coconut Rough Cupcakes from Catie of Catie’s Cakes & Cookies!  Congrats, Catie!

Thanks again and congrats to everyone who entered the coconut Cupcake Hero challenge, all the cupcakes look amazing and delicious!

Stay tuned, I hope to announce the winner within the coming week!

Take a look through the entries below and choose ONE favorite only and cast your vote in the poll to the right.  Voting is open until January 2 at 11:59PM.

—Voting is now closed—

The Entries:

Coco LimeNut Cupcakes
by Catie of Catie’s Cakes & Cookies

Coconut Rough Cupcakes
by Catie of Catie’s Cake & Cookies

Put the Lime in the Coconut
by Sarah-Lyn of I Bake Cupcakes

Vegan Coconut Rum Apricot Cupcakes
by Dorothy of Fuzzykoala’s Caketastic Adventures

Snowball Cupcakes
by Alicia of The Red Deer

Brazilian Blush Cupcakes
by Rosemary

Snowball Cupcakes
by F_A of Seelensturm

Pina Colada Cupcakes
by Samantha of Sweet Remedy

Batica – A Gorgeous Rich Delicious Goan Portuguese Coconut Bolo
by Sugar of Vanillastrawberryspringfields

Coconut Cupcakes
by Christine of Whimsical Bakery

It’s been fun discovering all my old cookbooks and kitchen utensils that I haven’t seen for 3 1/2 years, but I haven’t baked a single thing except frozen meat pies!  I don’t even have any flour yet!  But don’t worry, I’m busy making decisions on what will be my first recipe back in Australia.  It’ll be a good one, I promise!

P.S. Don’t forget to enter this month’s Cupcake Hero challenge; I’m hosting this month and excited to see all your yummy coconut cupcakes!  You have until December 15.