Markets, Trinkets and red velvet cupcakes

I love all old things from antiques, old crafts such as knitting and crocheting, old books, old fashioned plants and much more. 

I have been visiting quite a few markets in Cape Town lately and I was so impressed with the old fashioned crafts that are making a comeback. Knitting is making a huge comeback but it seems like crocheting is the most popular at the moment. 

We are so spoiled in Cape Town at this time of year with the number of craft markets and festive markets that are available! I am having a difficult time to decide which one I will attend every weekend! 

Most of the regular visitors to my blog will know that I am a huge fan of the Stellenbosch Slow food market. On my last visit I bought a beautiful orchid for only R80.00. Blondie has been nagging for an orchid for ages and at this price I could not refuse. This market is open every Saturday from 09:00 to 14:00. It offers so many nice food and goodies that I cannot single out anything. If you are in the Mother City, over a weekend, go and visit this market. It offers a wonderful start to any weekend! 

The Kistenbosch Craft Market is also another beautiful market to visit to buy Christmas presents. It is open on the last Sunday of every month and on the 2^nd and 3^rd Sunday in December. 

…and then of course one of the highlight in the Cape was “Kamers vol geskenke”!! It was here that I really felt nostalgic and missed my Mom so much, looking at all the beautiful handmade and knitted things. There were beautiful things on sale, but I found the handmade shoes and the one Pottery stand, called Jess Ceramics to be outstanding! There were wonderful crocheted things, such as blankets and jewelry. “Kamers vol Geskenke” will be in Irene in Pretoria from 29 November to 3 December 2011.

 

I also went to the Stellenberg Dutch reformed Church’s Festive Market! This market is really the best with the most beautiful handmade and edible gifts! Unfortunately it closed on the 5^th of November, but I understand that some of the exhibitors will be at other Festive markets – so keep your eyes and ears open! 

The Girls and I go to Coffee shops often when I visit them in Stellenbosch and one of our favourite places to go to is the Birdcage. The Birdcage offers wonderful gifts and décor items and VG fell in love with their red velvet cupcakes, so when it was BG’s birthday I decided to bake some red velvet cupcakes for her to take to Res. (BG does not like cakes or cupcakes a lot – she loves appletart and milktart, but it is always easier to share cupcakes with friends!) The cupcakes were a hit!! 

The recipe is adapted from Heilie Pienaar’s recipe in the book: “The ultimate book of baking”. This is absolutelt the best recipe book about baking that I have ever had! The recipe in the book is for a Red velvet cake but I have adapted it for cupcakes! 

Ingredients:

125g butter

250ml castor sugar

2 large eggs

45ml cocoa powder

30ml red food colouring

500ml cake flour

2.5ml salt

250ml buttermilk

5ml bicarbonate of soda

15ml vinegar

5ml vanilla essence

24 cupcake holders

 

For the icing:

200g butter

1kg (4 x 250ml) icing sugar

10ml vanilla essence

35ml milk

decorating balls and glitter (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC. Place the cupcake holders into cupcake pans. 

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addiction, until light and fluffy. 

Mix the cocoa powder with the food colouring and add to the butter mixture and mix well. 

Sift the flour and salt together and add to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, and mix well. 

Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the vinegar and mix with the vanilla essence to the mixture. Mix well. 

Spoon the mixture into the cupcake holders to fill them to two thirds. 

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a skewer that is inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. 

Remove to cooling racks and ice after cooled down completely. 

In the meantime make the icing sugar:

Sift the icing sugar and cream with the butter. 

Add the vanilla and milk and beat to a smooth, spreadable consistency. 

Decorate the cupcakes with the icing. Decorate with the balls and glitter (Optional) 

Enjoy the week and have fun in the kitchen!