Advice on a "Weird" cookery Book - Favourite Cupcakes and Cheesecakes!!

I bought a nice looking cook book on MPH yesterday - Cupcakes and cheesecakes, think it is printed in Singapore.
When I looked closer, the cupcake recipes are really weird, have tried twice so far and the results the same - curdled appearance, "heavy" and very little rising, also takes about 25/30 mins to appear baked.
Would really like your expert opinions before i write to complain....

3 eggs, 1 cup softened butter, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 1/2 cup SR flour. Etc,
NOW, its the method that is strange.......
Lightly beat the eggs in bowl FIRST, then add butter and sugar (curdles now), then add rest...
I thought perhaps this was some new way of baking but...results not so good.
Any opinions pls? Am I incorrect or is it published wrongly??

Gerry, does this book have a brown colour cover with a cupcake on it? A balck forest cupcake with a cherry on it if I am not mistaken?

Yes, you are right? I am curious, does this boo have a "bad" reputation or is it just me?

what is the book title? Publisher? Author's name?

I don't think it's you, Gerry cos I feel the same. I feel it's a bad buy. I did not have the time to go thru the book before buying.

I realised that all the cup cake recipes were the same. All the ingredients were the same except that they added strawberry to it if it was a strawberry cup cake and so on.

Come on, if I had a vanilla cup cake recipe and had left over choc chip, combine both and you get vanilla choc chip.

I only tried out the blackforest cup cake but I didn't follow their instructions. I just did what I usually do for my cupcakes. i found it a bit weird.

Overall, I was disappointed with this book.

Anyone else who bought the book and feels differently... pls share.

It is called Favourite Cupcakes and Cheesecakes. It's a collection of recipes. I think the publisher is Page One.

oh..these kind of books are not good to buy. Better to go for a particular Author's books. These so called collection of recipes are 'stolen' recipes from various books. The publisher will steal a few from various recipes from other books, edit the recipe here and there and re print it in their own book so as to avoid detection by the real author.

I know all these because I know a few good cookbook authors who tells me such horrid things. They saw their recipes in these so called Collection of recipes book.

One of them is my good friend, Chef Devagi Sanmugam who also runs her own cooking school, restaurant and wrote many cookbooks. Some of her cupcake recipes are 'collected' and reprinted without her permission.

yes, you are right. It's sad that these things happen.

Now I knw better not to buy these type of books.

Its called Favourite Cupcakes and Cheesecakes. By Page One. Publisher is R&R Publications Marketing PTY LTD.
Oh well, i shall chuck it...what an expensive error, Nvm - I shall know better next time.
Thanks for all yr input

i received a book like this that i didnt like, i also noticed this the one and only time i was stuck in MPH at the recipe section....so i dont trust recipe books unless they have a trusted source!

sorry to hear that gerry!

THANK YOU for bringing this up, Gerry. I saw this book in MPH recently and thought of buying it the next time i'm there. Now I know better. again.

This is one publisher that I avoid. I buy both local and overseas cook book but only get those that I am familiar with.

Zu

Not sure whether this is the book that I have is the same as what you all are saying. Title of the book is 500 cupcakes & muffins....fergal connolly also by PAGE ONE. This book was published for Page One Publishing PTE. Sg. This book was designed and produced by Quintet Publishing Ltd. London.

Just bake the recipe - lemon butterfly cupcakes Pg 25 from the above book ( first time looking at it). The method all they stated is combine everything and whisk it. Unlike other recipe whereby you will add in one by one. But for me I follow the normal method. Even though the recipe title is lemon but the cupcakes is normal vanilla cupcake, only different is the icing using only lemon zest. After beating the icing it is thick consistency and doesnt looks like in the picture.

The texture is moist and nice, it did rise well. Below is the picture and recipe. Maybe you all can try it and share your thoughts. Just wonder is this the same book.





For cupcakes For Icing
225g unsalted butter, softened 115g unsalted butter
225g caster sugar 225g icing sugar, sieved
225g s/r flour 1 tsp. vanilla essence
1 tsp. baking powder 1 tbsp. lemon zest
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla essence

Combine all ingredients for the cupcakes in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until smooth and pale, about 2 to 3 mins. Spoon the batter into the cases. Bake 20 mins.

Prepare the icing by beating the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and lemon zest until smooth.

Happy baking and feedback

Hi All, a write up on Fergal Connolly
"Fergal Foods is the place to view the work of London based Home Economist, Food Writer and Food Stylist, Fergal Connolly. Fergal is an experienced, energetic and highly respected Food Stylist and has worked on a variety of projects both in the UK and abroad for Editorial, Food Packaging and Television Commercials.

A keen writer Fergal has also been commissioned to write recipes for numerous cookery titles.

With nearly 20 years of professional cookery experience Fergal has worked in many prestigious restaurants throughout the U.K. & Europe and the US.

Fergal also has a number of academic qualifications including an Bsc. in Food Product Design and an Intermediate Food Hygiene Certificate. "

I have the same book that Amy mentioned with FG's recipes. It got rave review on Amazon, the reason it is on my bookshelf

My all time favourite book to refer to will be Delia Smith's cooking & baking book that I bought during my students days in the UK, >20 years ago when Eunice & Hakeber were not even born yet
The pages turned yellow now and Delia looked younger on the cover but I still love it.

About books on collection of recipes..when there is no author stated.. just be careful that's all.