I have a lovely, easy, basic cupcake recipe and I am trying to add flavouring essences (not extracts) to it, but I am struggling with the amount of essence I have to use. I tried raspberry essence and had to put 4 teaspoons in and you could still hardly taste it (the recipe makes approx 20 cupcakes). I am trying lemon at the moment and I stopped at 3 teaspoons. In both cases it seems an awful lot to me.

Should I just be putting the flavouring in the butter cream icing and leaving the batter plain (or with a bit of vanilla essence)?
Thank you.

lyndunc - 2019-06-27 15:49:00

gosh 4 tsp is a lot i would leave the cake plain and add essence to the butter icing What brand is the essence ? try good quaitiy brand might be stronger

bobcat_6 - 2019-06-27 16:11:00

I know that lemon flavour would improve with added finely grated lemon zest . Raspberry with real raspberries, etc.. So I would use vanilla in my base, add real ingredients as flavours and use the essences in the butter cream icing.

Good luck!

hazelnut2 - 2019-06-27 16:16:00

Thank you for both comments, and I suspected that would probably be the case. It is hansells I am using. I did get some flavoured oil and it was slightly better but still didn't do what I wanted. So yes, putting the flavouring in the icing and using zest and real raspberries would be the way to go.

I was sure I had done them before using flavourings, but maybe it was only in the buttercream icing - getting older and not remembering stuff is a bit of a pain!

Edited by lyndunc at 4:36 pm, Thu 27 Jun

lyndunc - 2019-06-27 16:34:00

Try using the Queen flavour pastes, or the new Heilala vanilla-and.... essences.. or the LORANN concentrated flavour oils (Cake Boss, Mt Maunganui...).

All of those give "more bang for your buck" in flavour....

autumnwinds - 2019-06-27 16:59:00

Thank you autumnwinds, and yes I have been using the LORANN flavourings, but still seem to have to put more in than I think I should be. Certainly in the buttercream the taste comes through a lot better.

lyndunc - 2019-06-27 17:45:00

Have you asked someone else to taste your mix?
As we get older our tastebuds sometimes lose their acuity. I think Hansells isn't as strong as it used to be (I'm 72, BTW), but it could be your tastebuds! I've noticed that I have to use more spices, herbs and flavouring -even onions and garlic - in the last few years.
But I think that you'll get more bang for your buck by using your flavourings in the icing, also.

punkinthefirst - 2019-06-30 13:57:00

Use Rawleigh's essence and you won't have a problem, most other brands are crap.

oramac - 2019-06-30 14:00:00