Food fanatic shares her favourite recipe
One of her best-loved recipes is her vanilla cupcake and she said her customers love this traditional favourite.
MEET Zolita Harper, owner of Zolita’s Couture Cakes and Confectionery in Bailey Centre in Hillcrest.
Zolita has been in the food industry her whole life and has a true passion for all things food and an extra passion for all things baked.
She started out at the Wits Hotel school doing her diploma and then went on to complete her degree in food. She worked as a food service manager and then trainer for Compass Group SA, and then worked for First Foods as R&D manager and Woolworths liaison for many years.
“I have always had a passion for baking and have the magic touch, that everything I try just works and tastes amazing. This truly is gift from God,” she said.
Zolita is a wife and mom of two children and has many fur-babies.
She said their circumstances as a family took a turn for the worst in 2009 when the economic climate took a dive and they suffered two retrenchments. That’s when she started her little business for her family to survive.
“It is a hard road, but very rewarding. We are working hard to become a household name when cake is mentioned,” said Zolita.
Her favourite quote is: “You cant buy happiness but you can buy cupcakes, and that is almost the same thing.”
One of her best-loved recipes is her vanilla cupcake and she said her customers love this traditional favourite.
She shares this recipe with Highway Mail’s readers.
Zolita’s vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream
Ingredients
Cupcake batter
125g softened butter
125g flour
125g castor sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 medium free range eggs
2 tblsp whole milk
½ tsp vanilla essence
12 paper cups
Buttercream Frosting
250g butter
500g double sifted icing sugar
30ml whole milk
2tsp vanilla essence
Sprinkles or décor of choice
Method:
Cupcake Batter
Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees celcius. Set up your electric mixer with a clean mixing bowl and whisk attachment. Place the carefully weighed butter, flour, castor sugar, baking powder and eggs in the bowl. Switch on the mixer on medium speed and mix until all your ingredients are combined well. Slowly add the milk and vanilla essence, and mix on medium until the mixture is smooth and lump free. Place your paper cups in to a 12 insert muffin pan.
Equally divide your mixture between all 12 paper cups. Place your cupcakes into the oven and bake for 15 min or till gently golden. Remove from oven place on a cooling rack and cool for 20 min.
Buttercream Frosting:
Set up your electric mixer with a clean mixing bowl and whisk attachment. Place your butter into the bowl and mix till smooth, gradually add sifted icing alternately with milk. Mix till white and glossy.
Finally add Vanilla essence.
Place in a piping bag with a large star nozzle, and pipe a rosette of frosting on each cupcake.
Top with sprinkles or décor of your choice
INFOBOX:
If your’re passionate about cooking and want to share a special recipe with readers, email a little info about yourself, why you chose this recipe and the actual recipe along with a photo of yourself and the dish to michelled@dbn.caxton.co.za before the 15th of each month.
Also read: Recipe: Quick and easy nachos
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