BAKING,  CUPCAKES/MUFFINS,  DESSERTS

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes … with homemade marzipan

2011/10/24 / 42 Comments

“When you look at a cupcake, you’ve got to smile.”
Anne Byrn

Paint-it-Purple Vanilla Bean CupcakesIt’s been  AGES since I decorated cupcakes or made iced sugar cookies. A few days ago when the daughter was frosting cupcakes for Mr PABs birthday, I thought back of the number of times I had done this for the kids when they were young. Now my food colour bottles need the cobwebs dusted off as the kids have grown up. IMHO {which was proved wrong} they are a tad old for colourful cakes and cookies etc.Paint-it-Purple Vanilla Bean Cupcakes These Vanilla Bean Cupcakes topped with a silky butter cream and garnished with homemade marzipan made me think again! The kids LOVED them, the lad gently told his teen sis, “Mamas’ cupcakes are better than the ones you made for Papas’ birthday!” How brave of him, knowing that she can kill with her looks in these tumultuous teenage years! The cupcakes were certainly delicious and full of deep vanilla flavour. The frosting was silky smooth too, and didn’t set hard as a rock when refrigerated {must have been the low fat cream in there!}.Paint-it-Purple Vanilla Bean CupcakesI made them one morning when the kids were at school, and you should have lseen their amazement, ooohs and aaaahs echoing in the living room, when I brought them out. “Oooooh PURTY“, screamed the terrible teen, and then, ‘Yum marzipan!” she exclaimed. Hmmm … food connect? Marzipan always makes her recall the cakes I made for her 9th and 12th birthday many years ago, my first trysts with marzipan {pictures from long ago}!Birthday CakesMarzipan from scratchI love working with marzipan; it’s like going back to the kindergarten days and play-dough! The last I made marzipan was for these two delicious cakes – a Cinnamon Buttercream Autumn Cake {for a Daring Bakes competition}, and Ottolenghis Carrot Walnut Cake! The recipe this time was different from my previous one; easier and with just minimal ingredients. Marzipan from scratchI found it online @ Only Recipes, by Alessandra Zecchini. I added neon purple food colour to it {which might explain why these aren’t ‘deep purple’!}. Why specifically PURPLE you might wonder?Paint-it-Purple Vanilla Bean CupcakesA mail in my inbox the other day made me bake cupcakes. It was an invite from the Pixel Project to contribute my favourite cupcake recipe for a “Paint It Purple” Cupcake Online Recipe Gallery. The project aims at painting the internet purple and selling cupcakes for the cause to end violence against women. I salute the initiative, and it led to Pinktober being painted a little PURPLE too. Paint-it-Purple Vanilla Bean CupcakesThe Pixel Project are a global volunteer-led non-profit working to raise awareness, funds and volunteer power for the cause to end violence against women worldwide using social media and new technologies. The “Paint It Purple” is a campaign to raise awareness and funds for the cause to end violence against women (VAW) in communities worldwide. This campaign runs from 8 Oct to 24 Nov 2011 and covers Domestic Violence Awareness Month as well as being a warm-up for International Day of Elimination of VAW (25 Nov 2011).

The annual “Paint It Purple” campaign raises awareness about Violence Against Women (VAW) by getting a global audience to “paint” the internet purple during the campaign using social media. The campaign also raises funds for The Pixel Project, our partners and participating VAW nonprofits worldwide through cupcake bake sales and “Paint It Purple” parties.

PixelProjectLogo BlogSplat“Paint It Purple” is open to all VAW nonprofits, grassroots groups, bakeries and individuals supporting the cause to end violence against women.

India has her own initiative in this direction, The Bel Bajao campaign, translated to mean “Ring The Bell“.  “Around 35 percent of Indian women suffer from physical violence at the hands of their partners while nearly 40 percent men and women think that it is sometimes or always ‘justifiable’ for a man to beat his wife (UN Women report on Progress of the World’s Women: In Pursuit of Justice, 2011-2012).ringthebellDomestic violence is an issue that cuts across class, race, gender, ethnic communities, education, sexual orientation, religion and any other form of diversity in the society. Women of all races are about equally vulnerable to violence by an intimate partner.“

I think the more we get involved in our individual capacities, the better the chances are that violence against women will find an end. Any action, however small, is good news. Let’s join hands and make a difference. Each voice counts, and in turn gives support to those at the receiving end, paving the way for a brighter and safer tomorrow. Learn more and/or get involved.

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About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.

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42 Comments

  • Laura

    2011/10/24 at 11:09 pm Reply

    Beautiful cupcakes for a great cause! I grew up seeing little marzipan fruits and animals in my town bakeries, somehow they went out of style.

  • Abbhi

    2011/10/25 at 12:18 am Reply

    Such a great cause Deeba- I wish I had known earlier (I could have painted something purple too!) because over time I have become passionate about this issue. The marzipan flowers look amazing!

    • Susan

      2011/11/01 at 7:36 pm Reply

      Abbhi – it’s not too late! If you’re interested in submitting a recipe, you can download the submission form here:

      Thanks for your interest!

  • Simone - Jour de Macaron

    2011/10/25 at 12:21 am Reply

    Your decoration is so so cute!
    And I love marzipan!
    I have to try this cupcakes…
    KInd regards,
    Simone.

  • Patricia Shea

    2011/10/25 at 4:16 am Reply

    I am a big fan of marzipan – these cupcakes are beautiful, thank you!!

    What’s made of almond paste and swings from cake to cake – TARZIPAN!!!

    How many jokes have you ever heard about marzipan!!

    Cheers, Patricia

  • Faith

    2011/10/25 at 8:51 am Reply

    These do look tasty-sometimes just a vanilla treat like this hits the spot. Love the eye catching colors you used. Great post.

  • Lisa

    2011/10/25 at 9:07 am Reply

    Wow, Debba, such beauty! You are an artiste, in every sense of the word. I love the cause they are for. I recall one of our own, a food blogger back in ’08 or ’09, I think, being beaten by a BF and killed. I wish I could remember who it was, but it has to stop, and this is a great way to help.

  • vawawareness

    2011/10/25 at 10:01 am Reply

    Thank You for spreading the word against domestic violence! BellBajao along with many other organizations, and blogs which are either fully dedicated (such as ours) or mention the cause (such as yours) help in educating the women about their rights and provide support when required.

  • Renata

    2011/10/25 at 2:48 pm Reply

    They are adorable, Deeba! And fantastic addition of the marzipan flowers, I love the shades of purple, specially for the cause 🙂

  • Happy Cook / Finla

    2011/10/25 at 5:35 pm Reply

    There is a oldie here ( me ofcourse ) looking to the cupcake and saying what you teenage daughter said 🙂
    Beautiful , i love the color of the forsting and the marzipan flowers.

  • Barbara @ Barbara Bakes

    2011/10/26 at 5:40 pm Reply

    Your cupcakes and you are awe inspiring. Love that you are supporting this cause. I had no idea domestic violence was that prevalent in your country. How great that they’ve taken it to a personal one on one way to help stop it by ringing a door bell.

  • angie

    2011/10/26 at 7:00 pm Reply

    All the cup cakes are adorable and fantastic I love it the one who made this is so creative..Thank you for sharing the recipe I might make this on my moms birthday..

  • Catalina

    2011/10/27 at 1:27 am Reply

    Deeba, your cupcakes are amazing! Absolutely adorable and so pretty! I love the puprle and pink colour and your flowers are PERFECT!

  • Parita

    2011/10/27 at 12:48 pm Reply

    Hi Deeba! Been a long time sicne i visited..these cupcakes look wonderful! btw which food gel colors are you using? are they available in india?

  • Fahad Khan

    2011/10/29 at 3:09 am Reply

    “Around 35 percent of Indian women suffer from physical violence at the hands of their partners while nearly 40 percent men and women think that it is sometimes or always ‘justifiable’ for a man to beat his wife.” Just how shocking can it get?!
    I wish I could do my bit with ‘Paint It Purple’ as well!
    Beautiful cupcakes,the flower decorations are very pretty!Never knew that we get vanilla bean powder.
    Thank you for sharing!:-)

    • Deeba @ PAB

      2011/10/29 at 6:39 am Reply

      Yes shocking, but if you get talking to folk from different levels of society, you will begin to notice the gravity and depth of this ‘disease’!
      BTW I got vanilla bean powder right here in Gurgaon. Fab India stocks small sachets of this interesting ingredient.

  • Himanshu

    2011/10/29 at 11:01 am Reply

    Deeba, These cupcakes are fab. I have been looking for a recipe, especially the decoration part, for long. As most of the ingredients listed in other recipes, are hard to find in Gurgaon. But, I am sure, I can easily get these here except for the one thing, which is unsalted butter. And I liked the idea of contributing this way to a good cause. I recently came across your site, while searching for a recipe to whip cream for cakes :), and trust me I am almost daily visiting here. Like your recipes and also those beautiful shots you’ve taken.

  • Susan

    2011/11/01 at 7:18 pm Reply

    These are be-yoo-tiful and lovely and I can’t wait to try out the recipe. And as a Pixel Project volunteer — thank you so much for supporting our cause!

  • Nadia

    2012/03/17 at 12:16 am Reply

    Hello there, just became alert to your weblog via Google, and located that it is really informative. I am going to watch out for brussels. I will be grateful in the event you continue this in future. A lot of other people will be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!

  • equestrian

    2013/07/30 at 1:25 am Reply

    I’m drooling. These seem so very tasty. And light grewia color is making them very pleasant.

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