These mint cucumber cupcakes have a lovely light fresh flavor – the mint is subtle and the cucumber flavor fades. I’ve topped them with rose water buttercream, which works beautifully with the mint and cucumber.
I can’t believe that it’s been a year since I started this blog. I’ve absolutely loved learning about blogging, creating recipes, getting to grips with my camera and delving into social media.
So, what started this all off twelve months ago?
My obsession with vegetable desserts began some time before I launched the blog, but I put fingers to keys and started Veggie Desserts after being made redundant. It was a week before I was due to return from maternity leave and I had been there for eight years. Pretty harsh.
I was lost. Regardless of the actual business reasons behind it, redundancy felt like being repeatedly punched in the stomach while my peers pointed and jeered like schoolchildren about how useless and inept I was. Redundancy on maternity leave felt like those who once respected me had deemed that once a baby comes out of you, you must clear your desk of in-trays, staplers and computers and pile it high with yogurt, wipes and loo roll crafts. That I should hang my career up on a low hook next to a frog umbrella and spaceman bag. The door to a major part of my past had been slammed in my face and I had to turn around, stand up straight, smooth my dress, walk away down an unknown corridor and pretend I was okay about it.
So I retreated to the safe haven of my kitchen and began to bake like a flour-covered, red-eyed, cymbal-banging monkey toy. One who bakes with kale. And parsnips. And spinach. I took a career-related course. Then I started this blog.
My standard response to why I began blogging has always been that I started veggie desserts in order to share my recipes with others. True, in part, but also it was to save my sanity and stop me from wallowing in self-pity. To give me a non-baby focus, a purpose, a project. To prove, to myself, that I am still me. I love my little ones dearly, and completely cherish my time with them (even while tearing up the living room carpet after my son pooped on it and drove his cars through the muck, making ‘roads’ on the cream carpet). But I needed a little ‘me time’, too. I’m sure you’ll all appreciate that.
Every blog achievement has meant so much to me. I’ve glowed with pride (while an imaginary neon sign flashes above my head screaming “She’s not useless, see?”), at seeing my recipes in newspapers and magazines, linked by major sites, interviewed as a blogger of the year by Top Sante Magazine, and being made Jamie Oliver’s blog of the month. Although the initial redundancy despair, then anger, has faded, when you’ve hit your lowest point in self-esteem the odd pat on the head means so much. So the other night, on the eve of Veggie Desserts’ first birthday, I won Best Food Blog at the National UK Blog Awards. It was a major head-pat, back-pat and arm punch. Woop!
Thank you so much for visiting, commenting, tweeting and baking. And for nominating, reading and supporting.
I’m fine. Really. I’ve had extra time at home with the little ones and that is amazing.
Now, that’s enough of that. Stiff upper lip and all. Next week I’ll go back to comparing cauliflowers to strippers, I promise.
As for these cucumber and mint cupcakes with rose icing, as usual you can’t taste the vegetable in this cake recipe. So these are minty (but not in a toothpaste sort of way, more like a summer cocktail) with a very subtle rose buttercream. These would be perfect for a picnic in the sunshine, along with an icy cold gin and tonic (and this is a food blog so it is mandatory that you drink it out of a mason jar with a red stripy paper straw).
Vegetable cupcake recipes
Looking for more vegetable cupcakes? Try these!
Kale cupcakes
Carrot cupcakes
Beetroot chocolate cupcakes
Cucumber and Mint Cupcakes with Rose Water Buttercream (+ my first blog birthday and an award!)
Ingredients
- 200 g cucumber about half a cucumber
- ½ cup about a handful fresh mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 115 g ½ cup butter, softened
- 150 g 3/4 granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 150 g 1 1/8 cups self raising flour
- Pinch of salt
- For the Rose Water Buttercream:
- 75 g 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 150 g 1 1/8 cups powdered icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon rose water
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170C/325F. Line a 12 cup muffin tray.
- Leave the skin on the cucumber and de-seed it by cutting it in half lengthways and scraping the seeds out with a teaspoon. Cut into chunks and puree until smooth in a blender. Add the mint leaves and lemon juice and blend until smooth.
- Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each one in well.
- Stir in 1/3 of the flour (with the salt), then add 1/3 of the cucumber and continue alternating until it is all combined.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly in the tin then cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
- For the Rose Water Buttercream:
- Beat the butter, icing sugar, rose water and 1 tablespoon of milk together until smooth and fluffy. Add more milk if necessary to make it a frosting consistency. Keep in the fridge until ready to ice the cupcakes.
Armandas
Hi! I saw this taste combo in cupcake wars and I worried about cucumber. 200 g of cucumber with /without seeds?Thank you in advance. 🙂 I gonna make them tomorrow.Can I triple frosting amount?
Kate Hackworthy
Hi! Weight the cucumber before removing the seeds. And feel free to make more frosting! I hope you like them.
Dawn
Hi I would love to try this recipe. What type of cucumbers did you use? In Asia, we have so many different kinds =/ Great blog!
Kate Hackworthy
Ooh, I’m not sure. There’s only one type of supermarket cucumber here. Long and dark green with a pale green, seedy inside. I’m not sure if that helps!
M
These are amazing! Mine wound up tasting a bit of cucumber, but that was the best part!
Kate Hackworthy
The cucumber is refreshing, isn’t it. I’m so glad you liked them!
Ann from vancouver
I have been thinking about veggie desserts but don’t know how to start. When I read the Vancouver Sun and your desserts catch my eyes. One thing makes me proud is you are Canadian. You are now my baking idol. Well done.
Kate Hackworthy
Wow, what a lovely thing for you to say! Thank you so much, you’ve made my day, Ann!
Ann from Vancouver
I am one of your subscriber now. Will definitely try to bake your desserts for my family and friends. Thanks for sharing.
Michaela ~ An Affair from the Heart
These sound really good!
Kate Hackworthy
THey were really refreshing!
Lisa
i wish no one would ever say “poop” in a food related post. Now I can only return to your recipes once I forget about that tidbit!
Kate Hackworthy
Sadly, with two little ones, it is a major part of my life. I’ll have to refrain from sharing on recipes, though! 🙂
Elayna
Congratulations on your blog’s birthday! And thank you for having this website, otherwise I would never have dreamed that I would be planning to go foraging for stinging nettle with a friend in the whole-hearted intention of making a cake. I just found you last week from the guys at Sorted promoting your beautiful stinging nettle cake, and I’m so glad they did. Your story of success from a sad ending is inspiring, and I’ve wanted to try something a little out there to kickstart myself and my family into eating healthier. Veggie desserts seem the perfect way to begin. We have an extravagant amount of spinach in our fridge and I think I’ll start with the spinach vanilla cake and move on to spinach crepes for saturday morning breakfast!
Thanks again for having the gumption to “go green” and take not only your family, but your online followers with you.
Kate Hackworthy
Wow, thanks for such a lovely comment, Elayna! I really hope that you enjoy the cakes. You’ve made my day 🙂
Nazia @ This Baker Girl Blogs
Congratulations on all your success! I’m so glad to have discovered your blog and have a feeling I’ll be spending a lot of time on here 🙂
P.S. Gorgeous cupcake!
Kate Hackworthy
Gosh, thanks Nazia!
Aunt Bee
A million times congratulations!!!!! I am soooo happy for you! Also, thank you for sharing your story with us! You are so inspiring! <3
Kate Hackworthy
Thanks Bee. I was thrilled to win!
Tsitaliya
Dear Kate, I admire your braveness to reveal so much of yourself and share your story in your post…this is amazing and you have been very strong and bold in coping with reality. As a mother of one wonderful 2years old boy and currently expecting my second child I so much relate to your story. I hope you enjoy further what you are doing and soon have so many more opportunities, simply because you have been following your passion! A brave girl you are! I love your blog and have been experimenting a lot with your recipes especially for my little boy and myself during pregnancy 🙂
Kate Hackworthy
Thank you so much, Tsitaliya. Such kind and supportive comments. I wish you all the happiness with your growing family!
Laurel
Congratulations Katherine on your 1 year anniversary! I think this is my favourite post of yours (not that I don’t love all the recipes) as it’s so human, honest and inspiring! Well done on all of your success!
Kate Hackworthy
Thanks Laurel. Definitely my most personal post, but I think I’m glad I wrote it.
Stephanie Pass
Beautiful! I love that you made the buttercream with rose water.
Kate Hackworthy
Thanks Stephanie, I haven’t used rose water before but really like the subtle flavour.
dina
these look so light and refreshing!
Kate Hackworthy
Thanks Dina. The flavours are definitely refreshing. 🙂
Vohn McGuinness
Many congratulations Kate. I had no idea you had only been blogging for one year. You have achieved so much and your blog is wonderful & full of gorgeous unique ideas. How awful that it started with that horrible redundancy but wow – you have certainly shown them what an asset they have lost! Well done & keep enjoying your many accolades – many more to come I am sure! x
Vohn McGuinness
Many congratulations too on your latest award nomination! The Brilliance in Blogging Innovate. Very well deserved. x
Kate Hackworthy
Thanks Vohn. I was absolutely chuffed to bits!
Kate Hackworthy
I think you do amazingly! Redundancy sucks, but we soldier on. Thank you for your kind words and all of your support.
Choclette
Gosh well done Kate. Only one year into blogging and you’ve done so incredibly well. I’ve been blogging for over five years and have got nowhere compared to you. I was made redundant last year so have been at home since January. Doing “something” with my blog was part of my plan, but I don’t seem to have got very far yet.
Happy Blogiversary and congratulations once again.
Skye
I’ve just discovered your blog – and I LOVE it! Such original recipes and beautiful photos. You must be so proud of what you have created here. Sounds like being made redundant was a blessing in disguise…
Can’t wait to read more 🙂
Kate Hackworthy
Thanks so much, Skye!
Keep Calm and Fanny On
Wow, what a wonderful year and a great response to the redundancy – you’ve really made a success of your blog – ahem Food Blog of the Year everyone – and I for one am sooooooo excited to see what next. Thanks for each and every post, and for inspiring me 😉 Give yourself a lovely pat on the back, give your previous employer a suitable hand gesture and get stuck back into that pile of veggies… Well done you! x
Kate Hackworthy
Thanks so much. I nearly deleted this post a hundred times. Thank you for always being so supportive. x