Sunday, July 24, 2011

Raspberry Cupcakes and the new raspberricupcakes.com!

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Hello! You may have noticed some changes on the blog in the past week. I've finally got my act together and moved my blog to a custom domain! I'm still cleaning up a little bit here and there but you can now officially find this blog at www.raspberricupcakes.com! All the old URLs should redirect to the new domain, but please go ahead and update any links and bookmarks. Along with this change I also have an adorable new banner designed again by the lovely Lisa from spicyicecream. She's a star! It's been almost exactly a year since she designed Neville the angry cupcake for me, and while it was difficult to let him go (he's still in the favicon!) I love the new, cleaner layout. It also means I can post bigger photos! And to celebrate, I made a batch of raspberry cupcakes.
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There are a few other small changes; you can now subscribe to my blog via email. I know a couple of readers were asking for this feature, so I hope it works! You might also notice the new navigation panel up the top where I finally moved the recipe index to its own page. I'll get around to finishing the other pages up there at some point. Please feel free to let me know if you find any issues with the new layout, I'm totally useless at this kind of stuff (apparently a degree in Computer Engineering does not prepare you for having a blog in any way). But it was definitely time for a change! There's no particular milestone that I can associate it with, other than a few cool things like reaching 300 posts not long ago and the main URL reaching 1000 Facebook 'likes' (but obviously the counter on the sidebar got reset to zero when I updated the button to point to the new URL, what a bummer!). I'm still not going to start a facebook page for the blog, I am way too lazy to maintain it. Look how long it took me to get around to making these changes! I hope you like the new look and will keep coming back to visit :)
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So with that housekeeping out of the way, let's talk about these cupcakes. I wanted to revamp my 'raspberry cupcake' recipe, since the photos from the old version are so meh (though the recipe is not, I love those flavours). I also really wanted to try David Lebovitz's recipe for Devil's Food Cake after hearing Karen rave about it. I ended up making Devil's Food Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream. Insanely delicious. I used the Swiss Meringue Buttercream which I made for my Peach Melba Macarons and it worked like a charm. The sweet, creamy icing was just right for the dark, moist chocolate cake. The cake is so good, I knew it would be before it even finished baking because the raw batter looked luscious and tasted amazing already (I think Karen might have mentioned that too). Since it was my first time using the recipe, I underestimated how much the cake would expand, so filling the cupcake papers 3/4 full like I do for some other recipes was wayyy to much and it spilled over and didn't look as pretty as I had hoped. But they were still salvagable!
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The buttercream took longer than I remembered to whip to the right consistency, I always have that stage where the Swiss Meringue buttercream splits, but eventually it smoothes out to that beautiful airy, buttery texture. I don't think I would be bothered to do the Swiss meringue buttercream if I didn't have my KitchenAid, so I totally understand if you try this recipe with a regular butter icing version. My cupcakes were all nicely piped and topped with fresh raspberry (ridiculously expensive since they're out of season but worth it just for the photos, thanks again Lisa! I told you she was a star.), then I arranged them just like they look below and I picked up my brand new camera to take the first shot when my fingers slipped and my camera dropped to the ground, right on top of two perfectly iced cupcakes. THE HORROR. Buttercream everywhere. Sooo if the icing on a couple of these cupcakes looks a bit iffy, it's because I had to scrape it off and repipe it! Luckily the camera seems to be okay. But you'd be right to guess that there was a lot of panicked shrieking and swearing.
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Devil's Food Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream
(Makes about 15-20 cupcakes, adapted from David Lebovitz's Devil's Food Cake recipe)
9 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Dutch-process)
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-raising, I just used plain flour)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarb soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup strong coffee (or water)
1/2 cup whole or low-fat milk

For the Swiss Meringue Raspberry Buttercream:
4 large egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
250g (about 1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (and thawed) raspberries
Optional: fresh or frozen extra raspberries to decorate
(If you're new to making Swiss meringue buttercream, these wonderful tutorials from two of my favourite bloggers will help troubleshoot any problems you might have)

Line cupcake tray with cupcake papers and preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Sift together the cocoa powder, flour, salt, bicarb soda, and baking powder in a bowl. Using an electric mixer with a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.

Mix together the coffee and milk. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, the add the coffee and milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients. Spoon into cupcake cases, filling about 1/2 full (cake will rise quite a bit). Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in tin about 5 mins, then place on a wire rack and cool completely before icing.
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To prepare the raspberry buttercream, puree raspberries, strain to remove seeds and set aside. Whisk together egg white and sugar in a large heatproof bowl. Clip a candy thermometer to side of bowl. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water, and whisk until mixture reaches 160°F and sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.

With a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg white mixture on high speed until cooled and thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. If mixture is runny at this point, refrigerate for 10 minutes and then continue beating until it starts to hold its shape (this can take a while). Beat in raspberry puree and vanilla. Place in a piping bag and ice cupcakes. Top with a fresh raspberry and serve immediately. Can be stored in an airtight container for a couple days.
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63 comments:

  1. Congrats on getting your own domain name and I love the new look! And of course the photos are gorgeous as always :)

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  2. love the new look! and the cupcakes are grogeous! congrats!

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  3. Congrats for the new design of Raspberri Cupcakes!!

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  4. beautiful recipe, and i love the new design! congrats :)

    i need to get on top of my domain as well. bought one ages ago and it's just been sitting around waiting.

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  5. Congratulations on the smashing new design and domain! Hooray for bigger photos! Your cupcakes look wicked!!

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  6. Yum, they look so good! :D And congrats on your new domain ;).

    Have a fun weekend!

    Miki.

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  7. Love the new look and the new recipe!

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  8. Love the new layout, it looks great!

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  9. It is just gorgeous:) and the cupcakes look amazing, i really like the sound of the meringue butter cream, i have never made one.

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  10. Love the new look. Was trying to get my sister to update my header a few months ago..... :)

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  11. wow, looks delicious...and so do the cupcakes ;) Site design is nice and clean, though I will miss the angry cupcake!

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  12. Looks great! And the recipe index is gorgeous. Plus, seeing a snap of your old photos compared to your new ones gives me hope that my photography skills can improve too (although I have a feeling mine are much slower progressing...)

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  13. Ooh looks great! I know I should probably redesign mine a bit but I can't let go!

    Love the story about the camera dropping into the cupcakes, I do stuff like that. My camera (and laptop) spend way too much time in the middle of the kitchen getting covered in bits of cake and so on.

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  14. I'm sure gonna miss Neville but I LOVE the new layout! And isn't this cake the bomb? I propose next time we just share a full bowl of batter :P

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  15. I can't believe you managed to get such amazing photos after all the baking drama! The new layout is gorgeous, glad I could help :) Looking forward to trying one of these awesome cupcakes for dessert!

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  16. Yay to the new domain. LOVE the new layout! Definitely still cute and quirky =) and loveeeee the cupcakes. Just perfect for the occation :D

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  17. This cupcake looks delicious ...
    and great photos ...

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  18. Beautiful!, can you bake your cupcakes in those cups?, I´m always afraid that cups will crack inside the oven.
    Love from Spain

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  19. These cupcakes looks DELICIOUS and i love the little holders! So glad i can now subscribe by email, you have a fabulous blog indeed :)

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  20. love the new layout. congrats on the new domain!

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  21. Oh wow this blog is really developing into something special, i'm so glad to witness this

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  22. decocinasytacones - those cups are made of silicone, that's why I can bake in them. you definitely can't bake in china cups!

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  23. These cupcakes look ah-may-zing!!!! Raspberries are my favorite summer fruit! Love your blog look--clean and fresh! :) Lovely all around!

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  24. I love your website!!! These cupcakes look so delicious! and WOW where did you get those cups you baked them in? GORGEOUS!

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  25. Love the new fresh look of your blog! Well Done! And those Rasberri Cupcakes just look so Good! :D

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  26. Anonymous - These are the cupcake cases I used: http://www.worldwidefred.com/teacupcakes.htm, you can find them online everywhere!

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  27. yay for the new design! and super jealous of those cupcakes

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  28. WOW - those are gorgeous! such clear and pretty photos!

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  29. Love the new clean look and the larger photos - they're gorgeous as always, but now there's just more of it to look at!

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  30. This is beautiful! Lovely blog I just discovered.

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  31. I did notice the new banner last week and I love it! it's very elegant! congratulations on your "new site" =) xx

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  32. Congrats on the new domain! I love the angry cupcake still of course, but this looks really classy.

    I also didn't see your old post on these raspberry cupcakes, so thanks for making it again so that I can try them ;p Raspberries are in season now, so it's prime time!

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  33. Congratulations on the new website, it looks great! Those cupcakes are to die for too!

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  34. PURDY! WHY SO PURDY! <3333333333333333333

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  35. Steph your blog is so pretty. yayyyy for your own url too. The Raspberry buttercream looks so fluffy and delicious. I am now craving a cupcake. Your presentation is so pretty just like your new layout..

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  36. This post has blown me away! Photos look absolutely fantastic :)

    PS. I like the new blog design :) SuperStylish!

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  37. I love your molds! I've seen them lots of times, but i never knew where to buy them... And your cupcakes looks really good =)

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  38. Beautiful! And I love the little teacups you used! I need raspberry ideas so this is perfect for me, and chocolate and raspberries are so good together :D

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  39. Congratulations on the new design - your site is so clean and elegant. These cupcakes look gorgeous - love the combination of raspberries and chocolate.

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  40. perfect raspberri cupcakes by raspberri cupcakes

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  41. Absolutely love the new look. And those raspberry cupcakes look di-licious! I got a set of those silicone tea-cup moulds for my birthday and haven't used them yet. Me thinks I'll have to dig them out!

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  42. Hey Steph, Your photos are beautiful and your cupcakes are so cute. I love the teacup cases. So cool! I was just scrolling through my RSS feed and saw your mint slice cake again. I think you need to open your own version of Planet cake. Yes you are that good!

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  43. Jacq - Thank you!! :)

    shaz@feedingmykidsbetter - Thanks so much!

    christelle is flabbergasting - Thank you <3

    Yasmeen - Thanks so much! It took me ages to get off my arse and do it!

    Sneh | Cook Republic - Aww thank you, you're so sweet!

    Miki - Thanks so much! You too :)

    OohLookBel - Thank you!!!

    Anonymous - Thanks!

    muppy - You should try it! It's my favourite type of buttercream now.


    Julia @Mélanger - Thanks! I'm so lucky to have an amazing graphic designer as a great friend :)

    Chris - I will miss Neville too, that's why I had to put him somewhere!

    Jacqueline - Hahah good! My old photos are a little cringeworthy in comparison to now, but don't worry, you'll find that you improve without realising if you just keep at it!

    Poires au Chocolat - Aww I love how your blog looks already! Haha doesn't it suck when disaster strikes like that??

    K | Citrus and Candy - I LOVE THIS CAKE SO MUCH. The batter was the sex.

    Lisa - Haha they're not as neat as they should have been, but I'm pleasantly surprised too! I was racing against the sunset too lol

    Tina @ bitemeshowme - Thanks so much!

    sevde - Thank you!

    The Procrastobaker - Thanks for subscribing :)

    Mai - Thanks so much!

    KitchenTherapy - Awwww! :) This made me smile so much

    Karla @ The Culinary Enthusiast - Thank you! Clean and fresh is def what I was going for :)

    Tina@foodboozeshoes - :D Thanks!

    L - THanks so much!

    Hayley Daen - Yay! It was about time! :)

    susan - Thanks so much! Makes me nervous, big photos means you can see the flaws easier!

    Two fit and fun gals - Thanks!

    mademoiselle délicieuse - Thanks so much! I was worried I nearly made them too big!

    Yo. - Thanks for visiting!

    LucyL - Heehee good spotting! The transformation was stressful, I hated leaving it in an unfinished state for most of the week :S

    Janine - Thank you! The old recipe is so classic, I'll have to make them again, but I love this version too!

    Jennifer (Delicieux) - Thanks so much!

    chocolatesuze - :D PUUURDY!

    Katherine - Yayyy thanks! It's about time I got my own domain!

    La Roquette - Aww thanks so much!

    Valerie - They're so fun! I've found them on a few websites, just search for fred teacupcakes

    Heidi @ Food Doodles - I agree, chocolate and raspberry is always a winner combo :)

    Lucy - Thank you! Same here :)

    Betty @ The Hungry Girl - Love you!!

    sugarpuffi - haha thanks

    Di-licious - Thank you so much! Try them! They're so cute, but a bitch to wash up!

    @SuperfoodAnita - Thanks so much!! Haha no way, you are too kind :)

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  44. Love the new look! Very clean - and that banner is so cute!

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  45. omigoodness those cupcakes look amazing. you're so talented!!!
    http://incurablelibertine.tumblr.com/

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  46. Su-Yin - Thanks so much, I wanted to keep it as clean as I could! I'm so in love with the banner lisa designed me :)

    Charity - Thanks heaps!

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  47. A friend and I tried making this cupcake recipe and it was a total fail. First, the cake was too fluffy and delicate. We could barely move it to another plate. It taster delicious as regular batter though. We managed through it though. The disaster was when we made the frosting. We tried three times! It did not work out, at all. Goopy, runny. gross. Measurements on the recipe was all wrong because we did it according to directions. Nicely photographed and taste was nice, but overall it was a failure.

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  48. Anonymous - I'm so sorry you had so much trouble with the recipe, I know how much it sucks to have a big baking failure. But it's a little harsh to assume it's just the recipe and the measurements that were all wrong, the cake recipe is from David Lebovitz and has been used by more people than just me. It's definitely not too delicate, I've used it again in a layer cake (see my mint choc chip cake) and had no trouble transferring it to another plate. Maybe you underbaked it, or you might have needed to leave it to cool for longer? It's hard for me to guess/troubleshoot since I'm not there obviously. And the icing recipe can be tricky if you haven't made a swiss meringue buttercream before, which is why I included links to the tutorials about them. If the icing was runny then you probably hadn't whipped it for long enough, you have to keep whipping it for a really long time before it comes together. You might wanna check out the tutorials as they have some great troubleshooting tips for when the icing goes runny. It's a common recipe for icing so there is no mistake in the measurements, they are exactly the measurements I used to achieve the icing that you see in the pictures. I don't know if these tips will be of much use now, but it makes me super sad and I don't want anyone failing in the kitchen because of a recipe I've posted.

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  49. These look yummi - they will be next on my baking list! I recently tried these raspberry filled cup cakes and they were delicious: http://homeandahalf.com/2011/10/delicious-raspberry-filled-recipe-for-cup-cakes/. Enjoy :)

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  50. Hi Stephcookie, I have been following your cute blog for a while now and decided to post a comment about how good these chocolate cupcakes with swiss meringue buttercream are! I found no problems in baking them so that person who said that the measurements were wrong in the recipe obviously didn't see the tutorials you linked for the buttercream.

    This was my first attempt at swiss meringue buttercream anyway which curdled at first but I was able to make it nice and smooth. It did taste too buttery though, so maybe next time I would cut down the butter a bit. Other than that, they looked and tasted amazing! Thanks so much for sharing your baking recipes and stories, I really adore your blog and beautiful pictures! That makes me want to become an even better baker because I have just started baking and decorating layer cakes and cupcakes as an ambitious 15 year old.
    P.S. I live in Sydney too, so I am very happy to support local talented and creative baking bloggers like you!!!

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  51. so beautiful - love your blog! have you tried David Lebovitz's salted butter choc chip cookies? they are divine. my little blog is http://littlesnowflower.blogspot.com.au/

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  52. Ok so I found your delicious photo on pinterest and came here for the frosting recipe. I just finished making it by your directions and its pure magic!!! I am in love with this amazing frosting! Holy yum!!! Thank you so much for making my mouth so happy. ;) First time meringue maker too and its so beautiful looks just exactly like your photos. I am so happy to have found you! Pretty sure I'll never make buttercream again. ;)

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  53. Love Love Love!!! :-D
    So overjoyed to have found your blog! I made these cupcakes today and they worked out perfectly!! I actually put the bowl of meringue buttercream over a bowl of ice to get it to thicken. It worked a treat!
    I also adore your food styling! Do you do it all yourself? What camera do you use?
    I can't wait to try out more of your gorgeous recipes! Thank you so much!!

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    1. Anonymous - So glad you liked the recipe! I do all the photos and styling myself :) I'm currently using a Canon 600D with a 50mm f/1.8 lens.

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  54. Fabulous recipe - both the cake & the icing. Have to disagree that your recipe was flawed. It was my first ever attempt at Swiss Meringue Buttercream and it worked perfectly. My hubby's office (my tasting guinea pigs) pronounced these cakes my best ever so thank you! I just have 2 little issues - sorry! Firstly, the batter mix overflowed when baked and I used 17 cupcake cases. I think I could easily fill 20 cases - and I used the muffin size cases I always use here in UK. The other thing is that the tutorials you linked to didn't match up to the directions you gave. It wasn't a big deal but as a newbie to Swiss Meringue Buttercream, I was jumping between all 3 sets of instructions wondering which to use! I ended up using your measurements and the 2nd tutorial and got a brilliant result. So, just my 2 cents worth but thanks for a wonderful recipe and I look forward to trying lots more things on your blog..

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    1. Thanks for the feedback! This cake batter does seem to rise a lot, I'll add a note to make sure that people don't fill the cases too high. Sorry if the tutorials made things confusing, I only really included them because they have useful troubleshooting tips that I couldn't be bothered to include! xx

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  55. Hi, great recipe! Just wondering if you have tried making this recipe (or any for that matter) with natvia or another kind of sugar replacement?

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  56. I am wondering if you could tell me how much raspberry puree you end up with? I like to make things ahead and have raspberry puree in the freezer but wouldn't know how much to use for the buttercream.

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    1. Sorry I can't say for sure, I'd guess somewhere between 1/2 to 2/3 a cup? You could add it gradually until you're satisfied with the taste? xx

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