I so often get told “I can’t bake” and there is no such thing as can’t, baking is an enjoyable activity with just the best end result of delicious things to eat. So all you need is a good recipe and my tips and away you go, it’s as simple as following a few steps.
To begin here is my recipe for cupcakes
(Makes 12)
Ingredients:
- 6oz caster sugar
- 6oz stork margarine (room temperature)
- 3 free range eggs (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6oz self raising flour
- A dash of milk
- Preheat the oven to 170c
- Line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin cases
- Place the sugar & margarine in a mixer and beat until smooth & creamy
- Weigh out the flour & add 1 teaspoon of it to the mixture, this will stop the mixture splitting when you add the eggs
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each one until they are fully incorporated.
- Add the vanilla extract & milk, mixing in well
- Add the flour, folding in on slow speed or with a wooden spoon
- Spoon the mixture between the 12 cases about ¾ full
- Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes. To test lightly press the top with your finger if the sponge bounces back they are ready
Butter cream:
- 150g lurpak unsalted butter
- 300g icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Place the ingredients in the mixing bowl & beat on high speed for 5 minutes, this will give you a light, fluffy butter cream. (if you cover the mixer with cling film before you start the butter cream it will stop the icing sugar dusting the kitchen
- Spread or swirl over the cooled cakes
Cupcake ratios:
The quantity of oz’s is half the amount of cakes required, then the eggs are half of the oz’s quantity for example for 20 cupcakes, you need 10oz of sugar, marg & flour and 5 eggs.
So here are a few tips to get you the perfect cupcake.
Use the correct cake tray, a cupcake tray hasn’t got deep enough sides so you’ll end up with a cupcake that spreads and looks flatter, a muffin tray and muffin cases are much better, see the difference below. In the third pic see the difference the cake on the left was cooked in a cupcake tray (1st pic) and the cake on the right was baked in a muffin tray (2nd pic)
Use a good quality thick white muffin case, patterned cases are lovely but often bleed through, here’s an example of a good case and a cheap thin case. They are the same cake just different cases.
When filling your muffin cases I use an ice cream scoop and fill to about 3/4 full. Once in the oven try to avoid opening the oven until about 3/4 of the way through cooking which will ensure your cakes rise well.
I hope these tips will help
Happy Baking
Sadie x