Cupcakes have become very popular.
No longer are they just made and decorated for children’s birthday parties: they’re available at most coffee outlets; there are shops that sell nothing but cupcakes; and I’ve even seen them at weddings, where every guest gets one – nice 🙂
Of course, the real fun comes when you decorate them.
They are very quick and easy to make and preparation time is around ten minutes!
This cupcake recipe will make around 20 cupcakes – and to keep things simple I use a cup measure. The cup should hold approx 250 ml / 8fl oz of liquid.
Here goes:-
Cupcakes – Ingredients
- 125 g butter (or usual spread)
- Half cup Castor Sugar (or other white sugar)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Eggs
- One and a Half cups self-raising flour
- Approx one-third cup of milk (I use soy)
- 2 Cup Cake baking trays
- Cup Cake paper cases – about 20
Cupcakes – Method
- Assemble the food processor (aka whizzer)
- Whiz together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until creamy smooth
- Add the 2 eggs and whiz again
- Add the flour and whiz some more
- Add the milk, bit by bit, and whiz for the final time – don’t make the mixture too runny (see handy hints below)
- Put the cup cake paper cases in the baking trays and fill each one with a good heaped dessert spoonful of the mix
- Cook in a pre-heated moderate oven for 10-15 minutes (keep an eye on them because they cook quickly)
- Once they have risen and look golden brown they are cooked – place each one on a wire rack to cool completely
Uncooked Cupcakes
Cupcakes Cooling on Wire Rack
Handy Hints and Suggestions
- The consistency is about right when the mixture slowly falls off the spoon. If it just stays there it’s probably a bit thick, so add a bit more milk. If it runs off it’s definitely too thin, so add more flour
- Make sure you allow to cool completely before decorating, otherwise the icing, cream, or whatever you use, will melt
- Once cool, cupcakes freeze well in a sealed container or freezer bag
- They are perfect for school lunch boxes
- If you want to make bigger cupcakes, use a muffin tray and muffin sized paper cases – they will take longer to cook of course
- Make smaller ones by putting less mix in each paper case – keep an eye on them in the oven as they cook quickly
- If you were wondering what self-raising flour is, it’s merely flour that has already had baking powder added to it, so it will rise during cooking. You can use plain flour and add the baking powder yourself – about 1 teaspoon for every cup of flour and mix well
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I look forward to reading your comments and thank you for any shares on social media 🙂
Jan Littlehales
You might also enjoy:
Decorating Cupcakes
Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
How to Make a Cake
Wow, can you really make cupcakes in ten minutes! I never would’ve thought that!
How would you make them in different flavours, say chocolate?
Hi Lina,
Very easy to turn them into chocolate cupcakes – just add a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder to the mix – add at the same time as the flour. Of course, you could throw in a few chocolate chips as well 🙂
Nice one Jan, I was interested to discover that self raising flour has baking powder in it to make it self raising and that we can convert plain flour by adding the baking powder. Good one to know.
I just love the look of cupcakes , so I am looking forward to the next post, the decorating part. Eating them rates pretty highly too.
Thanks for comments Leo and Jenny.
Glad you found the info about the self raising flour helpful Leo.
Decorating cupcakes is fun Jenny – although I’m no expert! The best thing is, they still taste yummy, no matter how professional the decorating 🙂
My boys love cupcakes. Like you said – they can be used for any occassion. One year we made the “Number 6” with enough cupcakes for every child in a class (one of our boys took them to there school). That way when one of our boys turned 6 the teacher did not have to worry about cutting the cake up, and did not have to worry about the mess! The kids loved having a cupcake each.
Cheers
Lisa
Thanks for your comment Lisa – cupcakes can be used for just about any occasion. Love the idea of making a number 6 out of them 🙂
G’day Jan
My Mum used to make cupcakes all the time and I was notorious for arriving in the kitchen as she was taking them from the oven.
Guess What ? Some of them never made it to the cooling rack as I was overwhelmed by how delicious they smelled. Thanks for the recipe and for stirring up some nostalgia.
Cheers
Harry
Hi Harry – the same thing happens here. I have to keep guard in the kitchen, otherwise the cupcakes would be half eaten in a flash 🙂
I absolutely love how cupcakes are so versatile and easy. For my mum and dads 50th wedding anniversary, instead of having a cake, we made a display out of cupcakes with the icing the colour of their bridesmaids. Looked fantastic and so much easier for the guests to just come over and take a cupcake instead of having to cut up and serve a cake.
The 50th anniversary ‘cake’ sounds fabulous Jackie. More and more people are choosing the not-so-humble-anymore cupcake to celebrate almost any occasions 🙂
I haven’t made cup cakes for ages – they sound delicious. Will have to make them again for our next family get-together. Thanks for reminding me.
Yes, they went out of fashion for a while Carolyn – but I think they are back in again 🙂