Cupcakes #recipe #vanillacupcakes #buttercream

I have been meaning to share this recipe for ages as its the one I get asked about most! This recipe is adapted from a "Primrose Bakery" one but I found theirs although delicious to be just a bit too "cakey" without a cup of tea.

I adore cupcakes they are so versatile, you can decorate or flavour them any number of ways but at the risk of sounding a bit "Christian Grey" I like Vanilla. I also love adding a bit of jam to the middle so I guess these are Victoria Sponge cupcakes really.

I'm going to let you into a little secret though...I don't really like icing! I know its weird or "the best bit" as the husband says but a tiny smudge on the top for flavour will do me and although all these huge Eiffle Tower like ones look amazing they are very impractical to eat. I immediately pull the whole top off like a walnut whip and tuck into the cake part, so this is why mine are much more simply decorated.

I've been asked this a few times so I'm going to clear it up now for recipe purposes. A cupcake in reality is any cake that is in a cup (case) but there are many sizes and a true cup cake is smaller than a muffin and bigger than a fairy cake...favoured the world over at children's party's until about the 90's.

1. Muffin.

2.Cupcake.

3. Fairy cake.

4. Mini cupcake.

For more baking tips which might help with this recipe see my original blog

Baking My Way

Cupcakes

Ingredient's

110g Unsalted butter at room temperature.

225g Caster Sugar

1 large Egg

150g Self Raising Flour

80g Plain Flour - combine in a bowl with the SF flour

125ml Semi Skimmed Milk

1 tsp Vanilla extract - combine in a jug with the milk.

Preheat the oven to 160C (Fan)/ 180C/ 350F and line your cupcake tin or tins depending on the size you use. This recipe will make 12 large cupcake or muffins or 16 Cupcakes or 36 mini cupcakes.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is smooth. I use an electric hand mixer and it will take a few minutes to properly combine. Then add the egg and beat thoroughly again.

Get the bowl of flours and the "vanilla milk" to hand. Add a third of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat well. Pour in a third of the Vanilla milk and beat again.

Continue like this until all the flour and milk is used and the mixture is smooth and looks like custard.

Then spoon about a tbsp of the batter into all the cupcake cases. Just after use the back of the spoon to make a little hole in the middle.

Then spoon about a tsp of jam into each of the holes - I use Bonne Maman jams as they are so nice but they are quite loose if your jam is a bit more set transfer what you need into a bowl and add a few drops of boiled water to it to help spoon it into the holes.

Then spoon about another tbsp of the batter on top of the jam making sure the jam is covered - a bit of smoothing may be needed with the spoon.

Bake in the oven for about 20mins larger size or 15 mins for the smaller ones. To be honest I set my timer for 15mins and just keep an eye on them from there. When they are slightly raised and golden brown they are ready.

Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins to cool a little before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool. Then they are ready to be iced however you want.

Vanilla Buttercream

Completely Primrose Bakery

Ingredients

110g Unsalted Butter - almost melting, I sometimes stick it in the microwave for 10secs

60ml Semi Skimmed Milk - room temperature.

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract.

500g of icing sugar.

Bit of icing sugar if you fancy it.

I use my Kitchen aid for this but you could do it with an electric hand mixer...mine cost £4.99 and I would splash the cash because you might loose an arm doing it by hand.

Beat the butter, milk, vanilla and half the icing sugar - I always put a tea towel over the top of my mixer to stop an icing sugar cloud dusting my kitchen.

Then add the rest of the icing sugar and beat very well until smooth and creamy. The more you beat the smoother it will get.

If you want to colour it add a bit at a time. I always use gels, you might have to go to a cake shop but supermarkets have a good selection now. They cost the same as the liquid stuff but are stronger and don't add more liquid to the buttercream which can give it a curdled kind of texture if you add too much. Personal opinion, stay away from blue it take tonnes of dye and looks weird grey really -not appetising.

Decorate as you wish but they will taste yummy no matter what you do...even the cake is happy!

 For a piping tutorial and decorating ideas see.

Piping Tutorial

Here are some I've made for family and friends.