Cupcakes are still as popular as ever and rightly so. They are perfect miniature cakes and come with such a variety of flavours and toppings they could never really become boring. There are a multitude of cupcake recipes, mostly for sponge mixtures, but I've actually found it quite difficult to find the 'perfect' recipe! So, here I'm sharing a recipe I've adapted based on all those I've tried and tested and I'm also sharing some of the tips I've learnt along the way.
Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients:-
- 100g Butter, softened
- 120g Self-raising flour
- 20g Cornflour
- 140g Caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 Large eggs
- 3 tablespoons milk
Method:-
- Pre-heat the oven to 180c / 160c Fan / Gas 4
- Beat all the ingredients together in a mixer for one minute. (Ingredients need to be mixed well but not over beaten)
- Fill cupcake cases half way and place these in a deep muffin tin to keep their shape.
- Bake for 20 minutes in the centre of the oven. Cool for a few minutes in the pan and then take out to cool on a wire rack.
- Top Tips for perfect cupcakes
- Check the oven temperature is correct before cooking - the cupcakes may come away from their cases if the oven is not hot enough or they haven't been cooked long enough.
- If you want a domed shape cupcake, fill the case to 3/4 full.
- Warm your eggs before using them by placing them in a bowl of warm water (still in their shells) for a few minutes. This will help to prevent them curdling. Then break them and whisk lightly before adding to the other ingredients.
- Make sure your butter is well softened. Many recipes recommend using margarine for good results but the flavour is always better with a good quality butter.
- When the cupcakes are taken out of the oven and still warm, brush them with a syrup to add flavour and moisture. This can be made with a little water boiled in a pan with a little sugar. Various flavours can also be added or melt some jam with a little water.
- Add a moist, flavoured filling by cutting a small cone shape from the top of the cupcake. Then fill this with some jam or curd. The cone can then be replaced before the topping is added.
- Cupcakes can then be decorated to taste...