If you're not the most confident baker, baking cupcakes is a great place to start as they're really straight forward and can be personalised however you like. Why not whip up a batch for birthday celebrations, retirements or even just to enjoy with a cup of tea.
To get you going, here are two delicious recipes for some light and fluffy vanilla and chocolate cupcakes.
Vanilla cupcakes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 18 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
175 g margarine
175 g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
3 eggs
175 g self-raising flour
For the buttercream
140 g unsalted butter softened
280 g icing sugar
1-2 tbsp milk
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160ºC (fan assisted, 180ºC non-fan) and line a cupcake tin with paper liners.
- Beat the butter and sugar together for roughly 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract and eggs and mix again.
- Add the flour and mix until it is combined. Spoon into 12 cupcake cases filling each 2/3 full.
- Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes. Check they are cooked by piercing them with a cocktail stick, if the stick comes out clean they are cooked.
- Leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
For the buttercream
- Once the cakes have cooled completely, make the buttercream. Start by beating the softened butter for a minute or two.
- Add in the icing sugar and beat until mixed.
- Gradually add the milk a little at a time until you get a smooth but still quite thick consistency.
- Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe onto the cupcakes. Finish with any decorations.
Recipe from Curly's Cooking.
Chocolate cupcakes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
150 g self-raising flour
30 g cocoa powder
175 g caster sugar
175 g soft margarine - or softened butter
3 large eggs
⅛ tsp vanilla extract
75 g milk chocolate
½ tbsp milk
For the buttercream
250 g unsalted butter - soft at room temperature
250 g icing sugar
150 g milk chocolate
40 g cocoa powder
¼ tsp vanilla extract
A little milk
Method
- Preheat your oven to 160ºC/140ºC fan.
- Put your cupcake cases into a muffin tin.
- Grate the milk chocolate (75g).
- Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl (150g self-raising flour, 30g cocoa powder, 175g caster sugar, 3 large eggs, 175g soft margarine, ⅛ tsp vanilla extract, ½ tbsp milk and the grated chocolate) mix on a low speed until fully combined.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 cupcake cases (I use a cupcake scoop to help split it evenly).
- Put the tin into the oven and cook the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes. After 20 minutes put a skewer in the middle and check if it comes out clean. If it does they're done, if not pop them back in for a couple more minutes and check again.
- Once cooked, remove the cupcakes from the oven and leave them to cool in the tins for a few minutes.
- Remove the cupcakes from their tin and pop them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the buttercream
- Break the chocolate (150g) into pieces and melt it (either using short bursts in the microwave – stirring regularly, over the lowest possible heat in a saucepan – stirring constantly, or in a bain-marie – stirring constantly).
- Once melted remove from the heat and pour into another bowl (this will help it to cool as it needs to be back to room temperature before mixing with the buttercream).
- Beat the butter (250g) until soft then add the vanilla extract (¼ tsp), cocoa powder (40g) and icing sugar (250g) and beat until fully combined (it’s easier to avoid the cocoa powder and sugar flying everywhere if you add it a spoonful at a time).
- Once the chocolate has cooled to room temperature (DO NOT add the chocolate when it’s still warm as it’ll melt the butter and your buttercream will end up too runny) pour it into the buttercream and beat until fully combined. You should find that the buttercream is soft and spreadable. If it is a little stiff then add milk a tsp at a time until it is the right consistency.
- Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe onto the cupcakes. Finish with any decorations.
Recipes from Charlotte's Lively Kitchen.
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