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The Cupcake Thread!
- Thread starter Mara
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Mara
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love them Dandi!!! your roses are so beautiful.
do you like the mud recipes? i have never made one but they seem so EASY.
does anyone have a good one bowl vanilla or basic white or yellow cake recipe? i need to work on mine a bit and mulling over ideas..i hate using more than one bowl and i prefer to not use a mixer for batter.
do you like the mud recipes? i have never made one but they seem so EASY.
does anyone have a good one bowl vanilla or basic white or yellow cake recipe? i need to work on mine a bit and mulling over ideas..i hate using more than one bowl and i prefer to not use a mixer for batter.
swingirl
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DandiAndi, these are absolutely gorgeous! Your frosting looks fantastic and the little glimse of the actual cake looks moist and light. In short, the perfect cupcakes. Awesome!
Mara, this is my no-fail recipe. I got it from the Ladybird Big Book Of Recipes, which was a gift for my 4th birthday. It''s still the one I turn to when I need a cake or cupcakes to turn out right. Never let me down yet...
Only thing is, when I tried your recipe, I had to tweak it a bit to suit the Scottish damp, cool weather, you might recall. You may have to experiment with this one along the same lines. If the mix looks too sloppy, add a handful of ground almonds (more flour can make it too heavy). If it''s too dry, beat another egg and add just enough to get the batter to the right consistency.
You can also vary the quantity successfully if you keep the proportions the same. 1 egg = 2oz of all other ingredients (ie 4 eggs = 4oz flour, butter, sugar and so on). It''s a fairly forgiving recipe, and you can add cocoa, almond extract, a little espresso, lemon zest and a little juice, whatever flavourings you want, generally without changing the texture of the finished cake too much. Again, some ground almonds will compensate for any extra liquid if necessary. It bakes into layer cakes successfully every time too. I use it for birthday cakes and I have even used it for a wedding cake, with (though I say it myself) huge success.
Easy, simple and tasty. One bowl, one spoon. Can''t go wrong...
6 oz self-raising flour
6 oz caster sugar (not sure what that''s called in the US - it looks like granulated but with slightly finer granules so it dissolves faster)
6 oz butter
3 large eggs
vanilla extract (as much or as little as you like, I add at least a tablespoon)
Beat the sugar and the butter together with a wooden spoon. Add the vanilla and beat, then the eggs and beat them in gently, one at a time.
Sieve the flour into the bowl and stir in gently. Don''t over-mix.
Bake at 190 degrees centigrade for about 12 minutes (this will depend on your oven and the size of cupcake).
Jen
Mara, this is my no-fail recipe. I got it from the Ladybird Big Book Of Recipes, which was a gift for my 4th birthday. It''s still the one I turn to when I need a cake or cupcakes to turn out right. Never let me down yet...
Only thing is, when I tried your recipe, I had to tweak it a bit to suit the Scottish damp, cool weather, you might recall. You may have to experiment with this one along the same lines. If the mix looks too sloppy, add a handful of ground almonds (more flour can make it too heavy). If it''s too dry, beat another egg and add just enough to get the batter to the right consistency.
You can also vary the quantity successfully if you keep the proportions the same. 1 egg = 2oz of all other ingredients (ie 4 eggs = 4oz flour, butter, sugar and so on). It''s a fairly forgiving recipe, and you can add cocoa, almond extract, a little espresso, lemon zest and a little juice, whatever flavourings you want, generally without changing the texture of the finished cake too much. Again, some ground almonds will compensate for any extra liquid if necessary. It bakes into layer cakes successfully every time too. I use it for birthday cakes and I have even used it for a wedding cake, with (though I say it myself) huge success.
Easy, simple and tasty. One bowl, one spoon. Can''t go wrong...
6 oz self-raising flour
6 oz caster sugar (not sure what that''s called in the US - it looks like granulated but with slightly finer granules so it dissolves faster)
6 oz butter
3 large eggs
vanilla extract (as much or as little as you like, I add at least a tablespoon)
Beat the sugar and the butter together with a wooden spoon. Add the vanilla and beat, then the eggs and beat them in gently, one at a time.
Sieve the flour into the bowl and stir in gently. Don''t over-mix.
Bake at 190 degrees centigrade for about 12 minutes (this will depend on your oven and the size of cupcake).
Jen
Mara
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thanks Jennifer...! that does look similar to the one i use now... but my experience with all butter vanilla or white cakes is that they taste fabulous but they go from underdone to overdone/dry in scant time. i almost want to use a little bit of oil, which for me is hard to do in a recipe where you can taste the flavor so obviously (Whereas with chocolate cake or carrot cake etc...using oil is usually masked by the incredibly FLAVOR of the cake you are making).
interesting re the ground almonds, i will try it! that would be great for personal use cakes but prob not for anything i''d serve to others as wouldn''t it be a potential problem for someone with a nut allergy?
swin..with really careful fingers!! hehe. i usually try not to frost my top entirely so that it can be grabbed somewhat...but i also use a diff container/box.
interesting re the ground almonds, i will try it! that would be great for personal use cakes but prob not for anything i''d serve to others as wouldn''t it be a potential problem for someone with a nut allergy?
swin..with really careful fingers!! hehe. i usually try not to frost my top entirely so that it can be grabbed somewhat...but i also use a diff container/box.
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Thanks Mara! Both recipes are so easy, and each just require a bowl for the dry ingredients, and a saucepan to melt the other business in. They''re SO easy and are always always dense, moist and beautifully domed!
swingirl, sometimes it''s a challenge! There''s usually enough cake and foil peeking out the top to grab on each side, it can be tricky! Like Mara I often use other boxes.
Thankyou Jennifer, you''re a sweetheart! The recipes are so easy and always come out well, I love them!
swingirl, sometimes it''s a challenge! There''s usually enough cake and foil peeking out the top to grab on each side, it can be tricky! Like Mara I often use other boxes.
Thankyou Jennifer, you''re a sweetheart! The recipes are so easy and always come out well, I love them!
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Re:
Sorry - I should have mentioned that they wouldn't be safe for people with nut allergies, plus if you made a batch of them, you'd have to clean equipment super carefully. I know you would anyway, but I'd even go as far as keeping wooden spoons / bowls / cake tins for the nut version if you're making these for other people, just in case. A trace of nuts can be fatal, as you know.
If it's for you and you aren't thinking about allergies, you can replace 1/4 of the butter with the equal weight of almond oil (do it by weight, not volume) and it will make a slightly more moist cake with a more 'closed' crumb, but do experiment, because the humidity and resulting water content in the flour will have more of an effect than with all butter in my experience.
Alternatively, maybe look for citrus oils - I have orange and lemon oil, but do check labels carefully for nuts, as some of them are blended with almond oil for bulk.
One thing I've found helpful for white sponge mix is when the cakes are just done and no more or very slightly underdone, turn off the oven, open the oven door and leave them for just a few more minutes to 'set'.
Jen
Mara said:
Sorry - I should have mentioned that they wouldn't be safe for people with nut allergies, plus if you made a batch of them, you'd have to clean equipment super carefully. I know you would anyway, but I'd even go as far as keeping wooden spoons / bowls / cake tins for the nut version if you're making these for other people, just in case. A trace of nuts can be fatal, as you know.
If it's for you and you aren't thinking about allergies, you can replace 1/4 of the butter with the equal weight of almond oil (do it by weight, not volume) and it will make a slightly more moist cake with a more 'closed' crumb, but do experiment, because the humidity and resulting water content in the flour will have more of an effect than with all butter in my experience.
Alternatively, maybe look for citrus oils - I have orange and lemon oil, but do check labels carefully for nuts, as some of them are blended with almond oil for bulk.
One thing I've found helpful for white sponge mix is when the cakes are just done and no more or very slightly underdone, turn off the oven, open the oven door and leave them for just a few more minutes to 'set'.
Jen
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Re:
Sorry - I should have mentioned that they wouldn't be safe for people with nut allergies, plus if you made a batch of them, you'd have to clean equipment super carefully. I know you would anyway, but I'd even go as far as keeping wooden spoons / bowls / cake tins for the nut version if you're making these for other people, just in case. A trace of nuts can be fatal, as you know.
If it's for you and you aren't thinking about allergies, you can replace 1/4 of the butter with the equal weight of almond oil (do it by weight, not volume) and it will make a slightly more moist cake with a more 'closed' crumb, but do experiment, because the humidity and resulting water content in the flour will have more of an effect than with all butter in my experience.
Alternatively, maybe look for citrus oils - I have orange and lemon oil, but do check labels carefully for nuts, as some of them are blended with almond oil for bulk.
One thing I've found helpful for white sponge mix is when the cakes are just done and no more or very slightly underdone, turn off the oven, open the oven door and leave them for just a few more minutes to 'set'.
Jen
Mara said:
Sorry - I should have mentioned that they wouldn't be safe for people with nut allergies, plus if you made a batch of them, you'd have to clean equipment super carefully. I know you would anyway, but I'd even go as far as keeping wooden spoons / bowls / cake tins for the nut version if you're making these for other people, just in case. A trace of nuts can be fatal, as you know.
If it's for you and you aren't thinking about allergies, you can replace 1/4 of the butter with the equal weight of almond oil (do it by weight, not volume) and it will make a slightly more moist cake with a more 'closed' crumb, but do experiment, because the humidity and resulting water content in the flour will have more of an effect than with all butter in my experience.
Alternatively, maybe look for citrus oils - I have orange and lemon oil, but do check labels carefully for nuts, as some of them are blended with almond oil for bulk.
One thing I've found helpful for white sponge mix is when the cakes are just done and no more or very slightly underdone, turn off the oven, open the oven door and leave them for just a few more minutes to 'set'.
Jen
ilovethiswebsite
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Mara
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SDL...I hate to be a naysayer on something that is prob more healthy esp given my propensity for eating healthier, BUTTTTT I would not bake with anything but the real thing after doing it a few times myself AND tasting. I don't use anything but real butter, real sugar, etc. You can just use a little less of it sometimes and/or add other things to make something more 'nutritious' OR just have a smaller piece. Or whole wheat flour for a bit more oomph. If you 'amortize' out the sugar/butter etc into smaller portions usually it doesn't save you that much more to do it with fake sugar or fake butter etc. Maybe an extra 50 cals and I'd rather enjoy those extra 50 !
Anyway, my vote.
Anyway, my vote.
Steel
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Hopefully I am finally able to share my baking here. I know some of you must be rolling your eyes back into their sockets when I go on about the horrors of building- so I won't. What I will say is that now our kitchen is 85% done I am able to get back into baking; which is one of my favourite things to do.
Today I made:
Sultana & Cinnamon bread.(Favourite for toasting in the mornings) Dont worry, this was courtesy of DH's breakmaker - don't go thinking I'm that handy.
&
Dum dum duuuummmmmm.
A new recipe: Carrot and Courgette (Zucchini) cupcakes (& mini cupcakes) with cream cheese frosting.
I have a new 5mp camera on my phone (I've lost the camera, camera if you know what I mean) but cannot get it to take great pics yet. I hope to get better.
I am very proud of this because DH grew the carrots and courgette here at home so I walked out to pick them for this recipe and our girls supplied the eggs; tres cool in my book.
I took some wider shots to give you an idea of the kitchen - which is not tidy BTW. Hope you like it.
ETA: It takes sooooo long to upload pics - I must be doing something wrong I started this post at 8pm and it is now 8.55 and I'm still uploading!
Today I made:
Sultana & Cinnamon bread.(Favourite for toasting in the mornings) Dont worry, this was courtesy of DH's breakmaker - don't go thinking I'm that handy.
&
Dum dum duuuummmmmm.
A new recipe: Carrot and Courgette (Zucchini) cupcakes (& mini cupcakes) with cream cheese frosting.
I have a new 5mp camera on my phone (I've lost the camera, camera if you know what I mean) but cannot get it to take great pics yet. I hope to get better.
I am very proud of this because DH grew the carrots and courgette here at home so I walked out to pick them for this recipe and our girls supplied the eggs; tres cool in my book.
I took some wider shots to give you an idea of the kitchen - which is not tidy BTW. Hope you like it.
ETA: It takes sooooo long to upload pics - I must be doing something wrong I started this post at 8pm and it is now 8.55 and I'm still uploading!
Steel
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The bread is on the end of the island. I will cut it tomorrow for breakfast 
and will try to snap a picture. If you guys are interested in the recipes then give me a shout and I be happy to type it out.
I did a gorgeous tripple layer lemon drizle cake last week that I'm kicking myself I didn't snap a pic of. It was very cool - take my word for it.
BTW: Sorry for the shameless show-off-my-kitchen picture. But I am very proud of our work everything you see DH and I did. I did go for the green paint in the kitchen - as you can see. One regret is that it is not washable. We don't know how we missed that one but c'est la vie and all. 
and will try to snap a picture. If you guys are interested in the recipes then give me a shout and I be happy to type it out.I did a gorgeous tripple layer lemon drizle cake last week that I'm kicking myself I didn't snap a pic of. It was very cool - take my word for it.
BTW: Sorry for the shameless show-off-my-kitchen picture. But I am very proud of our work everything you see DH and I did.
I did go for the green paint in the kitchen - as you can see. One regret is that it is not washable. We don't know how we missed that one but c'est la vie and all.
Mara
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Steel
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dragonfly411
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Steel
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dragonfly411 said:
I'm so chuffed you like it. It is wonderful to get positive feedback, thank you. We have about six acres in all, we will start a little hobby farm next year; now that the house is getting in hand. DH wants pigs and we will go and get more layer hens and perhaps some sheep. It is so strange; my life is nothing like I ever planned but it is slowing becoming great.
So here is today's efforts:
Raspberry double layer cupcakes; 12 mini and 4 large. I stole Mara's idea of using jam in the middle of the cake and it worked out great. So thank you Mara!
Steel
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Here is a little snap of the insides.
It has:
Sprinkles.
Cream cheese frosting with a dollop of jam (again, idea stolen from Mara) which really worked out well.
Plain vanilla batter.
Jam.
Plain vanilla batter + drop of red food colouring.
DH is in love with them
. 2 are gone already and we have not had dinner yet!
It has:
Sprinkles.
Cream cheese frosting with a dollop of jam (again, idea stolen from Mara) which really worked out well.
Plain vanilla batter.
Jam.
Plain vanilla batter + drop of red food colouring.
DH is in love with them
. 2 are gone already and we have not had dinner yet!
Steel
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dragonfly411
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Steal, your kitchen is to die for!! It's so bright and warming, and the plate of gorgeous cuppies tops it off beautifully!!
Here are some pics of cuppies I made yesterday, just mudake with CC icing, for a girl who's OBSESSED with the colour blue! I love the paper cups, they have blue, yellow, pink and red stripes, cute! My brother got them for me for my birthday - I was impressed!
Here are some pics of cuppies I made yesterday, just mudake with CC icing, for a girl who's OBSESSED with the colour blue! I love the paper cups, they have blue, yellow, pink and red stripes, cute! My brother got them for me for my birthday - I was impressed!
dragonfly411
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Thanks lovely dragonfly! Mudcake is always delish, OH and I'd love to get some chooks and have fresh home laid eggs! Don't think they'd get along too well with our fox terriers though 
Well I've been baking again, cupcakes wouldn't ya know it! Just for something different Coconut Kisses of sorts, for a coconut-mad gal at work. Made some with and sans coconut for those in the crowd who don't like the stuff. These paper cups are from my brother too, aren't they cute??
My entire house is covered in coconut, these were fun to make but mega messy!
Well I've been baking again, cupcakes wouldn't ya know it! Just for something different
Coconut Kisses of sorts, for a coconut-mad gal at work. Made some with and sans coconut for those in the crowd who don't like the stuff. These paper cups are from my brother too, aren't they cute??My entire house is covered in coconut, these were fun to make but mega messy!
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vc10um
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Mara
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Autumnovember
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vc10um, the cocnut ones were a hit for most, but unfortunately I ran into a few people at the do that hate the stuff! Ah well, more for me Thanks hunni!
Thanks Loves Vintage! Actually my brother bought them for my birthday, so I don't know, sorry love! They're pretty cute though, aren't they?!
Mara, I love those paper cups, but they look SO much better with a pale cake like white choc mud or vanilla... the darker ones like chocolate show through the paper which irritates me, but given my obsessiveness re. details, it's probably not that big a deal Thanks lovely!
Aww thanks CurlySue! They were a heap of fun to decorate, and slightly warmed up so the chocolate and marshmallows melt a bit... MMM!
Hi Echidna! How local is local??
Australia can't be that big a place, can it?!
Thankyou SDL, you are such a doll and never fail to put a smile on my face!!
Autumnovember, I hope you find someone amazing to help you out!! Thanks dear!
Thanks hunni!Thanks Loves Vintage! Actually my brother bought them for my birthday, so I don't know, sorry love!
They're pretty cute though, aren't they?!Mara, I love those paper cups, but they look SO much better with a pale cake like white choc mud or vanilla... the darker ones like chocolate show through the paper which irritates me, but given my obsessiveness re. details, it's probably not that big a deal
Thanks lovely!Aww thanks CurlySue! They were a heap of fun to decorate, and slightly warmed up so the chocolate and marshmallows melt a bit... MMM!
Hi Echidna! How local is local??
Australia can't be that big a place, can it?! Thankyou SDL, you are such a doll and never fail to put a smile on my face!!
Autumnovember, I hope you find someone amazing to help you out!! Thanks dear!
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