Cupcake Recipes, Tips & Ideas

[nic]

I use to make cupcakes using a Donna Hay recipe. When I didn't have the time or just couldn't be bothered making that extra effort I would buy the Green's buttercake packet mix. I think it is nicer than the White Wings one.

375g butter
1 and a half cups caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 eggs
3 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder

Pre heat oven to 160. Place butter, sugar and vanilla in bow and beat until light and creamy.
Add the eggs, two at a time, beating well.
Sift the flour and baking powder over the butter mixture and mix until combined.
Fill patty cases until 3/4 full and bake for 35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

[mrsmac]

I have made these quite a few times and they are quick and easy. DD1 had to take cupocakes for school last week and I made these and they were voted "best ever" by her Legal studies class LOL (ys she is 17 but they have "cake day" in legal studies!!)

Quick Mix Patty cakes
125g softened chopped butter
1tsp vanilla
3/4 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups SR flour
1/2 cup milk.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl then mix with electric mixer on low until combined. Beat on medium until mixture changes colour and is smooth then drop 1 1/2 tbs of mix into each patty case.Bake in mod oven for about 15-20 minutes. Cool on rack.

[KatieRabbit]

Nic- do you put yours in normal patty papers or in muffin papers? Given the quantity the look muffin sized?

[nic]

Nic- do you put yours in normal patty papers or in muffin papers? Given the quantity the look muffin sized?

Yeah, I put them in a muffin tin, but the recipe stated they were for cupcakes..it does seem like a lot though, doesn't it?

Nic

[ll80]

thanks for the replies everyone

I ended up doing a trial of this recipe: SO YUMMY!!

Magnolia’s Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes (depending on the size of your cupcake papers and muffin tins)
CUPCAKES:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. At the bakery we ice the cupcakes with either Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.
Note: If you would like to make a layer cake instead of cupcakes, divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans and bake the layers for 30-40 minutes.

Vanilla Buttercream
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
*Note:
If you are icing a 3-layer cake, use the following recipe proportions:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
8 to 10 cups confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

I used vanilla bean paste instead of the extract though.

[Muppity]

The one that I can't go past is Nigellas cupcake recipe. It is just devine - but Magnolia's sounds pretty good too - maybe I should go outside my comfort zone and explore other cupcake recipes

[nic]

ooh, the Magnolia Bakery's Buttercream is nice, I made it with pure icing sugar and woohoo, it was sweet!

[KatieRabbit]

That Magnolia Bakery one is really similar to the one that I posted earlier about that I didn't give the recipe for as it is more time consuming than more basic cupcakes but makes really soft fluffy ones! Mine was from the Crabapple Cupcake Bakery cookbook which is worth getting if you love making cupcakes.