You thought that sweets don’t abide to trends? Well, they do. And believe us when we tell you that, right now, the trend in terms of sweets is going small and delicious. We are talking about cupcakes and macarons. The tone is set by the major pastry shops from New York or Paris that came up with the idea that small is better.
For the English, the cupcake is a cult. It is a national dish. The cupcake has a long history behind it. Like any respectable thing with a glorious future, the cupcake started down and worked its way up. It was the food of poor servants from the medieval courts of Queen Victoria. Surprised by the lust with which servants ate cupcakes, princesses with delicate lace gloves and umbrellas wanted to taste it. And they invited friends to tea and instead of cookies and cakes, they served cupcakes. The reputation of the cupcake is due to a baker who wanted to make a simple food for servants which they could eat on the run. So, he put on a barbecue a composition of dry bread, biscuit dough and mashed boiled potatoes. Today we celebrate the cupcake with ten delicious recipes, easy to make. Because when you bake something, it is a lot more delicious than buying the product from the store.
Ingredients:
- 200g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
- 1/2 cup milk
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced oven. Line muffin or mini-muffin pans with paper cases.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, vanilla and sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition (mixture will separate at this stage). Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in half the flour. Stir in half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk until combined.
For 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pans use 2 level tablespoons of mixture. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Alternatively, for 1 tablespoon-capacity mini muffin pans use 1 tablespoon mixture. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Stand cakes in pans for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Ingredients for the cupcakes:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 ounces melted unsweetened baking chocolate
Preparation method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
Combine all ingredients into large mixing bowl. Mix at low speed for 30 seconds, and scrape bowl. Mix at high speed for 3 minutes.
Fill liners 1/2 to 2/3 full of batter. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes in pans then remove from pan, and place on wire racks to cool completely.
Frost when chocolate cupcakes are completely cool.
3. Banana cupcake with vanilla pastry cream
Ingredients for the cupcakes:
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1½ cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 4 bananas)
- ½ cup buttermilk
Ingredients for Vanilla Pastry Cream:
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 6 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with paper liners.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, add the eggs, and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bowl again and add the bananas. Beat until just combined. Turn the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.
Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and place them on the rack to cool completely.
To Make the Vanilla Pastry Cream: Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, bring the half-and-half to a simmer and keep warm. 3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt together until the mixture is pale, about 1 minute. Whisk half of the warm half-and-half into the egg yolk mixture, then pour that mixture into the remaining half-and-half in the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Strain the pastry cream through the sieve and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Put in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, or until chilled.
Follow the assembling and serving instructions listed in the title link.
4. Missy’s lemon and blueberry cupcake
Ingredients
Batter:
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (let stand at roomtemp)
- 3 eggs (let stand at room temp)
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons finely shredded lemon peel
- Butter baking spray
- Blueberries, coated with flour
Frosting:
- 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter (let stand at room temp)
- 1 stick cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
Decoration:
- Lemon peel
- Blueberries
- Sprig of fresh mint
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the batter: Mix the butter and eggs. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Mix the granulated sugar, milk and lemon peel together. Then mix the butter and eggs into the milk and sugar mixture. Mix the flour into the wet mixture and blend.
Place paper cups into a pan, spray with butter baking spray and fill each cup three-quarters full with batter. Drop the coated blueberries on top. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
For the frosting: Combine the powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese, lemon juice and zest together until light and fluffy. Pipe onto the cupcakes and decorate with lemon peel, blueberries and a mint leaf.
5. Raspberry cheesecake cupcake
Ingredients
- 8 white chocolate cookies
- 45g/1¾oz butter, melted
For the filling
- 300g/10½oz cream cheese
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 90g/3¼oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 free-range egg, plus 1 egg yolk
- 3 tbsp soured cream
- 100g/3½oz raspberries
- lightly whipped double cream or crème fraîche, to serve
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a muffin tin with eight muffin cases.
Blend the cookies in a food processor until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. (You can also do this by placing them in a plastic bag and bashing with a rolling pin).
Stir in the melted butter until well combined. Press the mixture into the base of the paper cases, reserving a tablespoon to garnish.
For the filling, beat the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth, then stir in the plain flour, caster sugar, vanilla extract, egg and egg yolk and soured cream and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Put a few raspberries in the bottom of each case, reserving some for garnish, then spoon the cream cheese mixture on top.
Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheesecake filling is set, but still slightly wobbly in the middle.
Remove the cupcakes from the oven and set aside to cool for 30 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the tin, transfer to a plate and chill in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight.
To serve, carefully peel off the paper cases and top the cupcakes with a spoonful of whipped cream and a few raspberries. Sprinkle over the reserved biscuit mixture.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid
- 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 12 cup muffin pans or line with 18 paper baking cups.
Measure the apple cider vinegar into a 2 cup measuring cup. Fill with almond milk to make 1 1/2 cups. Let stand until curdled, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk mixture, coconut oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack. When cool, arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter. Frost with desired frosting.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 fluid ounce red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 12 cup muffin pans or line with 20 paper baking cups.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, red food coloring and vanilla. Stir in the baking soda and vinegar. Combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt; stir into the batter just until blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack. When cool, arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter and frost with desired frosting.
8. Dairy-free strawberry and vanilla cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup polyunsaturated spread
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
- 1 egg
- coloured sprinkles, to decorate
Icing:
- 2/3 cup polyunsaturated spread
- 2 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture
- 1 teaspoon strawberry essence
- red food colouring
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 30 holes of three 12-hole, 40ml-capacity patty pans with paper cases.
Using an electric mixer, beat spread, vanilla extract, sugar, flour, egg and 3/4 cup cold water on low speed for 1 minute. Increase speed to high. Beat for a further 4 minutes or until mixture has thickened. Spoon into patty cases. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into one cake comes out clean. Stand cakes in pans for 2 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
Make icing. Using an electric mixer, beat spread, icing sugar and strawberry essence in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add 2 to 3 drops of food colouring and beat to combine. Place icing in a piping bag or plastic bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe icing onto cakes. Top with sprinkles. Serve.
Ingredients for the cupcakes:
- 150g/5½oz margarine
- 150g/5½oz caster sugar
- 100g/3½oz self-raising flour
- 3 free-range eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 60g/2¼oz ground almonds
- 1 tbsp milk
- 90g/3¼oz raspberry jam
Ingredients for the icing:
- 250g/9oz icing sugar
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 12 un-dyed glacé cherries
Preparation method:
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
For the cupcakes, cream the margarine in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients, except the raspberry jam, and mix until well combined.
Spoon the mixture into the cases and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until risen and golden-brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
For the icing, mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together in a bowl until smooth.
Using an apple corer, carefully remove the middle of the cupcakes. Fill the holes with the raspberry jam.
Carefully spoon the icing onto the top of each cake until the icing reaches the sides of the cake case and top with a cherry.
10. Pumpkin Maple Chip Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin
- 2/3 cup Mini Maple Chips (I bet cinnamon chips work just great, if ya can find them!)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 2 (8) ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 stick unsalted butter; softened
- 2 lbs. confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used Beanilla’s Vanilla Bean Paste)
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350° (175°C). Line a cupcake pan with 18 liners.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg and salt into a medium bowl.
Add the eggs 1 at a time to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth and fold in the mini maple chips. Scoop the batter among the cupcake liners — you’re looking to get them 3/4 full. Rap the filled pans once on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks completely.
In the bowl of your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth and creamy.
Stir in vanilla extract.
Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
