Basic Cupcakes - Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe's

Much of the appeal of cupcakes lies in the relative ease with which they can be prepared and their versatility. Four basic cupcake sponge recipes - vanilla, chocolate, lemon and carrot - can be made in any quantity, iced with a variety of buttercreams and dressed up or down, as the occasion demands.  These basics are a great place to start if you are new to bake or to which you can return time and time again, however experienced a baker you are. 

To guarantee a perfect cupcake sponge, these are the golden rules we always follow:

First, always use good-quality ingredients and bring everything to room temperature before you start to mix them. Try also to be very precise with weighing or measuring.

It's well worth investing in a set of electronic scales for accurate amounts: some weigh in millilitres as well as grams so you can use them for liquid as well as dry weights. Always sift flour and baking powder to avoid lumps. 

We advise you to use an electric hand mixer if possible, as they make it so much quicker and easier to beat the ingredients together and to get a good consistency, but obviously you can beat the mixtures by hand, if you wish. 

And, to ensure all those carefully measured ingredients end up as cake, use a rubber spatula to scrape down sides of the bowl to ensure the batter mixture is well combined. 

Next, it's just as important to be accurate with the oven temperatures and cooking times and - as with pretty much all baking - don't be tempted to open the oven door while the cupcakes are cooking as even a small amount of cold air tends to make the sponge sink. 

Lastly, when you turn out your cupcakes, do allow them to cool completely before icing and, if possible, ice and eat them on the same day, when the sponge is at its freshest. 

Alternatively the cupcakes can be stored in airtight containers before you ice them. They will keep for up to three days at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.

Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe

Makes 12 regular or 36 mini cupcakes

Ingredients :

110g unsalted butter, at room temperature 

225g caster sugar, preferably golden

2 large eggs, free-range or organic

150g self-raising flour, sifted 

125g plain flour, sifted

120ml semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature 

1 teaspoon good-quality vanilla extract

This is our classic cupcake: it takes a lead role in our kitchens with its huge versatility as it can be dressed in a variety of icings and adorned with decorations that will take it from one occasion to another. 

Preheat the oven to 160¤C (fan) /180¤C/350¤F/gas mark 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tray or three 12-hole mini muffin trays with the appropriate size cupcake cases. 

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and smooth,  which should take 3-5 minutes using an electric hand mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition.

Combine the two flours in a separate bowl. Put the milk in a jug and add the vanilla extract to it. 

Add one-third of the flours to the creamed mixture and beat well. Pour in one-third of the milk and beat again. Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk have been added. 

Carefully spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes (regular size) or 15 minutes (mini size) until slightly raised and golden brown. To check they are cooked, insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cakes - it should come out clean.

My secret Less-Sweet fluffy vanilla fosting

 

Vanilla Cupcakes frosted with Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool. Once they are completely cool, ice the cupcakes with vanilla, chocolate, or lime and coconut buttercream icing.