Easy, Impressive Cup Cakes (Baking)

Member Name: evelyndunton

Product:	Baking
Date:	13/06/09 (88 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nicer and less expensive than bought ones

Disadvantages: None

Having just seen a review for M&S cup cakes - 4 for £2.99! I thought I would write my review of my own home made cup cakes.

These cakes always seem to be a hit whenever I make them, whether for children or adults. If I am making them for children I ice them in whacky colours but if making for adults I decorate them with pastel shades or even white icing and use the little bought icing flowers you can buy in any supermarket.

The cup cakes are so easy to make you can make them for after dinner when you get in from work!

What you need

12 bun muffin tin lined with 12 muffin papers

Heat your oven to 200C, gas mark 6

125 g unaslted butter, softened
125 g caster sugar
2 large eggs
125 g self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 - 3 tablespoons milk

Put all the ingredients except the milk in a food processor and whiz until it is smooth, add the milk a little at a time until you have a soft, dropping consistency. If you don't have a food processor, beat all together by hand using a wooden spoon, but this is fairly hard work!

Now the mixture looks as if there will not be enough for the 12 muffin cases, but there is. Split the mixture equally between the 12 cases and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden in colour and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, once cool, I like to cut off the little mound at the top so that I have a flat top for icing. These little off cuts always get eaten!

For the icing:

225 g icing sugar
white of one egg whipped until white and fluffy
Few drops of lemon juice
Food colouring and decorations

Again in the food processor beat the whipped egg white into the icing sugar until you have a smooth paste, use the lemon juice to make the icing a workable consistency.

I usually split the icing between two bowls and use two different colours of food colouring - add a drop at a time from the end of a cocktail stick until the desired colour is achieved.

Ice each cup cake, decorate - serve and enjoy!

Summary: Try making them rather than buying