Trends in baking will come and go but cupcakes are here to stay. These portion-sized treats are ideal for many occasions, from enjoying at an afternoon tea to using as a show-stopping centrepiece at a wedding.
They are really easy to whip up and once you master the basic recipe, you can vary the flavour to suit your taste or the occasion.
Top tips for the perfect cupcake
* Have all the ingredients at room temperature.
* Take the extra minute or two to measure your ingredients exactly. Wet ingredients, such as water and oil, are best measured in glass cups placed on a level surface. Dry ingredients, like flour and sugar, are measured most accurately in nesting cups that are flat on top, which allows you to level the dry ingredients with a spatula or baking spoon before adding them to the mixing bowl.
* Pre-heat your oven so the cakes can go straight in. If left standing too long, the baking powder starts to react and the cupcakes won’t be as light.
* Once you add the flour, take care not to overmix as this will make your cupcakes tough.
* Always make sure you use a spatula to scrape the base of your mixing bowl while creaming as any ingredients not evenly incorporated into the batter will cause an uneven texture.
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TIRAMISU CUPCAKES
Makes 12
400ml cake flour
5ml baking powder
3ml bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
180ml castor sugar
125ml sunflower oil
20ml coffee powder
30ml boiling water
125ml buttermilk
SYRUP
60ml water
60ml castor sugar
30ml coffee liqueur
ICING
250ml mascarpone cheese
250ml cream
125ml castor sugar
to decorate, chocolate coffee beans
for dusting, cocoa powder
Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarb into a bowl.
With an electric mixer, beat the eggs and castor sugar until thick and pale. Beat in the oil.
Dissolve the coffee in the water and add to the buttermilk.
Add the sifted dry ingredients to the egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
Mix until well blended.
Spoon the mixture into paper-lined muffin tins. Bake at 180°C for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and brush with the syrup while still hot.
Allow to cool and pipe or spread with the icing. Decorate with chocolate coffee beans. Dust with cocoa powder. Serve immediately or store in the fridge until required.
SYRUP: Combine water and sugar in a small bowl and microwave on full powder for a minute until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the liqueur.
ICING: Combine the mascarpone, cream and castor sugar and beat until thick and spreadable. Take care not to overbeat or the mixture may curdle.
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MOJITO CUPCAKES
Makes 16-18
125g butter, softened
250ml castor sugar
3 eggs
5ml vanilla essence
500ml cake flour
7ml baking powder
3ml bicarbonate of soda
200ml buttermilk
15ml lime rind
45ml lime juice
SYRUP
60ml water
60ml castor sugar
30ml lime juice
15ml white rum
15ml chopped mint
ICING
125g butter
250g thick cream cheese
500ml sifted icing sugar
5ml grated lime rind
15ml lime juice
CUPCAKES: Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the vanilla essence.
Sift the dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture alternately with enough buttermilk to make a soft, dropping consistency.
Mix in the lime rind and juice.
Spoon into paper-lined muffin tin and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes.
Remove and brush with the syrup while still hot.
Allow the cupcakes to cool, then spread or pipe with the icing.
Decorate with extra lime rind and mint leaves if desired.
SYRUP: Combine the water and sugar in a small bowl and microwave for a minute until the sugar has dissolved.
Remove and add the remaining ingredients.
ICING: Cream the butter and cream cheese well until smooth.
Add the icing sugar and mix to form a spreadable icing.
Mix in the grated lime rind and juice.
* It is very important to use a thick cream cheese for the icing. The low-fat versions will result in a very runny icing.
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LUXURY CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
Makes 12-14
125g butter
250ml castor sugar
3 eggs
5ml vanilla extract
375ml cake flour
7ml baking powder
3ml bicarbonate of soda
125ml good quality cocoa powder
250ml buttermilk
12-14 Ferrero Rocher chocolates, unwrapped
ICING
125g butter
150g chocolate hazelnut spread
60ml cocoa powder
500ml sifted icing sugar
30-40ml milk
extra chocolates to decorate
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Mix in the vanilla.
Sift the dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
Half fill paper-lined muffin tins with the batter. Place a chocolate into each and then top with the remainder of the batter.
Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. When cold, spread or pipe with the icing.
Decorate with extra chocolates.
ICING: Cream the butter and hazelnut spread until well blended.
Sift the cocoa and icing sugar and add to the butter mixture with enough milk to make a spreadable icing.
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PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE CUPCAKES
Makes 14-16
160g butter
250ml castor sugar
2 eggs
250ml cooked and mashed butternut
500ml flour
5ml bicarbonate of soda
5ml baking powder
10ml ground cinnamon
160-180ml buttermilk
FILLING
125g thick cream cheese
80ml castor sugar
5ml ground cinnamon
ICING
125g butter
250g thick cream cheese
500ml sifted icing sugar
5ml vanilla extract
3ml ground cinnamon
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Mix in the butternut.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
Add to the creamed mixture alternately with enough buttermilk to make a soft dropping consistency.
Half fill paper-lined muffin tins with the batter.
Place a teaspoonful of the filling into each and then top with the remainder of the batter.
Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. When cold, spread or pipe with the icing.
Dust with the ground cinnamon and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds if desired.
FILLING: Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Put the mixture in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill well.
ICING: Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
Add the icing sugar and mix to form a spreadable icing.
Mix in the vanilla and cinnamon.
* It is very important to use a thick cream cheese for the icing. The low-fat versions will result in an icing that is very runny.
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GIANT CUPCAKE CAKE
250g butter, softened
500ml castor sugar
6 eggs
10ml vanilla extract
4x250ml cake flour
25ml baking powder
250ml milk
smooth apricot jam, melted
200g coloured fondant icing
BUTTER ICING
125g butter
500ml sifted icing sugar
5ml vanilla extract
30-40ml milk
a drop of pink food colouring
CAKE: Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in the vanilla.
Sift the flour and baking powder and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Mix until well blended.
Divide the mixture into the two sides of the giant cupcake pan, which has been well sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Bake at 180°C for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Remove and cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
Trim the tops and bottoms of each cake so they fit snugly on top of each other.
Brush the base cake with warm apricot jam. Invert the cake onto a board so that the cut side is facing down.
Roll out the piece of fondant on a surface dusted with cornflour. Drape this over the cake, smoothing it to fit.
Flip the cake the right way up and trim the top where the icing is overlapping at the top.
Spread the top with some of the butter icing and place the other half of the cake on top to form the cupcake.
Divide the remaining butter icing in half and colour one half light pink.
Take a large piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and carefully put the plain icing on the one side of the bag and then the pink icing on the other side.
Pipe swirls to look like roses over the surface of the cake.
Decorate as desired with sprinkles and flowers.
BUTTER ICING: Cream the butter until fluffy and add in the icing sugar, vanilla and enough milk to make a spreadable icing.
* On www.yuppiechef.com you can see clear step-by-step instructions on baking and icing a giant cupcake. The tin is available on yuppiechef as well as at some kitchen shops.
The Star