Cupcakes
Plus: Icing can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 weeks. Iced cakes should be consumed within 3 days.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes (makes 12 large cupcakes)
- 4 eggs: weighed in shells (should be approx. 240g including shells)
- Caster sugar: same weight as eggs including shells
- Margarine: same weight as eggs including shells
- Self-raising flour: same weight as eggs including shells
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the buttercream (to ice 12 cupcakes)
- 250g unsalted butter, softened
- 500g icing sugar, sieved
- 2 tbsp water (optional)
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/360F.
- Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases and set aside.
- Weigh eggs in their shells. Then weigh the sugar, margarine and flour to the exact same weight.
- Cream the margarine with the sugar until pale in colour and fluffy.
- Next, beat the eggs and add slowly. The mixture may curdle so add a spoon of flour if desired, however, once the flour is added in the next step the curdling will disappear.
- Sieve the flour and add slowly to the mixture.
- Once fully combined add the vanilla extract and pour the mixture into the lined cake tin.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cake is golden brown, springy to the touch and a skewer can be inserted into the centre and removed cleanly.
Buttercream method
If using a food processor:
- Place butter and icing sugar into a food processor and whizz until fully combined and pale in colour.
- If the icing is too stiff add 1 tbsp of milk/water, followed by a second if still too stiff.
(I prefer this method as it makes much less mess and doesn’t aerate the butter icing too much.)
If using a hand mixer or standing mixer:
- Beat the butter first and slowly add the icing sugar until fully combined and pale in colour.
- If the icing is too stiff add 1 tbsp of milk/water, followed by a second if still too stiff.
To decorate:
- Transfer the butter icing to a piping bag with the star-shaped nozzle in the bottom and decorate the cupcakes once fully cooled.