tips for successful cupcake baking
• always use only the finest ingredients
• accurately measuring your ingredients is vital to cupcake success
• bring all your ingredients to room temperature before mixing your cupcake batter
• ensure your cupcake pan is thoroughly clean before adding the cases
• fill your cases by pouring or piping if the batter is thin or by using a spoon if it is thick
• preheat your oven and bake your cupcakes at the correct temperature. Oven thermometers are a useful check
• if your know your oven heat is uneven, rotate your pan halfway through the baking time
• using a fan oven can dry out small cakes quickly, so reduce the temperature stated in each recipe by 10 degrees
• cupcakes must be completely cold before decorating
• undecorated cupcakes can usually be frozen for up to a month
• If you decide to experiment with other recipes here are some points to bear in mind:
• each cake recipe will rise differently; some recipes don’t rise at all while some others double in size, so I suggest you make a trial batch filling the cupcakes at different levels in the cases to find the optimum height for your recipe
• typically cupcakes bake for around 20 minutes, but ovens vary so test and retest as necessary
• make a note of the shape of the top of the cupcake; some will be fairly flat whilst others will be quite domed. The shape can be important when choosing the type of decoration you wish to use
sticky ginger
If you want a moist, sticky cake this fits the bill perfectly. These cupcakes are best eaten within a week.
you will need
1 Preheat oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3.
2 Line the trays with cupcake cases.
3 Place butter, sugar, golden syrup and black treacle into a pan and warm over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
4 Stir in the milk and allow the mixture to cool slightly – you need to make sure that it is not so hot that the eggs cook when they go in it. If you are in a hurry you can stand the saucepan in cold water so that it cools more quickly.
5 Beat in the eggs, vanilla and stem ginger.
6 Sift flour and spices into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Gradually pour the liquid into the well and beat with a wooden spoon until combined.
7 Pour or pipe the mixture into the cupcake cases – they should be about three quarters full.
8 Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a fine skewer inserted into the centre of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.
9 Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
orange and poppy seed
The tangy flavour and interesting texture of the poppy seeds and orange peel are a winning combination, and are bound to have you hooked! This recipe would also work well substituting the orange for lemon. Best eaten within two weeks.
you will need
1 Preheat oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3.
2 Line the trays with cupcake cases.
3 Place butter, sugar, marmalade, almond extract, orange zest and juice in a pan and stir over low heat until the mixture is melted. Allow to cool.
4 Sift flour, almonds and poppy seeds into a bowl, add the mixed peel, then make a well in the centre.
5 Gradually pour the cooled liquid into the well and mix until smooth.
6 Add the eggs and mix until combined.
7 Pour or pipe the mixture into the