cupcakes:

Cupcakes have finally found their feet and a richly deserved niche and popularity that they should. What wonderful little cakes they are, a real delight and taste sensation.

Especially, as they have now been accepted by the professional side of the catering world and thanks to some very talented amateur home cooks, cupcakes have been taken to a level never before seen or tasted.

So what makes a cup cake and how does it differ from say a muffin? Essentially they are one and the same, but cupcake recipes do tend to differ from muffin recipes with many if not most cupcake recipes based on the classical Victoria sponge or pound cake recipe. Some might say cupcakes are smaller and daintier, or cupcakes are frosted and muffins are not, but I see small frosted muffins for sale all the time.

Maybe it is the time and effort that goes into decorating the cupcake, which do tend to be more decorative and skilful.

Whatever the difference, all I can say is Vive le difference!

Below are some useful tips for successful cupcake making, most of which are variations on tips for larger cakes and sponges. Also below are links to some basic recipes and some of my favourites also.

If you have a favourite to share, email me and I will add it (once tested) and you will be fully credited when published.

cupcake tips

1. Cupcakes can be baked without paper cups, but part of the fun and culture of cup cake eating is the peeling back of the paper cup
2. Use a cupcake pan to place the paper cups into
3. The flat bottomed ice cream cones make an interesting change to paper cups
4. Fill the paper cups no more than 2/3 full for cakes that will be frosted and halfway for cakes that will be glazed
5. Lightly spray the pans with oil to prevent the paper cups sticking
6. Never over mix the batter, over mixing will result in heavy textured cakes
7. If using an electric whisk slowly to start with and gradually increase the speed
8. Use all ingredients at room temperature (milk can be chilled)
9. Use an ice cream scoop to fill the paper cups or of the cake mix you are using is soft enough place it into a piping bag and pipe it n
10. Cook in the centre of the oven (middle shelf)
11. Pre-heat the oven to the correct temperature. It is important you know your oven, as each oven will be different and temperatures stated in recipes may need to be adjusted
12. Ovens have hot and cold spots, know your oven and turn the tray halfway through the cooking time if required
13. The average size paper cup will take approx. 20 minutes to bake, this cooking time will need to be adjusted to suit your oven. When baking your first batch, note the time and adjust as required
14. To test if the cake is cooked, pierce centre with a skewer or thin bladed knife. If it comes out clean they are cooked, if it comes out with batter attached it requires more cooking
15. While the cup cakes are cooling, place a 'filling' such as jam, flavoured cream cheese, chocolate ganache etc into a piping bag with a small nozzle and pipe a little into the cupcake (any hole made will be covered and camouflaged with the frosting or glaze)
16. Sprinkles for the frosting can include:

    hundreds & thousands grated chocolate M & Ms a slice of snickers old fashioned sherbet

    milo horlicks drinking chocolate chocolate peanuts chocolate raisins

    chopped toasted pecans chopped toasted hazelnuts chopped toasted almonds ground almonds candied flowers

17. Cupcakes are best eaten the same day they are made

recipes links:

• basic cupcake recipe

• basic cupcake glaze

• basic cupcake frosting #1

• basic cupcake frosting #2

• lemon cupcake frosting

• orange cupcake frosting

• raspberry cupcake frosting

• chocolate cupcake frosting #1

• chocolate cupcake frosting #2

• chocolate cupcake frosting #3

• cupcake frosting with cotton candy

• strawberry delight cupcake

• peanut butter fudge cupcake

• peanut butter cupcake frosting

• mocha cupcake

• strawberry cupcake frosting

basic cupcake recipe

ingredients

unsalted butter sugar - castor eggs flour - soft cake baking powder vanilla essence

125 125 125 125 1 1

gm gm gm gm tsp tsp

production

1. Pre-heat oven to 170°C
2. Sift the cake flour three times with the baking powder (this will incorporate air into it) set aside until required
3. Beat the eggs together with the essence and set aside until required
4. Cream together the butter and sugar until lighter in texture and colour and no longer gritty to the touch
5. Gradually beat the eggs into the butter mix
6. Gradually beat in the flour
7. Fill the paper cases to no more than two-thirds full
8. Bake for between 13 and 18 minutes (depending on the paper cup size)
9. Remove from oven when cooked, allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, remove and cool on a wire rack

chef notes:

Produces between 8 and 12 cakes depending on the paper cup size.

basic cupcake glaze

ingredients

sugar - icing juice - apple or orange food colouring of choice food essence of choice

1 1 1 1

cup tbs drop drop

production

1. Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl
2. Add the juice and colouring and stir until smooth (add a little extra juice if mix is too thick)
3. The glaze can be used in one of two ways

to glaze the bases

1. Place a wire cooling rack on a tray
2. Place cupcakes upside down on the rack
3. Spoon a teaspoon of the glaze over the base of the cupcakes
4. Allow to dry and set for approx 5 minutes and glaze again
5. Allow to set for approx 10 minutes before turning over to frost the tops

to glaze the tops

1. Bake cup cakes that are just below the level of the paper case
2. Pour the glaze into the paper case so it is level with the top
3. Allow to set for 30 minutes

basic cupcake frosting #1

ingredients

butter sugar - icing vanilla essence

100 200 ½

gm gm tsp

production

1. Beat the butter until softened
2. Add the (sieved) icing sugar and essence
3. Beat until smooth

basic cupcake frosting #2

ingredients

cream cheese butter sugar - icing

80 40 200

gm gm gm

production

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until softened
2. Add half the (sieved) sugar icing sugar
3. Beat until smooth
4. Taste and add the remaining sugar to taste

lemon cupcake frosting

ingredients

cream cheese butter sugar - icing food essence - lemon food colouring - lemon lemon zest (finely chopped)

80 20 200 ½ 1 1

gm gm gm tsp drop l tsp

production

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until softened
2. Add the (sieved) icing sugar
3. Beat until smooth
4. Add the essence, colouring (optional) and zest
5. Beat to combine

orange cupcake frosting

ingredients

cream cheese butter sugar - icing food essence - orange food colouring - orange orange zest (finely chopped)

80 20 200 ½ 1 1

gm gm gm tsp drop tsp

production

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until softened
2. Add the (sieved) icing sugar
3. Beat until smooth
4. Add the essence, colouring (optional) and zest
5. Beat to combine

raspberry cupcake frosting

ingredients

cream cheese butter sugar - icing food essence - raspberry food colouring - red

80 20 200 ½ 1

gm gm gm tsp drop

production

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until softened
2. Add the (sieved) icing sugar
3. Beat until smooth
4. Add the essence and colouring (optional)
5. Beat to combine

chocolate cupcake frosting #1

ingredients

chocolate cream

400 400

gm gm

production

1. Bring the cream to a boil in a thick based pan and remove from the heat
2. Stir in chocolate and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before stirring to combine continue stirring until smooth
3. Allow to cool to 20°C (room temperature)
4. Place in a bowl and whisk until mixture holds a shape

chef notes:

It must be allowed to cool before it is whisked or it will turn grainy. This can be corrected by re-warming it to melt, allowing to cool and re-whisking it.

Can be flavoured with various food essences and/or liqueurs (added to milk)

• peppermint
• orange
• raspberry
• liquorice
• Grand Marnier
• Pernod

chocolate cupcake frosting #2

ingredients

cream cheese melted chocolate sugar - icing cocoa

80 20 150 25

gm gm gm gm

production

1. Beat the cream cheese until softened
2. Add the melted chocolate and beat to combine
3. Add the (sieved) icing sugar and cocoa
4. Beat until smooth

chocolate cupcake frosting #3

ingredients

cream cheese butter sugar - icing cocoa

80 20 150 25

gm gm gm gm

production

1. Beat the cream cheese and peanut butter together until softened
2. Add the (sieved) icing sugar and cocoa
3. Beat until smooth

cupcake frosting with cotton candy

ingredients

cream cheese butter sugar - icing cotton candy (candy floss)

80 gm 20 gm 200 gm

gm gm gm sq

production

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until softened
2. Add the (sieved) icing sugar
3. Beat until smooth
4. Frost the cupcake and place a good sized portion of cotton candy on each

strawberry delight cupcake

ingredients

unsalted butter sugar - castor eggs flour - soft cake baking powder strawberry essence strawberry nectar strawberry jam

125 125 125 125 1 1 2 ½

gm gm gm gm tsp tsp tbs cup

production

1. Pre-heat oven to 170°C
2. Sift the cake flour three times with the baking powder (this will incorporate air into it) set aside until required
3. Beat the eggs together with the essence and strawberry nectar set aside until required
4. Cream together the butter and sugar until lighter in texture and colour and no longer gritty to the touch
5. Gradually beat the eggs into the butter mix
6. Gradually beat in the flour
7. Fill the paper cases to no more than two-thirds full
8. Bake for between 13 and 18 minutes (depending on the paper cup size)
9. Remove from oven when cooked, allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, remove and cool on a wire rack
10. Place strawberry jam (no seeds) into a piping bag with a narrow piping tube and inject each cupcake with a little jam in the centre
11. Frost with strawberry frosting and finish with a crystallised strawberry

chef notes:

Produces between 8 and 12 cakes depending on the paper cup size

For strawberry nectar:

• place ½ cup of strawberry puree (fresh, frozen or tinned) in a liquidiser and puree
• pour into a saucepan and simmer over a very gentle heat until it has reduced to approx 2 tbs

peanut butter fudge cupcake

ingredients

butter peanut butter sugar - soft brown flour - soft cake eggs baking powder

75 50 125 125 125 1

gm gm gm gm gm (2 large eggs) tsp (level)

production

1. Pre-heat oven to 170°C
2. Sift the cake flour three times with the baking powder (this will incorporate air into it) set aside until required
3. Beat the eggs together with the essence and set aside until required
4. Cream together the butter, peanut butter and sugar until lighter in texture and no longer gritty to the touch
5. Gradually beat the eggs into the butter mix
6. Gradually beat in the flour
7. Fill the paper cases to no more than two-thirds full
8. Bake for between 13 and 18 minutes (depending on the paper cup size)
9. Remove from oven when cooked, allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, remove and cool on a wire rack
10. Frost with a peanut butter frosting and finish with slices of a snickers bar

chef notes:

Produces between 8 and 12 cakes depending on the paper cup size

peanut butter cupcake frosting

ingredients

cream cheese peanut butter sugar - icing

50 50 200

gm gm gm

production

1. Beat the cream cheese and peanut butter together until softened
2. Add the (sieved) icing sugar
3. Beat until smooth

mocha cupcake

ingredients

unsalted butter sugar - castor eggs flour - soft cake baking powder instant coffee vanilla essence

125 125 125 125 1 1 1

gm gm gm gm tsp tsp tsp

production

1. Pre-heat oven to 170°C
2. Place paper cup cakes into muffin trays
3. Sift the cake flour three times with the baking powder and coffee powder (this will incorporate air into it) set aside until required
4. Beat the eggs together with the essence and set aside until required
5. Cream together the butter and sugar until lighter in texture and colour and no longer gritty to the touch
6. Gradually beat the eggs into the butter mix
7. Gradually beat in the flour mix
8. Fill the paper cases to no more than two-thirds full
9. Bake for between 13 and 18 minutes (depending on the paper cup size)
10. Remove from oven when cooked, allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, remove and cool on a wire rack
11. Frost with a coffee frosting
12. Garnish with a walnut half and a piece of chocolate flake

chef notes:

Produces between 8 and 12 cakes depending on the paper cup size

strawberry cupcake frosting

ingredients

cream cheese butter strawberry puree sugar - icing

150 100 50 400

gm gm gm gm

production

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until softened
2. Add the strawberry puree and beat to combine
3. Add half the (sieved) icing sugar
4. Beat until smooth
5. Taste and add the remaining sugar to taste

chef notes:

For the strawberry puree:

• place approximately 100gm of strawberries (fresh, tinned or frozen) into a liquidiser and blend to a puree
• strain through a fine sieve to remove seeds

email chef@tallyrand.info