How to make cupcakes
BY READERS DIGEST
1st Jan 2015 Recipes
These days it’s hard to find a simple cupcake recipe. So here’s a recipe in 3 easy steps if you’re after a good old-fashioned cupcake. If you’re looking for a base cupcake and icing let's make let's do it!
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- 165g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 185g plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Recipe Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350/Gas 4). Line a 12 hole standard muffin tin with paper cases, or use silicone moulds.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the egg and vanilla. Sift the flour and baking powder and fold through alternately with the milk.
3. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases or moulds and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift the cupcakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cupcake Icing
This delicious icing is best spread lavishly over cupcakes. Blending just 3 ingredients - orange, ricotta and icing sugar–it’s simple to make but easy to enjoy.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Makes: 18 cakes
INGREDIENTS
250g ricotta
60g icing sugar
finely grated zest of ½ orange
RECIPE METHOD
1. To make the icing, put the ricotta in a bowl and sift in the icing sugar. Add the orange zest and beat with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
2. Spread a little icing over the top of each cupcake and decorate with a couple of dried apricot slices. Serve as soon as possible after icing.
