Traditional ‘creaming’ method, this is the basic recipe, you can then add flavourings, there are some suggestions at the bottom of the recipe. If using butter bring it to room temperature before using as it’s easier to cream it.
Ingredients:
150g caster sugar
150g soft margarine or butter
3 medium eggs
150g self raising flour, sieved
You will need ……. Weighing Scales Medium Mixing bowl Wooden Spoon (or electric mixer) Two Teaspoons Cake cases Small Bowl Sieve Bun Tray Wire Rack
How to make Cup Cakes… WASH YOUR HANDS
1. Preheat oven to 180oc/350oF/Gas Mark5 and put a shelf onto the centre runner. (Aga Roasting oven – shelf on oven floor)
2. Cream butter and sugar until light, fluffy and drops off the end of a spoon easily. If you’re using butter this will take longer than margarine as it tends to be harder.
3. Wash the eggs under a tap to make sure there is no chicken poo left on the outside – where do eggs come from? Break the eggs into the small bowl (to make sure that you can scoop out any eggshell if you need to) and then pour the eggs into the mixing bowl. Add the flour.
4. Beat the egg and flour into the mixture until well mixed.
5. Put 12 cake cases into the bun tray.
6. Using two teaspoons, divide the mixture evenly between the 12 cake cases.
7. Put the bun tray into the centre of the oven (Aga: place Plain Cold Shelf on second set of runners). Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are pale golden brown.
Flavourings
Orange – grate the zest of 1-2 oranges into the cake mixture when you add the eggs, use the juice to flavour the icing.
Lemon - as orange
Lime and Coconut - grate the zest of 1-2 limes into the cake mixture when you add the eggs, squeeze the juice of the lime over 2 tablespoons of desiccated coconut and add to the mixture.
Chocolate – substitute 25g of flour for 25g good quality cocoa powder, Green and Blacks is good, Valrhona is the best, please try to avoid supermarket own brands as they are really inferior in taste, colour and quality. This is one ingredient it’s really worth spending the money on.
Coffee and walnut - dissolve 1 teaspoon of instant coffee in a little water and add to the mixture when you add the eggs along with a handful of chopped walnuts.
Molten Chocolate Cakes – basic cupcake mix – place one square of good quality dark chocolate into each filled cupcake, press under the mixture to cover, eat warm from the oven when the chocolate will still be melted in the centre of the cake.
