A Celebration of the Cupcake

I LOVE cupcakes, there’s this inexplicable brilliance about them. The fact that they can be simple or fancy, an afternoon treat or a whole reason for a party, they’re just great, and very much in vogue at the moment. A whole half a cupboard, a big deal in my very compact kitchen, is devoted to their creation and decoration, and I blew a large proportion of my 21^st Birthday Party budget on 24 ‘baby’ cupcakes and a cake stand. It was definitely worth it.

Below is my very simple cupcake recipe. You can make them in under half an hour, and with only four ingredients so they’re affordable too. If you are stuck for ideas on the decorating front check out my friend’s blog Afternoon Crumbs for inspiration, her creations are true works of art. 

From The Good Housekeeping Cookery Book

Makes 16 cakes

100g butter

100g caster sugar

2 beaten eggs

100g self raising white flower

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy (if you have an electric mixer this saves a lot of time, but you can do it by hand).
2. Gradually beat in the eggs a little at a time. Fold in the flour a little at a time.
3. Half fill the cupcake cases in a cupcake tray and bake at 190 degrees for 15/20 minutes until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Culinary Know How: FRESHER

Budget: UNDER £4 FOR INGREDIENTS, BUT THERE’S ENOUGH TO MAKE MORE THEN ONE BATCH

Kitchen Requirements: BOWL, WOODEN SPOON, CUPCAKE CASES, CUPCAKE TRAY, WIRE RACK.