The Contemporary Buttercream Bible (8 page)

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Cupcakes

Cupcakes are always fun to bake – there’s less

pressure than when you make a full-size cake. You

can try out swirls and peaks and perfect your piping

technique with these basic patterns. However, the

small scale of a cupcake also allows you to practise

the piped flowers you will find in the following

chapters. Why not try one of each flowers to create

a lovely garden of buttercream? Then check out

how to make a cupcake bouquet at the end of the

Piping Flowers chapter.

As well as ideas for a range of lovely patterns and

textures to pipe on your cupcakes, on the following

pages we will also share a simple adaptable cupcake

recipe that always works for us.

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Simple Cupcake Recipe

This is a great basic recipe, which you can adapt to

suit your needs by swapping the vanilla extract for a variety of other flavourings.

You will need…

• 150g (51⁄2oz) plain flour

• 150g (51⁄2oz) sugar

• 150g (51⁄2oz) butter

• 2 eggs

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• 2 tbsp milk

• 1⁄4 tsp baking powder

• 1⁄2 tsp salt

• 1-2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• Mixer (hand-held or stand mixer)

• Mixing bowls

• Spatula

• Sieve (sifter/strainer)

• Measuring spoons

• Two twelve-hole cupcake baking pans

• Cupcake cases (liners)

• Oven thermometer (optional)

Makes about 15–18 standard size cupcakes

1 Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2. If

the temperature is too high, there is a tendency for

your cupcakes to rise too much and become

‘domed’.

2 Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar

in a bowl for about 20–30 seconds, or until light

and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and milk to 86

the bowl and beat for another 10–20 seconds, or

until the mixture is smooth.

3 In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking

powder and salt, and set aside.

4 Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Reduce the

mixer speed to low-medium and beat for 20–40

seconds until all ingredients are just combined,
do
not over-beat.
Scrape down the side of the bowl with a spatula.

5 Put one cupcake case in each hole of the cupcake

baking pans. You won’t have enough batter for all

24 holes, probably nearer 15 or 18.

6 Divide the batter between the paper cases and fill

cases about two thirds full. We use an ice cream

scoop to distribute the batter equally. It is best to use greaseproof (wax paper) cupcake or muffin

cases as the plain paper ones have a tendency to

peel off the cakes.

7 Bake in the middle of the oven until the cupcakes

have risen and are just firm to the touch in the

centre. Check your cupcakes after 20–22 minutes

by inserting a cocktail stick (toothpick). If it comes out clean, the cupcakes are ready. Remove them

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carefully from the pan and let them cool on a wire

rack.

Tip

The temperature inside your oven plays a

major role in achieving perfectly baked

goodies. To avoid too much rising or sinking of

your cakes you need the temperature to be a

constant 150–160°C (300–325°F/Gas mark

2–3). Therefore we highly recommend using

an oven thermometer. Keep one handy so that

you can be sure you have the right

temperature inside your oven.

Piped Peaks

This is one of the easiest and cutest ways to

decorate a cupcake. All you need is a simple star or

round nozzle and a piping bag. Want to make it

even simpler? Just get a piping bag and snip off the

end to make a little hole the same size as a simple

round nozzle.

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1 You can either use a big star or a round nozzle to

create these peaks. In this demonstration we have

used a star nozzle and the two-tone technique

described in the Piping Textures and Patterns

chapter. Hold your piping bag at a 45 degree angle

with your nozzle slightly above the surface of the

cupcake (A).

A

2 Squeeze piping bag until the buttercream comes

out and forms a blob then slowly pull away your

nozzle. When you have reached the height that you

wish, stop squeezing your piping bag and pull away

abruptly to form a nice peak (B).

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B

3 Repeat the process (C) until the cupcake is fully

covered. You can pipe peaks on top of each other for

a more towering effect.

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C

If you are using a star nozzle, it is nice to twist

nozzle while pulling the piping bag away.

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This cupcake was decorated using a plain round

nozzle to make smooth peaks.

Piped Swirls

Swirls are another extremely easy way to decorate

cupcakes. As long as you have a piping bag and a

star or plain nozzle, you are ready to pipe away!

Colour and flavour the buttercream or decorate it

with sprinkles of your choice to compliment the

flavour of the cupcake and the colour scheme. You

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can achieve different effects with each style of

nozzle.

1 To do the swirls, you can either start from the

middle or at the edge of the cupcake.

2 Hold your piping bag at a 45 degree angle with

your nozzle slightly above the surface of the

cupcake.

3 Give your piping bag a good squeeze until the

buttercream comes out and forms a star (A).

A

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4 Without releasing pressure, slowly turn your

piping bag in a big spiral motion (B) until the

cupcake is covered with buttercream (C).

B

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