Fairy Cakes....

Mrs_Bea

Good Morning,

I seem to make tons of cupcakes. It depends what type of 'effect' you are going for. I love runny icing and smarties but I also make them using muffin cases rather than fairy cake cases, half filing with mixture (I find that 4oz/2 egg/1tbsp milk mixture yields 12 of these). Then using basic butter cream pipe (using a bag and the biggest nozzle you can get your hands on!) a swirl (one complete circle around the outside and then fill in with smaller circles - the easiest way if you are not used to a piping bag). Then decorate:

- edible pink glitter (available from cake shops/party shops actually I think sainsburies even does this) and cut out shapes/numbers from rolled out fondant, looks amazing if you colour the fondant!

- simple hundreds and thousands looks really effective

- pink smarties ... because xmas stocking filler tubes are now on sale you can get tubes with nothing but the pink ones in!

All of the above look really professional and you would pay loads for these type of cakes. I know that it sounds complicated but they are VERY easy to make and I have converted lots of friends, several of whom were baking phobic :rotfl:
Children of course are happy with anything sugary and the above is for my benefit lol.
Happy baking

Mrs_Bea

lucy_lemon

All this is making me really hungry! Think I might be doing some baking later on this afternoon :-)

zippychick

I usually fill them 2 thirds full

I've merged this with our exisiting fairy cakes/cupcakes thread

Zip

MummyYummy

Hi all,

I love baking and usually make fairy cakes for my DS. However I wondered if there was a better recipe/quantity for me to use because mine don't rise much?

I use the recipe I was given in school - weigh the eggs and then use the same amount of S.R flour/butter or stork and caster sugar. I also usually add a drop of vanilla.

Also - is it worth using golden caster sugar instead of normal? Seems a bit more expensive though lol.

Thanks in advance!

jackieglasgow

That's the perfect recipe for fairy cakes, are you creaming the butter/stork and sugar together well until they become pale in colour and light? do not over beat in the flour, I also add a half teaspoon of baking powder in for some extra lift. Shouldn't matter which sugar you use really, its the method that counts, I more often tthn not use ordinary granulated and mine are still OK.

MummyYummy

Thanks, maybe I am overbeating the flour? I use my electric whisk now for the creaming once it's mixed with the wooden spoon. I'll try the baking powder too

jackieglasgow

I don't understand what method you are using (sorry I am getting tired ) I would cream the sugar and marg with the electric beater and then mix the eggs with it, and a spoonful of flour, then fold in the rest of the flour with a spoon - I don't have a wooden one, I use a big plastic spoon. And a bit of lemon juice makes a nice change to vanilla too

MummyYummy

Thats the method I use - but I tend to mix the butter/sugar a little with the wooden spoon before using the whisk. This is usually because the butter is still a bit hard - me forgetting to take it out of the fridge early enough!

Thanks for all your tips - will be making some tomorrow

kippers

I use the 'throw it all in and mix' recipe and mine rise lovely:

6oz s/r flour
6oz marg (i use stork)
6oz caster sugar
3 eggs
1 heaped tsp baking powder
Drop of vanillia extract or 1 tblsp coco powder for choc cakes

Sieve ingredients in a bowl, add marg and eggs.
Mix until combined.
(Add a drop of water if it doesn't drop off the spoon easily)
Half fill cake cases

Bake for 10-15 mins Gas mark 5

rosie383

I also find the chuck it all in method works, but if you are doing it the traditional way, don't beat your mixture at all once you put the flour in. It releases the gluten in the flour, making the mixture more heavy. Also, whatever you use before, wooden spoon or whisk, fine. But once you add the flour, ONLY use a metal spoon to fold the mixture gently. There is something about the thickness of the edge of a wooden spoon that knocks the air out of the mixture. Plastic would be ok too, as long as it's not thick IYKWIM.
HTH