I Gave Into Cupcakes...but did them my way.

Cupcakes have trended in the sweet food world. As the predecessor to the macaron they are well known and loved by the common foodie. And why wouldn't they be?  They tick all the right boxes! They're colourful, decorative, small and fun. All the qualities needed for a toothsome scrummy fashionable food.

So i was asked to cook some cakes for a charity day at my softball club. Walking round the supermarket i'd grabbed some carrots thinking i'd make a nice carrot cake. But as i made my way down the cake isle i noticed these cute patty cake papers, that i just couldn't ignore. Give the people what they want i thought to myself. So i ditched the carrots, and grabbed some food colouring and the patty cake papers instead. 

I'd like to think i'm against food fads, i still haven't endorsed the Macaron as the be-all of sweet goods, but something about the cupcake kept me interested. I mean its just a small cake. But it is precisely its  small, functional, no mess nature that makes it so popular. I'd been putting off having a good go at them for too long, it was time i took on the Cupcake. Sam style- that is without the gigantic overcompensating frosting and instead a smooth decent, but not over-the-top layer of buttery sweetness. 

These are my KISS Cupcakes. (Keeping It Simple Sam)

I used freeze dried rasberries for the pink cupcakes, a small mint leaf for the green, and some lavander candy for the purple.  

KISS Cupcake Recipe:

200g Butter Softened
370g Castor Sugar
The seeds of 2 Vanilla Beans
4 eggs 
405g Self raising Flour
250ml milk

Line muffin trays with patty cake papers, and set oven at 180 degrees.
Cream the butter sugar and vanilla together, until white. Then beat the eggs in one by one. When all eggs are added check that the grain of the sugar is lost and the mix has a smooth texture. 
Add half the flour and milk and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula. 
Add the rest of the milk and flour and mix to smooth batter. 
Spoon into patty cake papers.
Cook in oven for 15-20 minutes. 

Frosting:

While the cakes cool make your frosting.

140g butter. Softened

280g icing sugar

1-2 tbsp milk

Food colouring--- only a few drops 

Beat the butter with half the icing sugar until smooth, then add the remaining sugar with 1 tbsp of milk.

Add more milk accordingly.

Divide the mix into separate containers to make different colours, and add a small amount (1 drop then mix at a time) of food colouring. 

Use a bread knife to frost your cupcakes and decorate accordingly.

                                 

These cupcakes are simple and no fuss. 

Have a go.

Have a cupcake