Cupcakes

This is a great recipe for cupcakes.   And it is special because it is the same recipe that  your grandma will have used to make her cupcakes!

She will have learnt it  in ounces  (just ask her – 4 ounces of sugar,  margarine,  and flour,  with two eggs).   Here I have set the recipe out in grams and added a little vanilla extract to give it extra flavour.   But apart from that,  the recipe is exactly the same.

See if you can learn it off by heart too.   Then you will always be able to bake a tray of cupcakes,  no matter where you are!

This recipe will make 12 cupcakes or  8 muffin sized cupcakes.

Equipment you will need

A large mixing bowl

A wooden spoon

A cupcake or muffin tray ( muffin trays are deeper and make bigger cakes.)

Cupcake or muffin paper cases

A cooling rack (this allows the air to circulate underneath your cakes so that they cool a bit quicker.   If you don’t have one,  just use a plate).

Ingredients

125 grams of margarine (butter is okay too, but make sure it is very soft).

125 grams of sugar (caster sugar is best,  because it is a bit finer that granulated sugar).

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon (the small one) of vanilla extract (don’t worry if you don’t have this).

125 grams of self raising flour (this is flour that has added ingredients that will make your cakes light and fluffy).

A little milk

How to make your Cupcakes

1.  Heat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade/ gas mark 6.

2. Cream together the margarine and sugar.

3. Crack the eggs into the bowl and beat them (stir them hard as though you were beating a drum) until they are smooth.

4.  Add the vanilla extract and  then the flour,  stirring the mixture gently now,  until the flour has disappeared.   This is your cake mixture.  It should be a thick creamy mixture that falls off your spoon quite easily.  If it is too thick,  and sticks to the spoon,  stir a tablespoon of milk.  Try the spoon test again.  If it is still too thick,  add another tablespoon of milk until the mixture is just right.

5.  Put the cases into the tray.   Divide the mixture between the cases – they will be filled about halfway up – this doesn’t matter.  The mixture will rise up when it is cooking in the oven.

6.  Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes – then check your cupcakes.  You will know they are ready when they are golden brown on top and a bit springy when you touch the top of the cake.  (Get a grown up to help you with this bit.)   If they are not ready,  let them bake for another 5 minutes.

(Don’t forget – good cooks use all their senses.  You should be able to smell when these cakes are ready!)

7.  Let the cakes cool in the tray for 10 minutes until they are cool enough to move onto a cooling rack,  if you have one.  Just use a plate if not.  When they’re cool, test one as a treat.

8.  Now it’s time to do some cupcake decorating!

Story

Cupcakes-R-Us!

Cooking Skill

Cupcake decorating

…and some other Cake Recipes

Very Easy Chocolate Fudge Cakes

‘After Eight Mint’ Brownies