I'm in need of a totally foolproof recipe for Fairy Cakes please.

I need ones that actually rise and stay risen!  All my efforts look pathectic and never seem to rise above the level of the paper cases and I wont to be able to make them into Butterflies.

I know there are some good cooks on here because you have helped me out before, so many thanks in advance :)

Cx

I do 4oz butter / marg, 4oz caster sugar, 2 eggs, 4 oz self raising flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Mix thoroughly and put a large dollop in each bun case, cook for about 160/170 C for 10-15 minutes depending on your oven, keep an eye on it. That generally seems to work ok. I then make chocolate buttercream, yum yum!

Here's the one I use:-

6oz of the following - caster sugar, self raising flour , marg.
3 eggs  (medium size)

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk and spoon into the cake cases.

Bake on centre shelf of oven at around 170 degrees for about 20 mins. Test they are done by sliding a clean knife down the centre. If it comes up clean they are done! :)

I wonder if the Baking powder might be the magic ingredient, The recipe I used today didn't use it and the end result was so rubbish they went in the bin!

Do you just bung it all in together?

Electric mixer or by hand?  (sorry for all the questions but I'm determined to master fairy cakes in time for Xmas)

>I do 4oz butter / marg, 4oz caster sugar, 2 eggs, 4 oz self raising flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

That's the same receipe that I use.  Do not open the oven door whilst they are baking as that will cause them to sink.

Electric mixer (hand held one) because I'm too lazy to do it by hand...and too lazy clean the big Kenwood mixer so it hasn't seen the light of day in years.

Ooh Lucydogs - chocolate buttercream. Sounds very yummy!! Never tried that before - definately going to give that a whirl next time :)

Right, going to get baking powder tomorrow.  Do you mix for a long time on a high speed or just until the ingredients are mixed together?

Just till they are mixed together. It should look 'fluffy'. Try and get as much air into the mix as you can!

I just mix at moderate-high speed until the mixture is well blended and 'fluffy' (can't think of a better description!)

*edit* Snap!  I See Sugar couldn't think of a better description either :-D

I always use an electric mixer too, far too lazy to mix by hand. I probably overmix mine but they seem to turn out ok. Just eaten one of the latest batch to test (coincidentally I was planning to make those tonight for choir tomorrow!) :-D

Oh yes, and 15 minutes seemed about right tonight - I wasn't sure so opted for a cautious time on my first post!

Haha...just made some tonight.............love butterfly cakes.
Always add an extra egg in mine.....
Karen ;)

Fairy Cakes/Cup Cakes  24

225g/8ozs S.R. Flour
225g/8ozs caster sugar
225g/8ozs marg
4eggs

Put all in mixing bowl
mix well with electric mixer until smooth place into 24 baking cases
oven 180 deg. 350deg. gas mark 4.
bake the cupcakes until well risen and golden brown firm to the touch 15mins to 20mins

Topping. Put Marg. in bowl beat until fluffy, sift the icing sugar and beat together until smooth and creamy.
When cakes are cold spread icing on the top of each cake, then decorate. Hundred and thousands, choc drops.

The same recipe can make a sandwich cake, split into 2 tins.
Chocolate cake
Add 2 table spoons of coco powder into the 8ozs flour (totaling 8ozs) for chocolate cake
Filling, also cover the top. With Marg. beat untill fluffy, sift icing sugar and coco, until smooth.
spread your mixture between the two cakes also cover all the top and sides, then add choc. hundred and thousands. 

I make this most weekends the grandchildren love it. 

I mix the caster sugar and marg together first until it is a pale cream colour and sugar granules cannot be felt.  Sometimes adding a little drop of milk of mixture looks too thick.

Good luck - practice makes perfect.....

If you are having with them not rising then you really should cream the sugar and marg/butter first before adding the flour and eggs, a little at a time. Once you get the tight mix you can then start experimenting. I never just put all in at the same time and mine have never failed. not that I'm boasting ;-) ) Using the right size eggs helps too. I tend to use a larger size than stated, but only because I think it makes them more fluffy :-p

ETA: Duck eggs really make for nice baking, when you can get them :-D

Go to Asda or Tesco - buy a pack of 12 fairy cakes for £1 (45p if you get the Value ones) - make icing and convert to butterflies - Voila!! Completely foolproof and probably cheaper than buying ingredients.

:-D :-D

Bought ones have that artificial taste though, don't they.

I have however just made the best cakes ever,  they have risen well above the paper cases and I have iced them and topped with a cherry. They look fantastic and my 11 year old says they taste great. (I can't eat them, doing slimming world :( )  I felt so inspired I did a batch of rock cakes for O/H as they're his favs.

So a big thank you, I knew you guys would come to the rescue :)

Shop bought I know but has anyone tried these latest, newest thing since Cup cakes, called whoopie pie?
I've not tried them yet, though Sainsbury's are supposed to be stocking them soon. They sound delicious.

AHH Whoopie pies ....have had them in American for AGES...and they are quite nice if you get them fresh made in a bakery....store bought ones always had synthetic cream and were not as nice...

If you fancy making some there are loads of recipes online...:-)

What is whoopie pie? 

I have not had 1 yet Norman, because I can not find any around N Wales yet, every baker I have asked in, just look at me with a blank expression and offer me cup cakes instead.

I have the sweetest of teeth, so cakes are my thing, in moderation of course, cheesecake being me fave.

Anyway Whoopi pie is like a cake, biscuit type desert filled with cream of different kinds and sometimes topped with icing, different flavours available. I first read about them in the Sunday Times food mag.

If you find a seller of them in Wales Norman let us know eh :)

M & S have whoopie pies now, and they are delicious - the texture is a bit more like a muffin than a fairy cake, and the filling is very sweet and very light, yummy!

To go back to the original topic,  I ended up making about 100 cupcakes last week for my niece's 18th - did a dozen first to check out how they would work in the new oven, then several batches for her celebrations.  For fullproof, easy cupcakes/fairycakes/butterfly buns, you need:

2 eggs - first weigh the eggs, (usually about 40z or jsut over if big)
Equal amounts of SR flour, caster sugar, Stork margerine (the soft kind - not any other spread, soft butter, etc) - all these 3 ingredients in exactly the same weight as the eggs.  Plus half teaspoon of baking powder and about half a tablespoon of milk.  If you want to make chocolate ones take out half ounce of flour and subsitite with cocoa powder.

Sift the flour and baking powder together into bowl, then add the sugar & margerine, beat the eggs and tip them in too.  Either mix by hand, beating thoroughly, or use a mixer until all combined and mixture is smooth, add the milk at this stage.  Mixture should be dropping consistency (take a teaspoon of mixture and tip back into bowl, it should flop of spoon without having to be pushed). IF using standard size paper cases it takes about 1.5 desert spoons of mix (3/4 full) if using muffin size case it takes about 2.5 desert spoons of mix.  Mixture makes about 15 standard size ones.  Cook at gas mark 4 - 5 (about 180) for 15 mins (ish) . Insert skewer to make sure cooked right through.  LEeave in the bun tin for about 5 mins before lifting cases out and placing on cooling rack.

This makes a very light, moist cake, not crumbly so easy to decorate.  If you use the traditional creaming method with butter instead of marge the cakes may keep for a day or two more but are not quite as light.  using this method I have never had one which did not rise.

M&S here I come.

M&S here I come they sound so scrummy can't wait to try one.

I'm sure you will get to taste them first Norman, let me know what they're like. I have no time to get in to town for ages. And me mum normally does my shopping, but she's on holiday.

Once I can get into town I will def try one Sian and let you know.

Cheers me dears.

I tried Gwen's recipe at the weekend.  Very easy and very tasty.  Thanks Gwen :-)

> I tried Gwen's recipe at the weekend.  Very easy and very tasty.

Glad you like it, I have some great, tasty and easy recipes for frosting/topping for cupcakes if you want.

I made my second batch yesterday, this morning my aunt popped in and has taken half of them home with her :-O  I think I might try adding some raisins to my next lot.

Thanks, I would love some topping ideas, but I'm not keen on butter icing.

I don't like butter cream much either, but have adapted a couple of recipes.  The basic one is 8oz icing sugar, 4 oz Unsalted butter, plus some milk.  Allow the butter to soften (don't use the easy spreading type) and then  beat until airy and pale (use an electric mixer if possible) gradualy beat in the icing sugar and then add milk till you get a soft consistency which will hold its shape.   Vanilla extract can be added if you want. The variations are : a) Leave out the milk and add 2 tablespoons of lemon curd, you can also add a little yellow colouring if you want, for a more intense taste add some lemon juice too.  b) 8 oz icing sugar, 2 oz butter, half a tube of condensed milk, 4 tspns coffee granules disolved in a little boiling water.  Beat the butter as before, start adding the icing sugar and the condensed milk until the required consistency is reached.  Add the coffee mix to taste, you can add a little more icing sugar if the mix goes to loose.  c)6oz icing sugar, 1 oz butter, half tube condensed milk, half bar of good quality dark chocolate.  Beat the butter, add a little icing sugar at a time together with the condensed milk.  Melt the chocolate carefully either in the microwave or over hot water, and add to the mix, beat in thoroughly, use at once to cover the cakes as it hardens faster than the others mixes.  d)Substitute cream cheese for the butter in the basic recipe.

With any of the recipes it can be a matter of taste, temperature etc exactly how much icing sugar you need ot get the consistency you want, so just add it gradulally.