Cupcakes
This easy cupcake recipe is simply perfect for a baby shower. Why not give it a try?
Ingredients for the cakes
1 cup (4 ounces) self-rising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Half cup (4 ounces) superfine sugar (caster sugar)
1 stick (½ cup or 4 ounces) soft margarine or butter (room temperature)
2 drops of vanilla extract
2 eggs (room temperature)
Ingredients for the icing
1½ cups (6 ounces) confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar or icing sugar)
Warm water
A drop or 2 of food coloring (optional)
You will also need
12 paper baking cups
A cupcake or muffin pan
Fun cake decorations (optional)
Cooking instructions
Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees centigrade).
Step 2 - Sit the paper baking cups in the muffin tin.
Step 3 - Put the flour, the baking powder, the superfine sugar, the butter the eggs and the vanilla extract into a large mixing bowl.
Step 4 - Whisk until the ingredients are really well combined - an electric hand mixer makes this job easy.
Step 5 - Using a spoon, divide the mixture equally between the paper liners.
Step 6 - Bake on the center rack of the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cakes are pale gold, and nicely risen.
Step 7 - Remove the cakes from the muffin tin, and place them on a wire cooling rack. Leave to cool.
Icing - how to
Step 1 - Sift the confectioners' sugar into a bowl.
Step 2 - Using a teaspoon and adding only a very small amount of warm water at a time, mix until the icing is smooth and fairly thick. (If the icing seems a little runny, simply add a little more confectioners sugar.)
Step 3 - Then, if preferred, add a drop or so of food coloring, and stir well.
Step 4 - Ice the top of each cake in turn, adorning with sweet cake decorations as you go.
Cook's tip
Don't forget, you can buy oodles of fun cake decorations, plus lots of fancy paper baking cups, and scrumptious ready to use icings and frostings too.