What's your most simple fail safe cupcake recipe please?

[CheungFun]

I want to attempt making some cupcakes for DS's birthday, but I'm not much of a baker (usually I stick to Rice Krispies Cakes), what are your simplest recipes please?

Tia

[seeker]

6oz each of sr flour, caster sugar, soft margarine. 4 eggs. 1 tsp baking powder. All at room temperature.

Chuck everything in a bowl. Beat with an electric beater for about 3 minutes.

Put in muffin cases, bake for about 20 minutes, turning tray round end to end half way through. Can't give a temperature because I use an Aga- about 180/200? Have a look in the cookery book that works best for your oven and see what it says.

Never fails. I bake hundreds every week.

[CheungFun]

Hi Seeker, that sounds good! I don't have an electric beater though, would a food processor do the job or would I be better off with a hand whisk?

How many cupcakes will this recipe make?

[aimingtobeaperfectionist]

125g/4oz caster sugar, self raising flour and marg 2 eggs.
Mix sugar and butter, add 1 egg and spoon of flour at a time.
Beat until smooth.
Into a Pre heated oven @180 for 15-20 mins.
Scoff the lot.

[aimingtobeaperfectionist]

Mine makes 12 or a small cake.
Whisk/fork/hand mixer whatever you've got.

[seeker]

No, not a food processor- you won't get the air in.You could use a wooden spoon- but it would take you about 5 minutes probably. Borrow a hand electric mixer?

My recipe makes 12 muffin sized ones or 20ish smaller fairy cake ones.

Bake probably 180/200 degrees ish.

[ByTheWay1]

I use same quantities (3 eggs if they are a bit big)

I cream marg and sugar, beat in eggs (and a tablespoon of flour to stop curdling) stir in flour/baking powder

• and I add zest of a lemon to make them a bit lemony.... cook at 180 / gas 4 for 15min or a bit more...
  

and it depends on the size you want out, but I usually eek the mixture out to make 12....

never fails

[ByTheWay1]

sorry x post - same quantities as seeker

[Spoiltexpatbrat]

Know as the 4,4,4,2 recipe

100g butter
100g self raising flour
100g caster sugar
2 eggs

Beat butter and sugar together, sieve in flour. Add eggs and beat. No need for electric appliance

You can add a few drops of vanilla to make them a little more tasty

170 in an fan assisted over. 18-20 mins

[Spoiltexpatbrat]

Whoops, 4 means 4oz so change that to 125g of the above ingredients!

[InNeedOfBrandy]

I do 8oz of flour, 6 of butter and sugar 3 eggs and a spoon of baking powder and vanilla essence. Cream sugar and butter till white, add eggs, add everything else and fold to keep air in. bake on 220 till they're cooked. Always always comes out great. and makes 12 big ones could stretch to more.

[PostBellumBugsy]

CheungFun - you could use your food processor. It isn't ideal, but I've done it before & you still get ok cakes. IMO, if you are a baking novice, I think you'll get better results chucking all the ingredients into a food processor, than trying to cream the sugar & butter & then add in flour & eggs with a wooden spoon.

My mixture is 4oz butter, self-raising flour, caster sugar & 2 eggs with a teaspoon of baking powder & a teaspoon of vanilla essence.

For parties I use the paper cup cases as I think they look cute!

[CheungFun]

Cool I knew you mnetters wouldn't let me down :)

I will have a go at these on the weekend and let you know how I get on! Luckily I've got a few weeks to practice :o

[VillaEphrussi]

Simplest fail-safe way I think is to weigh your eggs once cracked, then in an empty bowl put the same weight of butter and sugar as the eggs weigh, cream them (however you like, but hand mixer is easiest, otherwise wooden spoon or whisk - you should cream the butter and sugar until they have transformed into a pale smoothish texture), then add the cracked eggs and mix (and maybe a spoonful of the flour if it's looking like splitting(going grainy), but less likely to do this with room temperature eggs) and add vanilla extract then sift in the same weight of self-raising flour as your eggs weighed and fold in. Into cases and 180c for about 10-12 mins.

As a guide, each medium egg might weight 55g, so multiples of 55g of butter, sugar and flour for each egg used, and one egg makes about six cupcakes.

This sounds much more complicated than it is - once you've cracked this you can use the recipe anywhere and once you're used to the balancing of weights it's easy to estimate even without scales.

[chocoluvva]

aimingtobea perfectionist's recipe is the one that I use too.
My electric hand-held beaters broke recently and I replaced them for about £6 from tesco - it makes creaming the sugar and butter much easier than doing it by hand.
The trick to getting them light is to beat the butter and sugar until the mixture is almost white and very creamy. Also, whisk the eggs to get lots of air in then gently mix with the flour and creamed butter and sugar.
Bake only until they're just done and no more - they will continue to cook for a little while after coming out of the oven if you leave them in the tin.
They're nicest eaten on the day they're baked.

[VillaEphrussi]

Sorry x-posted as juggling toddler at the same time. Look forward to hearing how it goes