Cupcake Recipes

First, get to know the Golden Rules of Baking before you proceed. I always use a stand mixer and where possible give easy ‘all-in-one’ recipes, but if you wish to make your cake mix by hand, cream the fat and sugar together in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy before gradually beating in any liquids and finally incorporating the flour with a large metal spoon.

Golden rules of baking

• Let all your ingredients come to room temperature before you begin to make your cake mix.
• Before starting to make your cupcakes, read the recipe right through to familiarize yourself with the method.
• Preheat your oven and check that it is reaching the correct temperature by using an oven thermometer.
• Prepare tins (pans) before starting to make your cake mix so that it doesn’t have to sit.
• Ensure you weigh the ingredients accurately – the key to great cupcakes!
• Never cream your mixture on full speed – start on slow and work upwards.
• Eggs are best used when they are at room temperature.
• Add eggs one at a time or gradually to prevent curdling, adding a tablespoon of the flour if it looks like the mixture may be starting to curdle.
• Always fold in the flour. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment (flat beater) on the slowest speed.
• Generally fill the muffin baking cases (liners) two-thirds full for a flat top and to allow room for frosting.
• If your oven has a hot spot, rotate the pan halfway through baking.
• Use a wire rack to help your cakes cool quickly.

Cupcake troubleshooting

Peaked – either too much raising agent or the oven temperature is too hot

Sunken – not cooked for long enough or oven door opened too soon

Sloping – check with a spirit level that your oven shelves or even the oven itself is level

Some cooked but others not quite – your oven may have a hot spot, so the muffin tray (pan) needs to be rotated halfway through the cupcake baking time

Dense or heavy texture – mixture not thoroughly mixed together and the raising agent hasn’t been distributed evenly; can also be caused by overbeating the mixture

US cup measurements

If you prefer to use cup measurements, please use the following conversions.

(Note: 1 Australian tbsp = 20ml.)

Liquid

1 tsp = 5ml

1 tbsp = 15ml

¹⁄₂ cup = 120ml/4fl oz

1 cup = 240ml/8¹⁄₂fl oz

Butter

1 tbsp = 15g/¹⁄₂oz

2 tbsp = 25g/1oz

¹⁄₂ cup/1 stick = 115g/4oz

1 cup/2 sticks = 225g/8oz

Caster (superfine) sugar/brown sugar

¹⁄₂ cup = 100g/3¹⁄₂oz

1 cup = 200g/7oz

Icing (confectioners’) sugar

1 cup = 115g/4oz

Flour

1 cup = 125g/4¹⁄₂oz

Ground almonds

¹⁄₂ cup = 50g/1³⁄₄oz

Chopped nuts

1 cup = about 125g (4¹⁄₄oz)

Cream cheese

1 cup = 225g (8oz)

Any baked but undecorated cupcakes can either be frozen for a treat another day (up to a month in an airtight box) or used to create cake pops – see Bake Me I’m Yours… Cake Pops for ideas.