8 Cupcake Recipes To Make With The Kids

Ingredients:

• 175 g butter (at room temperature), cut into large pieces
• 175 g self-raising flour
• 175 g caster sugar
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 175 g butter (at room temperature), cut into lare pieces
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• 350 g icing sugar, sifted
• Pink edible colouring
• 3 large eggs
• Edible pink hearts, to decorate

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cupcake or muffin cases.
• Put all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk or a wooden spoon until smooth and evenly mixed. Divide the mixture evenly between the paper cases.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and firm on top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the icing. Put the butter, vanilla extract, two tablespoons of the milk, and half the icing sugar in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Beat in the remaining icing sugar, and pour in the rest of the milk if needed to make the icing the right consistency.
• Put half of the icing into another bowl and colour it pale pink with the edible colouring. Carefully spoon this down one side of a piping bag fitted with a number eight star nozzle, then spoon the non-coloured icing down the other side of the bag. Twist the end of the bag to seal the icing in.
• Pipe swirls of the icing on top of each cupcake. Scatter with the edible pink hearts or other sprinkles, to decorate.

Ingredients:

• 00g plain flour
• 20g cocoa powder
• 140g caster sugar
• 1 1/2tsp baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 40g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 120ml whole milk
• 1 egg
• ¼tsp vanilla extract
• chocolate vermicelli or edible silver balls, to decorate

Chocolate Frosting:

• 300g icing sugar, sifted
• 100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 40g cocoa powder, sifted
• 40ml whole milk

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas Mark 3.
• Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
• Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla extract together in a jug, then slowly pour about half into the flour mixture, beat to combine and turn the mixer up to high speed to get rid of any lumps.
• Turn the mixer down to a slower speed and slowly pour in the remaining milk mixture (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.
• Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
• When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the chocolate frosting on top and decorate with chocolate vermicelli or silver balls.

For the chocolate frosting:

• Beat the icing sugar, butter and cocoa powder together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
• Turn the mixer down to slow speed. Add the milk to the butter mixture a couple of tablespoons at a time. Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes.

Ingredients:

• 100g (3 1/2oz) self-raising flour
• 50g (2oz) caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) soya milk
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the icing:

• 200g (7oz) icing sugar
• 4 tbsp soya milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• drop of food colouring
• sprinkles, for decoration

Method:

• Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C.
• Place cupcake cases into the hollows of a 12-cup bun tin. Measure out the flour, sugar and baking powder into a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, measure out the soya milk and the oil, then stir in the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Tip the soya milk mix into the dry ingredients and whisk quickly until everything is combined. Quickly distribute the mixture evenly across the cake cases. Bake for 25 minutes until slightly browned. (An inserted skewer should come out clean.) Cool on a wire rack.
• To make the icing, stir the icing sugar, soya milk, vanilla extract and food colouring together until you have a thick, smooth liquid. Drop a heaped teaspoonful on the top of each cake, allow to spread out fully. Decorate while still wet with sprinkles or sweets as desired. Allow to set.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

• 3 medium carrots, peeled and grated
• 100g soft light brown sugar
• 80g unsalted butter, softened
• 80g Golden syrup
• 2 medium eggs
• 150g self-raising flour
• ½tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt

For the icing:

• 50g unsalted butter, softened
• 110g low-fat cream cheese
• 225g icing sugar
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 25g desiccated coconut, for garnishing

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Line a 12 tin cupcake tray with 8-10 cupcake cases.
• Combine the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a large saucepan and melt together over a medium heat, stirring to combine. Remove from the heat, then stir in the self-raising flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, ground cinnamon, grated carrot and eggs. Mix well until you have a smooth batter
• Spoon into the cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and a cake tester comes out clean from the centre when inserted. Remove when ready and allow to cool on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, prepare the icing by combining the butter, cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract together in a large mixing bowl. Beat using an electric whisk until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle. Once the cupcakes are cool, pipe the icing on top in a swirl. Sprinkle the desiccated coconut on top and serve on a cake stand.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

• 175g plain flour
• 200g caster sugar
• 75g butter
• 1½tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 90ml whole milk, at room temperature
• 1tsp vanilla bean paste
• 12-hole cupcake tin and paper cupcake cases
• Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

For the filling:

For the icing:

• 100g full-fat cream cheese
• 350g icing sugar
• 150ml double cream

For the topping:

• 50g digestive biscuits
• 1 tsp butter, melted

Method:

• To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 180C, gas 4. Line the cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, butter and baking powder using the paddle attachment. Mix on a low speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. You shouldn’t see any large lumps of butter. Alternatively, use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour and sugar.
• In a small jug, use a fork to blend the eggs, milk, lemon zest and vanilla bean paste together. Add the mixture a little at a time to the bowl, beating until it is all combined. Keep beating for a few minutes more, until the mixture is uniform and smooth with no lumps.
• Divide the mixture between the cases evenly, filling each one no more than two-thirds full. Bake in the preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean and the cakes are a pale golden brown. Don’t be tempted to over-bake here; get them out as soon as the skewer is clean. The last thing you want is dry cakes!
• Leave to cool for five minutes in the tin, then remove and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack. Do not attempt to decorate them until they are cold.
• To make the icing, put the cream cheese into a large bowl, and use an electric hand-held whisk to beat it until smooth. Add the icing sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, until it is all incorporated. Mix in the double cream and whisk until the mixture thickens. You can whisk this by hand, but it will take a few more minutes to thicken. It won’t hold its shape yet, so it is important to chill it in the fridge for at least an hour so that it firms up.
• Put the biscuits for the topping in a sealable plastic bag, seal it and then, using a rolling pin, lightly bash the bag to crush the biscuits into small pieces.
• Add the biscuit crumbs to the melted butter and stir until the mixture starts to clump together.
• To assemble, use a sharp knife or specialist cupcake corer to make a circular incision in the centre of each cupcake. Take out the middle and fill each cavity with ½ teaspoon of lemon curd.
• When the icing has set, put it into a disposable piping bag. Cut the end off the bag, making a medium-sized circular hole, then pipe a double ring around the edge of the lemon curd, and fill the gap with the remaining lemon curd.
• Sprinkle the biscuit topping around the icing ring, trying to avoid the lemon curd centre. These cupcakes need to be stored in the fridge, where they will keep for up to three days.

Ingredients:

• 250g (8oz) butter, softened
• 250g (8oz) caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 250g (8oz) self-raising flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp milk
• gel food colour, in a variety of colours
• coloured sprinkles, to decorate

For the cream cheese icing:

• 200g (7oz) butter, softened
• 400g (13oz) icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 150g (5oz) light cream cheese

Method:

• Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180ºC, fan 160ºC. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
• Using a hand-held mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs and then fold in the flour, vanilla extract and milk.
• Divide the cake batter evenly between 6 bowls. Add enough food colour gel to each bowl to give a strong shade.
• Spoon the mixture between the paper cases, one colour at a time. It’s best to drizzle around the edge and then encourage it to fill in the centre. Don’t mix too much or the colours will run.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until light and spongy to the touch. Cool on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, make the icing by beating together the butter and icing sugar until light and creamy. Whisk in the vanilla extract and cream cheese. Put into a piping bag and swirl some icing on top of each cake. Scatter over the sprinkles.

Ingredients:

• 125g (4oz) Everyday Value butter, at room temperature
• 125g (4oz) caster sugar
• 2 medium Everyday Value eggs
• 125g (4oz) Everyday Value plain flour
• 2tsp baking powder
• 2 small/medium Everyday Value bananas, mashed

Method:

• Preheat oven to Gas 4, 180ºC, fan 160ºC. Line a bun tin with 12 cupcake cases.
• In a mixing bowl, cream Everyday Value butter and sugar until fluffy. Gradually beat in the Everyday Value eggs until mixture is smooth. Fold in Everyday Value flour, baking powder and Everyday Value bananas.
• Divide between cases and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool. Can be stored for up to 3-4 days.

Ingredients:

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