Basic Recipes

This page is a list of basic recipes that i use as a standard for most of my cakes.

- Basic Batter

I find this mix makes about 20-24 cupcakes depending on the amount in and the size of the cups.

You'll need:
- 200g of Self Raising Flour
- 200g Butter
- 200g Caster Sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 table spoons Milk
- dash of vanilla flavouring

- large bowl
- spatula/ wooden spoon
- hand mixer/whisk (I used a hand mixer)


Steps:

1: Mix your butter and sugar together in a bowl. If the butter is too hard microwave it for a few seconds to soften it. Mix them together until they go creamy and pale. (then get a tea spoon and sample some. gotta make sure it's not poisoned right? XD)

2: Crack the eggs and add the milk and vanilla essence and mix them into the butter-sugar mixture making sure they are well combined and  there are no lumps

3: Add the flour and mix in well until there are no lumps and it's smooth. DON'T OVER MIX! The cakes won't rise if you mix them too much.

4: Distribute into cupcake cups. Smaller ones only need 1 teaspoon to each but bigger ones may need 2 or 3 teaspoons.

4: Place in an Oven that has been preheated to about 180 degrees celcius for a fan oven/ 200 degrees C normal oven and bake for around 20 minutes. The cakes will be done when you can poke them with your finger and they'll bounce back into shape or if you're not brave enough to touch hot cake, poke them with a skewer or a knife and if should come out clean.

Tips:
- If you're making chocolate batter, sift together some cocoa powder with the flour before you add it to the sugar-butter-egg mixture. The amount depends on how chocolatey you want it.

- I find that milk gives the cake a moister, smoother, lighter texture. and it's good for loosening up the batter if there is too much flour. don't use too much though, dont want it too liquid.

- If you're mixing the batter by hand, do so in a figure of 8 motions. My friend used to work in a bakery and it's the best way to get air into the batter to make it nice and fluffy. :)



-Butter Icing
Ah butter icing. so delicious. It's versatile so you can add pretty much anything to it (flavouring, cocoa powder, food colouring) and it'll happily go with anything.
Use if - you're piping in onto the cakes and you want it to stay in peaks and patterns.

You'll need:
- Butter (softened)
- Icing Sugar/Powdered Sugar

- Bowl
- Fork
- Spoon
- Piping bag is neccessary

Steps:
1: Put your butter in the bowl and mash down so it's soft.

2: Add icing sugar in small batches until it tastes nice. I shouldn't bee too sweet and it shouldn't be too buttery. It should also be smooth.

3: If you're adding anything to the icing (colour, flavour, cocoa powder) do it now.

4: If you're piping it onto a cake, spoon the mixture into the piping bag or tube and get going! make sure the cakes are completely cool!

Tips:
- The amounts for this recipe are a bit random because you make it for how much you need at the time. for about 20 cakes i reccommend around 2 or 3 teaspoons for butter.

- If you are piping the icing on and it's a bit too thick or cracks or just breaks mid line, you might want to think about adding a bit of milk. It loosens it up, making it easier to squeeze out and makes the icing a bit paler if you want it white and tastes pretty good too.



Water Icing:
This icing is a runny one. it will happily run off the cake and onto your work surface if you don't make it thick enough. Bit annoying but it's really easy if you don't have the time after you made cakes or can't be bothered. good to use for a glaze on top of the cakes if you're not planning on doing proper icing.

You'll need:
-Icing sugar
- Cold water

- Bowl
- Spoon

Steps:
1: Put the amount of icing sugar you want into the bowl.

2: Add the cold water teaspoon by teaspoon until you get the consistency you want. It should run off the spoon slowly and leave track marks in the icing when it lands.