You may ask yourself why are cupcakes and muffins so popular? They seem to be on sale everywhere these days. As these little cakes are so quick and easy to make it’s simple to make your own. Fairy cakes, cupcakes and muffins recipes are so versatile and can be used for Breakfasts, a special occasion or children’s parties.
I enjoy creating my own homemade cakes, as shop bought cakes are so expensive and lets face it, who knows what goes in to them. At least with your homemade cakes you know every ingredient. There is no comparison to homemade cakes plus the fun in creating your own designs.
As a gift or for the centre of the table, a batch of cupcakes and muffins brings the personal touch of homemade baking. This is a great time to get kids involved and introduce them to the art of cookery. This is a great opportunity to show them how fun baking can be. If you are ever asked to bake for the schools bake sale or a charity stall, cupcakes and muffins are the quick and easy choice and won’t break your budget.
Teatime Treats
Sometimes, there is nothing better than a teatime treat of dainty sandwiches and tasty, pretty cupcakes and muffins, washed down with lashings of hot tea. My section on classic cupcakes includes classic cakes in a cute cupcakes and muffins form – from the unrivalled Lemon Drizzle to the iconic Coffee and Walnut. You will be totally spoiled for choice for your afternoon tea!
Classic Chocolate Delights
The epitome of indulgence, chocolate deserves its own section. The perfect partner for fellow decadents such as toffee and fudge, it renders Chocolate Fudge Flake Muffins and Chocolate and Toffee Cupcakes to die for. Then there are the fruits and flavourings that give chocolate a different identity. Why not try Mint Choc Chip or Chocolate Orange Marbled Muffins. Of course, sometimes you just crave pure unadulterated heaven, which you will find in Very Rich Chocolate Cupcakes.
For Parties and Special Occasions
Cupcakes are ideal for parties and celebrations, since they can be personalised and decorated in any way. Their individual form makes them easy for guests to pick up and eat with no cutting required! From figurative designs ideal for kids parties, such as Pirate Cupcakes, to lovely delicate designs for romantic and special occasions, such as Winter Wedding Cupcakes. There are so many choices out there and a world of inspiration.
For Seasonal Celebrations
Whether you are having a Halloween party or are running out of ideas for Christmas Gifts, the seasons and their celebrations offer many ideas. Have a go at making the attractive decorations for Spring Daffodil Cupcakes, have fun with the glittery and metallic decorations for Sparkly Christmas Cupcakes. Simply savour the evocative flavours and aromas of Gingerbread Cupcakes or Honey Spiced Cupcakes.
Savoury Muffins
Do not forget that muffins lend themselves well to savoury ingredients. Nothing beats that aroma of freshly baked muffins – ideal for serving warm with butter for breakfast or a tasty snack. I will be adding some fun and interesting ideas for savoury muffins, including Pizza Mini Muffins and Peanut Butter Muffins. All kinds of vegetables can be used such as courgettes, leeks and sweetcorn. One of the best ingredients for savoury muffins is cheese and bacon.
Sweet Muffins
Last but certainly not least, we have sweet muffins – in addition to the chocolate cupcakes. Muffins with their distinctively rustic tops, offer a heartier option than cupcakes, it is all about the cake rather than the decoration. The classics here are Blueberry, Buttermilk and Choc Chip Cherry Muffins. There are also all sorts of fantastic combinations like Rhubarb and Custard or Coconut and Lime.
Check Your Oven
Every recipe starts with an oven setting, and it is important to preheat your oven to the correct temperature before putting in your cakes. As well as preheating your oven it is also important to arrange the shelves in to the correct position before you start. The best position in the oven for baking your cupcakes is just above the centre shelf. Even though you can bake batches, the best results are when you are only baking one tray at a time. If you do bake 2 or more, you might find the other trays come out with flatter tops.
Lots of people have fan assisted ovens these days. These circulate hot air round the oven and heat up very quickly. For fan assist ovens, you will need to reduce the temperature of the recipe by 10%. If the recipe states that your oven should be 180*C, you will need to drop it down to 160*C. However, ovens vary so I have found using an oven thermometer a fantastic piece of kit. Using a thermometer inside your oven will keep your oven at the optimum temperature for your bake.
Muffin and Cupcake Trays and Cases
Metal Muffin Trays
Cupcakes and Muffins trays come in lots of different sizes, weights and shapes, they are usually available in 6 or 12 deep set holes. I have found the heavier trays to be so much better for baking as they have good heat distribution. If using trays with a nonstick finish, use paper cases or give them a light greasing.
Silicone Muffin Trays and Cupcake Cases
Silicone Muffin trays are very flexible and produce good results. Even though they are sold as nonstick, be sure to lightly grease them. Silicone trays come in all different sizes and colours and, unlike paper cases, are reusable. Simply brush out any crumbs, wash them in soapy water, and allow to dry naturally. These trays can also be washed in the dishwasher safely.
Fairy-cake Trays
These are also known as ‘bun trays’ or ‘patty trays’ and are similar to muffin trays. They have a shallower indentation for making smaller individual cakes with a paper fairy-cake case.
Mini-Muffin Trays
Mini muffin trays have small individual holes that are half the size of the big trays. These trays make very small muffins and can also be used to make truffles and mini deep filled apple pies.
Paper Cases
Paper cases come in many different sizes, colours and shapes. It is advisable to buy the more expensive cases as these are thicker and give good shape. Oil and moisture is less likely to penetrate through the thicker cases. Metallic gold, silver and coloured cupcake cases give great results and look stunning for special occasions. Cupcake cases also come in mini muffin sizes and can be bought through eBay, Amazon and cake decorating suppliers.
Take a look at some of my other recipes, I add new ones every day.
