Cupcakes are really just small cakes, so you can use any cake recipe to make them. The fact that they are small makes cupcakes interesting and fun. For instance, you can bake a batch of cupcakes using your favorite cake recipe, and freeze some for another day. Cupcakes can be made from readymade cake mix as well (one box of cake mix is enough for about 24 to 30 cupcakes, depending on the size of the cupcake cavities in the pan). Converting your regular cake recipes into cupcake recipes or using store-bought cake mix will produce perfectly good cupcakes. However, if you want to make cupcake batter from scratch, you will need the following:
Basic Ingredients
21/4 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
11/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shortening
Floor coloring
Depending on the recipe you are using, there will be additions to these ingredients. For instance, you can have 1/4 cup cocoa for chocolate flavored cupcakes. Other flavorings you can add to your cake mixture include nutmegs, ground ginger, lime, shredded coconut, mashed bananas, cinnamon, raisins and almonds among others. There is no limit to what you can use in your cupcake mixture, just as long as the flavors blend into each other well. Simply adapt the different cake recipes you like and turn them into cupcake recipes.
To make cupcakes, you will need a cupcake pan and cupcake liners, a mixer, a large bowl, and, of course, an oven.
Begin by preheating the oven. Add flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, milk, vanilla and shortening into the large bowl and beat for a minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix thoroughly for around 3 minutes or until a smooth consistency is achieved.
After your cupcake batter is ready and your oven is hot, put the cupcake liners into the cupcake pan and pour in the batter. Each cupcake liner should only be about 2/3 full (the cupcakes need room to rise without spilling over). Some cooks find that using an ice-cream scoop makes it easier to measure the amount of batter to put into the pan. If you have regulation-size cupcake pans and a scoop that measures 1/3, you would use two scoopfuls for each cupcake. Put the cupcakes into the oven and bake for just over 20 minutes. Keep any extra batter that you plan to bake after the first batch of cupcakes is cooked in your fridge. When the cupcakes are done, take the pan out of the oven and remove the cupcakes in their liners. Before using the same pan to bake the remaining batter, remember to let it cool for at least a quarter of an hour. Most cupcake pans have 12 cupcake cavities.
Allow the cupcakes time to cool completely before you can frost them. In the meantime, work on the cupcake frosting recipes you are going to use. There are four basic types of frosting: butter cream, chocolate butter cream, dark chocolate ganache and lemon cream cheese frosting. For butter cream frosting, you will need to mix150g soft butter and 12g confectioner's sugar. Add 1 tsp vanilla and 2 tsp hot water or milk to make a creamy mix. To make chocolate butter frosting, substitute the vanilla with 2 tsp cocoa.
Chocolate ganache is a rich frosting made of chocolate and cream. Melt together 1oz bittersweet chocolate, 1/2 cup heavy cream and 3 tbsp butter, then mix well. You may add 3 tbsp brandy if desired. Now let the frosting cool before you put it on the cupcakes. Lemon cheese frosting is made of cream cheese and lemon grind and it has a special flavor that effectively 'dresses up' any basic cupcake recipe. To make this distinctive frosting, put in a bowl 30g softened butter, 80g softened cream cheese, 11/2 cup confectioner's sugar and about 1 tsp grated lemon rind. Use your mixer to beat all the ingredients until you have a smooth, velvety frosting. Frosting or pastry spatulas make spreading frosting unto the cupcakes easier, but you can also use the back of a spoon. If you want to make decorative shapes with the frosting, use a pastry bag.
Basic Ingredients
21/4 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
11/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shortening
Floor coloring
Depending on the recipe you are using, there will be additions to these ingredients. For instance, you can have 1/4 cup cocoa for chocolate flavored cupcakes. Other flavorings you can add to your cake mixture include nutmegs, ground ginger, lime, shredded coconut, mashed bananas, cinnamon, raisins and almonds among others. There is no limit to what you can use in your cupcake mixture, just as long as the flavors blend into each other well. Simply adapt the different cake recipes you like and turn them into cupcake recipes.
To make cupcakes, you will need a cupcake pan and cupcake liners, a mixer, a large bowl, and, of course, an oven.
Begin by preheating the oven. Add flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, milk, vanilla and shortening into the large bowl and beat for a minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix thoroughly for around 3 minutes or until a smooth consistency is achieved.
After your cupcake batter is ready and your oven is hot, put the cupcake liners into the cupcake pan and pour in the batter. Each cupcake liner should only be about 2/3 full (the cupcakes need room to rise without spilling over). Some cooks find that using an ice-cream scoop makes it easier to measure the amount of batter to put into the pan. If you have regulation-size cupcake pans and a scoop that measures 1/3, you would use two scoopfuls for each cupcake. Put the cupcakes into the oven and bake for just over 20 minutes. Keep any extra batter that you plan to bake after the first batch of cupcakes is cooked in your fridge. When the cupcakes are done, take the pan out of the oven and remove the cupcakes in their liners. Before using the same pan to bake the remaining batter, remember to let it cool for at least a quarter of an hour. Most cupcake pans have 12 cupcake cavities.
Allow the cupcakes time to cool completely before you can frost them. In the meantime, work on the cupcake frosting recipes you are going to use. There are four basic types of frosting: butter cream, chocolate butter cream, dark chocolate ganache and lemon cream cheese frosting. For butter cream frosting, you will need to mix150g soft butter and 12g confectioner's sugar. Add 1 tsp vanilla and 2 tsp hot water or milk to make a creamy mix. To make chocolate butter frosting, substitute the vanilla with 2 tsp cocoa.
Chocolate ganache is a rich frosting made of chocolate and cream. Melt together 1oz bittersweet chocolate, 1/2 cup heavy cream and 3 tbsp butter, then mix well. You may add 3 tbsp brandy if desired. Now let the frosting cool before you put it on the cupcakes. Lemon cheese frosting is made of cream cheese and lemon grind and it has a special flavor that effectively 'dresses up' any basic cupcake recipe. To make this distinctive frosting, put in a bowl 30g softened butter, 80g softened cream cheese, 11/2 cup confectioner's sugar and about 1 tsp grated lemon rind. Use your mixer to beat all the ingredients until you have a smooth, velvety frosting. Frosting or pastry spatulas make spreading frosting unto the cupcakes easier, but you can also use the back of a spoon. If you want to make decorative shapes with the frosting, use a pastry bag.
About the Author:
Anya is not a professional chef, but really loves to bake as well as accentuate cakes Her posts incorporate cupcake recipes which are as simple to generate as they are yummy, as well as precious cupcake frosting tips for every season as well as event.
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