Basic Recipes

What cake blog would be complete without a basic recipe page? I'm not a fan of sites that drone on and on about the basic sponge recipe in every step by step guide. I know how to bake a sponge (and you'll end up getting the hang of it soon enough). My blogs, I plan to keep simple; they'll tell you to have your sponge ready before the decorating gets going....it's all about the decorating. So here are a few 'needs' to get you going.

A nice basic vanilla sponge/cupcakes

This recipe can be used for a standard cake or for basic vanilla cupcakes.

You're gonna need...

150g caster sugar
150g butter/stork, softened
150g self-raising flour
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Make it...

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
Step 2: Mix together the sugar and butter, then mix in the egg. Finally sieve the flour into the mixture with the baking powder.
Step 3: Add the vanilla extra and whisk the full mixture.
Step 4: Pour mixture into a tin (lined with greaseproof paper) or divide into individual cupcakes cases
Step 5: Bake in the oven for 15-20mins until the cake has risen and is firm to touch in the centre
NOTE: I like to test my cake is ready by poking a skewer into the middle. If the skewer comes out dry, the cake is ready all the way through. Just be careful you don't pull the cake out of the oven too early- it will cause it to sink.
Step 6:Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

A nice chocolate cake

Moist moist moist ;)

You're gonna need...

60g dark chocolate (coarsely chopped)
120ml water
90g butter/ (I use stork!!!!)
220g firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
100g self-raising flour
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

Make it...

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
Step 2: Combine dark choc and water and stir over low heat until smooth
Step 3: Beat the butter, eggs and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy
Step 4: Stir in flour (sifted), cocoa powder and water/choc mixture
Step 5: Pour mixture into tin/divide into cases and bake for around 40mins.

NOTE: Its worth testing this cake the same as the vanilla one before you take it out for cooling! This cake can take longer as the water mixture makes the batter runny.

Butter cream

I eat this stuff straight from the bowl.... and LOVE loads of it on cupcakes Ala Starbucks style. So easy..

You're gonna need...

140g butter/stork

280g icing sugar

1-2 tbsp milk

 

Make it...

 

Step 1: Beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.

 

Step 2: Add the remaining icing sugar and one tablespoon of the milk and beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Beat in the milk, if necessary, to loosen the mixture.

 

NOTE: wanna make choc butter cream? melt down some chocolate and add instead of the milk. Strawberry, add normal supermarket flavouring... etc etc