Tara's Fail-Safe Cup Cake Sponge Recipe.

I promised yesterday I'd give you the recipe for easy and fail-safe cup cake sponge mix. The exquisite cup cakes I'm showing you here were made by Tara, one of my fellow knitters from Wednesday evening knit club. She makes beautiful cakes, and their decoration is always wonderful. I was sitting next to her a few weeks back, and we were knitting away and chatting. I knew she was an expert cake maker, so I thought I'd pick her brains to see if she could give me a quick and easy, (and fail-safe) recipe for cup cakes. She jotted a recipe down on a scrap of paper, but said I should wait before I made the cup cakes, because she wanted to test it, just to check it was o.k. and she'd let me know the following week, at our knitting night. Well, I wasn't expecting the lovely surprise I got when I walked in to the knitting group the following Wednesday evening! Tara said she had a "little" present for me, and handed me a plastic bag. Inside was a cake box, in which were nestled these beautiful cup cakes! I don't think I stopped oooohing and aaaahhhing and exclaiming my joy for a good ten minutes. I mean, just imagine receiving these beauties! So here we go, Tara's recipe: Tara's fail-safe cup cake sponge recipe. (Makes about 18 cup cakes) 2 large eggs 4 oz/110 grams Flora Original 1 teaspoon baking powder (sieve in with flour) 4 oz/110 grams McDougall's Sponge self raising flour 4 oz/110 grams caster sugar Mix it all together in the same bowl, with an electric whisk Place little dollops in the cup cake cases, up to about half way (or just over). Bake at 140 C in a fan oven / 160 in a convection oven, for 20 minutes. When they're ready they will be slightly springy to the touch. Tara used ready made icing, called sugarpaste, which she coloured, and rolled out, then cut out circles with a cookie cutter. She then warmed Apricot jam (which had been sieved), and used that to stick the icing rounds to the tops of the cup cakes. She said she has tiny cutters, and other things, to make the components for the flowers and butterflies, which are made from Sugar Paste. When I made my cup cakes, I used the icing sugar powder you get in boxes. Unfortunately my icing turned out wrinkly, not smooth and perfect like Tara's. I've been given a tip for making icing, which is this. Heat up your icing sugar powder in a sauce pan, with a little water. The trick is for the sugar to melt completely, apparently. I haven't yet tried this myself, but will be giving it a go when I next make cup cakes, and I'll report back to you on how it went. While I was photographing these little beauties, I'm afraid I lost my self control, and had to eat one. They were absolutely delicious! And it wasn't long before Hugo and I polished off the rest, they were very "moreish" you know! Anyway, I hope you enjoy making this sponge mix. It's so quick to make it's ridiculous, but very wonderful! Have fun!

Comments

[Helen Lambert]

oh they look lovely... could just eat one....I am useless with cakes and sweets...Pete does all that....we missed all the eggs etc...but they are waiting for us downstairs....so may pop down in a min...I am just catching up inbetween dusting...what with Alfie and all these chimneys we have a very dusty house....I hate dust...thanks for sharing all your lovely pictures....love H

[bakeandsewblog]

Now that's naughty - I was hoping to have one!!
They look scrummy and as usual lovely photographs.

[driftwood]

sooooo pretty, not suprised you couldn't resist them xxx

[aspen]

Vanessa, I wonder if you've ever been to this website http://www.fancyflours.com/
If nothing else they are a wonder of inspiration! Someday I'd like to try their wafer paper decorations, and they have unusual cupcake liners as well!

[Lindseyrose]

WOW! Those cupcakes are amazing! Thanks for the recipe! I'm sure mine won't turn out as pretty as your friend's!

[kitschen pink]

Loving that fondant coloured china. Just so pretty! As we get eggs from the farm '2 eggs' is a bit of a flexible term so when we make cake we weigh the eggs and adjust the other measurements accordingly. I have never ever had much success with the all-in method. I think I'm too much of a traditionalist! But reading this.. I need to bake! YUM! t.x

[Pipany]

hello Vanessa. I am frantically trying to catch up after the hols and see all the cakey goodness I have missed on your blog! Gorgeous colours so reminiscent of spring. Lovely xx

[Bobo Bun]

The colours of your china are simply delicious. I think they are the most gorgeous pictures I have seen for a long time now.

Lisa x

[Cat]

What scrumptiousness!! x

[Denise]

Hi Vanessa Thank you for the recipe,they certainly do look delicious. I am making them as soon as possible. Love the china and the photos too. x

[cathleen]

These look so delicious...I just want to reach through my computer screen and grab one or two. Really Vanessa...these are almost too pretty to eat! Thank you so much for sharing her recipe with us.

[Sumea]

Yummy!
and so pretty :o)
x
Sumea

[Susana Alves (mundoacores)]

They look fantastic! I just don´t know if I can find all the ingredients here in Portugal, but I´ll try!!! :)

Thank you!
*******************

[Hen]

Hi Vanessa,
I was just thinking I'd give this recipe a go, as you do on a Friday afternoon and its horrid outside. I noticed the flour says 100g where as the Flora and sugar are 110g (though all 4ozs). Just wondered if it's 110g for all of them? Ah well, I'll just give it a go, what's 10g between friends!
Hen x