Cupcake assistance please?

[mrsmopsmissingmojo]

I'm a good baker of cakes but can't make successful cup cakes. I'd really like to make some with a lemon curd middle and either lemon drizzle top or another lemon icing.

My attempts have come out like fairy cakes? Where am I going wrong?

Probably not enough mix in the case, too low an oven or the wrong tin (or all 3)

Make sure you have a cupcake pan, rather than a shallow fairy cake pan. a 2 egg mix (50g of each ingredient per egg) will give you 12 cupcakes. Bake in the centre of the oven at 160 for about 18 mins

Use a syringe to put the lemon curd into the cake once its baked, then try piping on a vanilla buttericing and drizzling a lemon sauce over the top, with some yellow sugar sprinkles for decoration

I think you might be right. I seem to get a nice light sponge but the top is too crunchy!

Mrsmop, i always use the same quantity for all my cupcakes, and i make alot, to sell and obviously to eat, the quantity i use is a 4egg mix and it gives me exactly 18 cupcakes, and another really good tip which i also use, is use an icecream scoop, it give you the same size cupcakes for everyone. Yes piping jam, lemoncurd etc etc in the middle gives everyone a lovely surprise when they tuck in.

Oooo thanks nanny! Batch baking is my thing because I have 10 children so if I did an 8 egg mix and ice cream scoop suggestion would that work just as well? Perhaps I've been a bit frugal in the past

M&S do a lovely lemon dessert sauce that I use - I take the middle of the cupcake out with an apple corer and fill it with sauce. I use a lemon cream cheese frosting, usually goes down well

Mrsmop, if you ever find the time to watch cupcakes wars on TV, you'll find they all use an icecream scoop, all the cupcakes will turn out exactly the same size, the only thing i will say is dont fill the scoop to full and flatten them out abit or you'll get abit of a ledge on the top, if you have a fan oven i put them in on 160 for about 18mins, perfect everytime.

Mycat, that sounds lush, MMM.

Oooo thanks ladies, great suggestions! Any top tips for frosting/icing?

10 dc?

I do a 4 egg, 200g of everything else mix. Use muffin cases and muffin pan.

For choc I take 2 table spoon of flour out and substitute with cocoa powder.

Use an apple corer to make hole in the cake and fill with whatever you fancy.

Is it too late to go and bake some cakes?

Oh no! Never too late for cakes IMO!

Yy to the lemon sauce stuff from marksies. They also do a salted caramel that is to die for.

Nah Mike, its never too late, i've been itching all day to bake, but i'm not going shopping till tomorrow and i'm out of butter, which is good really as i'm on a diet!!

I'm going to wait until tomorrow. Chocolate gateau I think. Yum!

Well last week i did a to die for filling, piped in some caramel ( homemade of course) then mixed some into my buttercream, was sooooooooooooooo nice.

Oh go, please share that recipe with me, your own? what are you doing it like?

Just a normal choc sponge. 3 layers.

Fill it with cherries and cream or chocolate cream whichever you prefer.

Decorate with left over filling.

I have some caramel here so may use that with chocolate cream.

Chocolate buttercream? or ganache? or whipped cream with some melted choccy in, can you do that with whipped cream?

I melt 150g of chocolate and leave to cool.

Whip up a pot of double cream with a teaspoon of icing sugar then really gently fold the chocolate in.

This is by no means a fool proof method. It has been known to fail many times!

So wish i wasnt on a diet sometimes!!. What does the icing sugar do? and why would it fail?

The icing sugar just makes it a bit sweeter. Like when you buys a cream cake from the bakery.

I have been known to over whip it.

Oh Lordy! So many cakes and never enough time! my mouth is watering! I think Marie antionette had the right idea!

Nutella mixed with cream makes a fab filling/topping

Nuttela is the most requested in this house.

With a bit of nuttela inside the cake.

Oh I do lovely cakes, scoop some put of the top and full with lemon curd. Then top with meringue and put it back in the oven. Lovely lemon meringue cupcakes.

mmmm some lovely suggestions here. My favourite is apple crumble and custard - fill cupcake with sweetened applesauce, top with a biscuit crumb and a swirl of custard buttercream