Deli-style cupcakes (not fairy cakes, they're dead easy) - what makes them different?

[Pruners]

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I know what you mean, but don't know the answer!

The sponge is softer IMO. More like muffin sponge. I have posted a muffin recipe which uses oil instead of marg/butter. They are moist. Perhaps that's it ?

I found the difference is adding milk (fairy cake recipes don't tend to have milk, as I recall) at the end of the recipe to get a gloopier mixture and beating all the ingredients together for longer than the recipe states (found this out by accident when I got distracted by DD whilst whisking!). This gives a very soft and close-textured sponge.

Ditto with the icing. Double the quantity of sugar to unsalted butter, beat loads then beat a bit more. Add milk or water (only a tsp or so) if you want it runnier.

Half fill the big cupcake cases, leaving more room for more icing.

Is that any use?

I asked in a shop once and they said their icing was italian meringue - can't remember what that was but sure its googlable.

I am on a constant quest to discover the difference. They are definitely different in texture to mine. Mine seem a bit crumblier?

I've got a recipe for a "marshmallow" (more like meringuey, in some ways) frosting that I think may be what you're after. I can look it up and post it later. Many of them do just have buttercream frosting, though -- but flavoured with vanilla or rosewater or suchlike, and sometimes with milk in the buttercream frosting too.

yes please PandL

thanks for your ideas everyone else.

frosting is different
and you have to have those lovely proper cupcake liners:
here

also here is a definitive blog

Pruners - the mixture is 60z butter, 60z sugar, 6oz flour 2 eggs or even 3 eggs, leomon or orange ess

Beat sugar and butter together in FP, then add eggs and beat again, then add flour and dribble in essence and add 3 tablespoons of milk

Put them in cases in a muffin tin tray (as the indents are larger) and bake on gas 3 for 25 minutes and check as oven vary.

Leave to cool and then use frosting.

I have done this to get them light - am thinking that possible to split the eggs and whisk the whites to get lots of air in and thus make the cake lighter?

sorry that is 6oz of everything not 60

I'm with ya pruners - most of the ones you get in cafes etc are not straightforward buttercream (although I have the cookbook for the famous Magnolia bakery in New York and all they use is butter, icing sugar, vanilla essence and milk).

The meringue type frosting or 'american frosting' is eggs yolks and caster sugar beaten together over a saucepan of hot water - but that is more like what they use on birthday cakes (very yummy though....)

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Marshmallow Frosting

3 egg whites
480g white caster sugar
3 teaspoons light corn syrup (difficult to get over here -- various places suggest substituting with agave nectar, using golden syrup (although the consistency's not quite right), using glucose syrup, or making your own sugar syrup. When I've made this before it's been from a slightly different version of the recipe in another book that my mother has, and I think that that version used golden syrup)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
150ml water
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
food colouring

MAKES Enough frosting for 24 cupcakes
KEEPS Does not keep. Use immediately

In a metal bowl combine the egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and water.

place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water) and beat continuously with a hand-held electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy and forms soft peaks.

Take the bowl off the heat and add the vanilla and food colouring. Whisk the mixture until it forms stiff peaks.

(Source: The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook)

thanks Port, will try that soon.

oooh thanks PortandLemon, another one here avidly copying that recipe out. I have just started to get into American recipes for cupcakes and will add this frosting to my growing collection (and waistline!!)

I think that marshmallow frosting is very light (and lovely) but the cupcakes I buy and wish I could make often seem to veve very heavy icing - more like a buttercream but maybe a cooked buttercream?

veve? have

The Magnolia Bakery in New York apparently use

2 sticks (8oz) unsalted butter - very soft
8 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of sugar, then milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is a good spreading consistency (you may not need all the sugar). If desired, add a few drops of food colouring and mix thoroughly. Use icing at room temperature.

I don't know if it's the milk that makes the difference -- I've never tried using milk in buttercream.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4434/romantic-rose-cupcakes is a recipe i've tried lately (although without the ribbon and roses!)
The yogurt makes the cakes very light and the ground almond gives a lovely flavour and stops them being dry (even though i accidentally turned the oven up to about 220 for about 5 minutes lol!) I do not normally like buttercream icing but the white chocolate makes it lush!

Woodenspoon, I think the icing you are meaning may be made with mascarpone cheese. I don't like cakes or icing, but I have seen my friend ice her cup cakes with a mascarpone mixture.

She's on holiday at the moment or else I'd call and ask her.

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I use Sainsbos Basics cake mix. 23p a packet, makes 14 cupcakes.

cremola - thanks for that link - I think I've died and gone to heaven!

You HAVE to try custard butter icing (Nigella) She first replaces 2 ozof SR flour for custard powder in the cake mix, it makes a really light, puffy cake and a vanilla taste. (You also add more milk than usual)

The icing is equal butter and icing sugar, whisked with 1tbs custard powder - add a splash of boiling water while mixing and it will suddenly transform into a wonderful thick icing. It pipes amazingly well and actually sets when cool. Onyl trouble is it only comes in yellow! - Nice for easter cakes though eh?

PortandLemon:

Just wanted to pop back and say that I tried out the marshmallow frosting last night as I had made a bunch of gingerbread mini muffins that needed a topping. Delicious!! I admit to adding a little lemon zest and replace some of the water with the juice of half a lemon (I love lemony icing for gingerbread) and just a teeny dash of yellow colouring.
Big success and definitely recommend/make it again.
Thank you