cupcake cases

[tethersend]

...where can I get them?

I want smallish cases with vertical sides, rather than fairy cake cases (too shallow) or muffin cases (too big).

I am a cupcake virgin, but want to stun friends and family for my dd's first birthday. In a good way. I hope.

Also, any cupcake tips/recipes gratefully received (especially icing related)

Anyone?

Possibly not very helpful, but Sainsbury's did a massive cupcake masterclass in their magazine a month or so ago. I used their tips to make cakes for my niece's birthday and they were really good. Main things I can remember are...

Cupcake mix was same as I'd always done it - 3 eggs to 6oz of SR flour, butter and caster sugar, or 4 eggs to 8oz. Baked at 180 for 20ish mins, depending on your oven. So far so standard. The next thing they recommended was to prick the tops of the cakes when they are still warm, and brush them with sugar syrup (made from sugar and water boiled down - they had flavourings as well) I didn't do that as it seemed a bit fiddly. The icing was great though - made of butter, icing sugar and cream cheese - to ice 24 cupcakes, use 200g full fat cream cheese, at room temp, 100g unsalted butter and 600g icing sugar. Then if you want to flavour it, there are various suggestions. For my niece's party I did strawberry icing, using the recipe above and then adding a tablespoon of strawberry jam and some pink colouring. For chocolate, use half the quantity of the icing, and add it to a mixture of 200g melted chocolate (dark) mixed with 200ml heated single cream. Let the chocolate mixture cool and set a bit, then beat the two together. All very good. If you can get hold of the magazine, it's all there. I've looked at the Sainsbury's website though, and it's not there.

Can't help with the cupcake cases question though.

Use foil cases (silver or gold are prettiest) as the fat in the cake doesn't make them go transparent in the way that paper cupcake cases do.

I like carrot cake cupcakes with Philadelphia icing (whipped Philadelphia with icing sugar).

these are nice. Then it doesn't matter what you bake the cakes in as you can't see them.

If it is size you are worried about (ie, cupcakes are usually bigger than fairy cakes0 then just get muffin cases.

Oh I see that you don't want muffin cases. If you want actually cupcake cups then you will probably have to order them from abroad.

Muffin cases are about the same size as cupcakes should be. Perhaps you are thinking of giant muffins

(me again sorry!) As for the steep sides its the baking TRAY that makes that happen. I always do cupcakes in a muffin tin, only half fill the cases so they don't get that muffin top. (giggle) whereas I make fairy cakes in a normal bun tin.