Fabulous cupcake recipe needed

[stillfrazzled]

A dear friend is getting married soon. She mentioned she was trying to keep the budget down (they're having a v informal do, no wedding list - actually asking for NO presents as they have everything they need) and in lieu of spending hundreds on a cake she was thinking of asking for volunteers to make a batch of cupcakes.

So I volunteered - but I'm not really a baker. I need a gorgeous recipe, something really delicious, as good as the MN lemon drizzle cake and pref as easy - and some ideas to decorate so mine look so lovely that everyone grabs them before realising I'm not a baker

I leave myself in your hands. TIA.

Make the lemon drizzle cake in cupcake cases. I've done it, it works I promise! Bake for less time than for a big cake - worth doing a trial run to make sure you get it right with your oven, if it's for someone's wedding. My oven is very hot and I do them for about 20-25 mins.

Ice with lemon buttercream and decorate with whatever you fancy (lots of silly fabulous things available online e.g. here if you don't have a specialist shop near you)

Oh aquavit you horrible evil woman. You do realise I now have to buy everything in their catalogue stuff from there, and it's all your fault

they should pay me commission

I have a ridiculous drawer full of edible glitter and the like

by the way frazzled I should have said, do the drizzling part and let it cool before you ice them

aquavit you are awesome!

I love the idea, will give it a try this very weekend as we have people coming for lunch, will be ace dessert.

One thing - and I know is selfish - but I HATE buttercream. Would a cream cheese topping be OK instead? Maybe with some zest grated in?

Oh yeah I am sure it would be fine. Or you could make a lemon glace icing by using lemon juice instead of water to mix with the icing sugar. But that doesn't look as vulgar glamorous as buttercream so I reckon your cream cheese topping would be excellent.

Glamorous is what we're aiming for - want a proper SATC look. Am fancying the edible stars, prolly in gold, with perhaps some edible glitter sprinkled on top.

Looking forward to this

that sounds brilliant, hope it all goes well!

oh one thing has just occurred to me - some of the sparkly decorations 'melt' a bit when they are in contact with a wet topping like buttercream or cream cheese frosting, esp if you decorate them some time in advance. The glitters that they tell you not to eat don't though. I have fed these glitters to lots of people with no ill effect...

This is a decent cupcake recipe that produces lovely flat tops ready for the frosting

Cupcakes

120g Plain Flour
140g caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
45g unsalted butter at room temp
120ml whole milk
1 large egg (free range obviously)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Put flour, sugar, baking powder, butter and pinch salt in bowl and, using hand held electric mixer on slow, mix till it looks like sand. Gradually pour in half the milk and mix.
In another bowl whisk egg, vanilla and the rest of the milk, then pour into creamed mixture and beat until incorporated ans smooth.
Divide between 12 cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 mins at 180/160 fan/gas4.

Although the lemon drizzle cup cakes sound lovely

Stirling - tell me how these cup cakes stay flat?? I want to make some this weekend for decorating. Would you consider this to be a really moist recipe?

Hi Red, Stirling here under another name

Not sure why they stay flat but probably using plain flour has something to do with it.

They are a different texture to normal fairy cakes and can easily be made a day or two in advance and will stay moist.

I have put a photo on profile but these have been frosted so you can't really see the tops.

These

www.gourmet-chick.com/2009/08/red-velvet-cupcakes-hummingbird-bakery.html