How do you make fairy cakes in muffin cases??

[johnbarrowmanlovesme]

Whenever I make these, just using a fairy cake / sponge recipe, they always turn out flat & shrink away from the sides of the muffin case, what am I doing wrong any ideas??

I want to make some for school cake sale tomorrow, last minute as usual

what recipe are you using?

Er, put more mixture into each one - if it's not sticking to the sides and rising, there's jsut not enough in the paper.

Make sure you use enough mixture. I find you need to half fill the cake paper unless you want very shallow ones.

Usual recipe is 125 g butter/sugar then 4 eggs, fold in 125g SR flour.

Is it the temp you bake them at? Needs to be gas mark 4 (180C? have had gas for so long I've forgotten).

Oh x-posted, we must be right!

2oz butter
2oz caster sugar
2oz butter
1 egg

I have tried putting more mixture in but that doesn't make any difference

I assume there is some flour in there somewhere

That is a very small amount of ingredients..

oops! also 2oz sr flour!

If you're making 12 at once then you need to double the mixture, at least. When I use my deep muffin tin I use 6/6/6/3 ratio.

Agree on using more mixture overall. And are you using self-raising flour? If not, you'll need baking powder as a raising agent. And add some vanilla essence if you have any to make them tastier.

Thats the basic recipe that I usually x 3. Maybe I need another egg?

I use plain flour & add baking powder to it

I use 6 of each and 3 large eggs- this makes about 18 fairy cakes and I fill each case about 3/4 full. Bake at 180 degrees.

the muffin recipe I use has SR flour and 1sp baking powder. ... might be worth a try?

Oops sorry, my recipe is the quantities for 2 eggs not 4!

I don't think you are using much mixture OP. How many cakes would you expect from that? My 2 eggs mix would make about 12-16 depending how deep I wanted them.

I don't have any SR flour, only plain I am going to try again, taken on board all your tips, thanks everyone.
Will let you know how I get on. Please cross your fingers for me as if they don't work out & I have to make something else, I will still be baking at midnight!
x

Don't try again unless you have baking powder, though

Cross posts clary! I think about 12? Can't really remember as I haven't attempted them in ages as got fed up of them going wrong. I usually make muffins in big muffin cases & they turn out fine but I want to make big fairy cakes as I have some fab toppers for them (are big fairy cakes called cupcakes??)

Taken from fool-proof recipe on MN page

For the sponge:
4 free-range eggs
225g/8oz sugar
225g/8oz self-raising flour
225g/8oz butter, melted

Makes 24.

None of 1 egg pish

My recipe says to add the egg to the flour then add the sugar & butter. Would you whisk the butter & sugar first then add the flour??

Melted butter?? till soft & runny type of melted?
What is pish? Siarad cymraeg??

This recipe will make lovely cupcakes (not fairy cakes) with flat tops - use the large muffin cases. They keep well for a couple of days too

Vanilla Cupcakes

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

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and butter with a pinch of salt, using a hand held mixer or food processor until you get a sandy consistency. Add half the milk and mix again.
Whisk egg with vanilla and remaining milk then pour into flour/butter mixture. Mix for a few minutes until it is smooth.
Use the large cupcake/muffin type cup cases and fill them 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 mins on 180/160 fan/ gas 4.
They will have lovely flat tops ready for icing/frosting.

Can someone talk to me about icing?

Icing sugar and water really isnt good is it?

icing sugar and water is fine imo

I think pish is an expression that is used in the same way I would use cobblers/bollocks to rubbish something (certainly was by my Glaswegian flatmate)

It always ends up being dead messy though.

Never looks like Nigella's..

Whats royal icing?

Or should I use buttercream?