Cupcake time!

Cupcakes seem to be the thing to bake at the moment and I love looking at all the fabulous different recipes at http://www.cupcakeproject.com/. Finally I decided that since I had a bit of spare time (Saturday morning and my other half was still asleep), and some eggs that needed using up, I would have a go at making some cupcakes. I used a very basic chocolate sponge recipe, which was very easy to make. For once I actually managed to keep the kitchen relatively clean and tidy too - just as well since I had already cleaned it! The brilliant thing about the basic sponge recipe is that it does really just require the one bowl (plus scales and utensils).

The cupcakes turned out reasonably well for a first attempt. In fact there was nothing wrong with them at all - they look nice and taste good. They're just not extra special with some sort of wow factor. However, for a first cupcake basic is probably good and they're certainly quite yummy and edible. They may have been a little more moist if I had taken them out of the oven a few minutes earlier, but no harm done.

For a quick, simple cupcake this is definitely a good recipe. I think next time though I'll try something that's a little different and has some more oomph!

Recipe:

125g butter (or margarine, I find it works just as well normally)
125g caster sugar
2 large eggs
110g self-raising flour
1 heaped tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Beat the butter/margarine and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy.

2. Beat in the eggs, adding flour if the mixture curdles

3. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and fold in.

4. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract.

5. Divide the mixture between 12 cupcake cases. Bake at 190ºC for 15-20 minutes.

I then decorated them with chocolate buttercream icing and dark chocolate curls.