Cupcakes for Mother's Day

Tomorrow is 'Home Shopping Day' in my office building.  Basically this means that a lot of hampers are produced for pre-order in the run up to Mother's Day.  There will be an array of other stalls set up too, all offering a variety of options for staff to buy their Mother's Day gift, so they don't have to take time off work in order to go shopping (and you thought it was a nice gesture from the company I work for ... believe me there is always a method to their madness ... well, sometimes there is a method to their madness)! 

I've been asked to produce some cupcakes for people to pre order too.  I was very pleased and flattered to be asked and of course I jumped at the chance.  As the time drew closer I started to become slightly more panic stricken.  In the end I opted to make three different flavours which will hopefully cover all the bases.  Two recipes are ones I've made before and had many requests for, Red Velvet and Choca-Mocha.  After much consultation with my chief taste tester (that would be Hubby!) I thought maybe a plain cupcake would be best for the third flavour but then it struck me that I've never made a plain vanilla cupcake.  Shocked?  So was I!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Choca-Mocha Cupcakes

In times of cupcake crisis I always turn to my trusted 'Cupcakes' by Sue McMahon, never had I had a failure from this pocket dynamo of a book.  And technically speaking this recipe isn't a failure but it isn't the nicest vanilla cupcake I've ever seen in my life and the texture is quite dry and crumbly.  None of these things really matter for tomorrow as the cupcakes are only for display purposes but I'd love to hear from you if you have a tried and tested vanilla cupcake recipe that never fails and tastes delish too.

Vanilla Cupcakes
125g butter, softened
125g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
125g SR flour
2 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 190C.  Line a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases (I double lined them seeing as they are for a special occasion).

Beat the butter for a few minutes until it is pale and soft then add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, flour and milk to the bowl and beat unto; the mixture is smooth.  Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake in the centre of the oven until the cakes have risen and are just firm to the touch in the centre.  Standard cupcakes will take about 12 to 15 mins but if you are making mini cupcakes they will take 10 to 12 mins.

Remove the cakes from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 12 standard cupcakes  or use half the quantities to make 18 to 24 mini cupcakes
Taken from Cupcakes by Sue McMahon

To decorate I added a small amount [note to self only a tiny amount is required next time!] of fuchsia food paste to a batch of vanilla buttercream.  This was piped on with a large, plain nozzle and topped off with a white flower blossom made out of sugar paste with a small white dagree added to the centre. 

I'm really pleased with the way the cupcakes have turned out, especially once they are all boxed up.  Fingers crossed some orders roll in tomorrow!