I have been trying to make the perfect sponge cake for years and it’s not been turning out very well, my skill in cooking is with savoury not with cakes and muffins. But I haven’t let that put me off, because I love making cakes.
One day my boyfriend came home with some muffins that a customer had made for him, the woman who had made then had iced them with butter icing and sprinkled them with edible glitter. They looked fantastic and when I tasted them I couldn’t believe how light and fluffy they were and how wonderful they tasted.
The next day my boyfriend told her how much I loved them and couldn’t believe how light and fluffy she had managed to make them. So she kindly gave him the recipe, which I am forever thankful for.
When I first made them, I found it very strange that I could do the whole lot in a food processer, even the flour. Because I was under the impression that you had to fold the flour in and be gentle so not to knock out all the air. But trust me when I say this, it works, but it may be because you use plain flour instead of self-raising.
I have yet to try this with hand blender or by hand, as I have a food processor and I am too lazy. But if you try it another way, let me know how they turn out.
If you want to get the glitter, you can go to any cake shop and find all sorts of stuff to decorate them with. The best glitter is the silver or white one as they show up on all colours of icing. I once made black icing and put some of the white glitter on it and it really made it look very special. You can also buy icing or sugar flowers, butterflies, hearts etc. to make your muffins look extra special.
For the icing you can make a plain butter icing (the same recipe I use here without the chocolate) or you can add a flavour, lemon, orange, white chocolate etc. I like to make a plain flavoured cake and have a flavoured icing, but it up to you.
Cake
· 6oz. Caster sugar
· 6oz. Plain flour
· 6oz. Butter
· 3tsp Baking powder
· 3 Large eggs
· Cap of vanilla extract
Icing
· 200g Butter
· 200g Icing sugar
· 200g Galaxy chocolate
Pre heat you oven to gas mark 7, 220c
Cream the butter and sugar together in food processor, until pale in colour, this can take anything from five to ten minutes, it will depend how soft your butter was to start. While that is mixing beat the eggs and add the vanilla extract to it. Also sieve the flour and baking powder together.
Once the butter and sugar are pale in colour add a little egg while it’s still mixing, then a little flour, keep doing this until everything is mixed together. Carry on mixing for about two minutes, you will find this mixture is very light and smooth.
Divide into muffin cases that are in a muffin tray, I normally get 12 muffins out of this mix, I fill them about halfway as I don’t want them over flowing when cooking.
I also put these cakes in the bottom self and put a baking tray on the top sleeve. I’ve found this stops them peaking in the centre and gives them a flat surface making them easy to decorate.
Place in oven and bake for about ten to fifteen minutes until lightly golden, test with a metal skewer if it comes out clean the cakes are cooked if not they need more time. But keep an eye them, you do not want them to burn.
Take them from the muffin tray and put on wire rank and leave to cool completely before you ice as the icing with melt and not look very good.
To make icing break the chocolate up and put in a microwaveable bowl and zap it for short blasts in the microwave, keep checking and string till melted and leave to one side to cool a little.
Cream the butter till soft then sieve in the icing sugar and mix together you can do this by hand or processor. When mixed add the chocolate and stir till it’s all mixed, this makes a little more icing than you need but it’s better to have too much than not enough. If you do have any left-overs you can leave it in the fridge for a couple of days. It’s a good excuse to make more cake, not that you need any.
You can pipe the icing on or just spoon it on and spread with a knife till you get your desired look. When they are covered you can decorate them any way you want. With the glitter I find it easier to get a sheet of paper fold it and pour a little glitter in there and sprinkle it on that way. Otherwise you get an explosion of glitter on them and the kitchen
Good luck and I hope you enjoy xxx
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