- 1
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Preheat your oven to 160C (320F) and line a 12 cavity cupcake pan with cases of your choosing.
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Prepare your ingredients. I measure everything out into small bowls, makes it much easier and you don't have the cold stuff out of the fridge the whole time.
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In your mixer, cream the butter for a few minutes. I'm using vegetable shortening (Copha thawed overnight for my fellow Aussies) because we didn't have any butter. It works just as well as butter.
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Gradually add the sugar and mix well until it's combined.
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Add the eggs an beat until mixture is well blended, light and fluffy.
- 6
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If you're using vegetable shortening like I did, it will look like this at first. Crank the mixer up and beat the bejesus out of it until you get...
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This. This is as "light and fluffy" as you get when using vegetable shortening. Don't worry, the cupcakes still taste AWESOME! Trust me, I just ate like four of them =D
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Add the salt (if you're using it) and vanilla and mix well.
- 9
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Add the flour and mix again. Stop immediately once the flour has been mixed in completely.
- 10
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Add the milk and mix well. Now is also a good time to add any flavourings or colourings you want. At this point I completely forgot I originally intended to make them pale blue ... Oops.
- 11
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Divide the batter evenly into your 12 cupcake cases. Because this is a thicker type batter, I smoothed them out as best I could with a spoon, you don't have to though.
- 12
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Pop the tray in the oven, preferably the bottom rack, and cook for 15 mins or until they are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- 13
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Now is the perfect time to clean up your mess.
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Or, if you live at our house, put the dirty stuff in a sink full of hot soapy water and the next time you turn around it will be magically clean! I have the best mother-in-law in the world <3
- 15
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Sit back, wait for the cupcakes, and laugh at the silly cat who lost a lizard she was playing with under the Christmas tree. And before anyone says anything, she's a Manx, she was born without a tail.
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Nearly fall off your chair while laughing even harder when the mother-in-law gets down there to help the cat find the lizard so she doesn't wreck the tree! This cat knows how to play people.
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Once you've picked yourself up off the floor and stopped laughing, the cupcakes should be ready. Put them on a wire rack and pop them in the fridge, because you're impatient like me =D
- 18
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I don't use a recipe or measurements for my frosting, it's a bastardised version of buttercream. I start by creaming approx. 100 grams of shortening with a few tsps vanilla and cotton candy extract.
- 19
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I add 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar, mix well, rinse and repeat until I have the amount of frosting I need. I also add a few tablespoons of milk (or hot water) at times to get a smooth consistency.
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If your mixer doesn't have a cover with a funnel like mine does, drape a dish cloth (tea towel) over the top of the mixer. If you don't, you're going to end up with powdered sugar everywhere.
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Once you've got the amount and consistency of frosting you want, add a few drops of colouring and mix well. If the flavour is not as strong as you want, add a bit more of that too.
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Made too much frosting? Put the left overs in an air tight container, it will keep in the fridge for up to a week. To reuse, thaw to room temp and whisk with a fork before use.
- 23
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My preferred piping tip is the Wilton 1M. Here's how I pipe a classic swirl. Please ignore the noise of the cats playing loudly in background.
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And here's how I pipe a rose swirl. Both methods use the 1M. And Tim the Galah had to get a word in at the start of this video. Bloody noisey pets.
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Ice, ice, baby ... COTTON CANDY! See what I did there? Ice your awesomely tasty cupcakes any way you like.
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You can also decorate them. I wouldn't suggest using cachous (little metallic sugar balls), they are the devil! The little bastards go EVERYWHERE except the cupcakes! I had to force these ones on!
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Once frosted and decorated, pop them back in the fridge ... That is if you haven't eaten them all already. It's a really hot summer here so the best place for them is the fridge.
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And there you have it, tasty little Cotton Candy Cupcakes. They would have looked cuter with blue cakes and pink icing but that's how I roll, all forgetful and stuff.
Ingredients
½ | Cups (125g) Butter or shortening, room temp |
½ | Cups (125g) Caster sugar |
2 | Eggs, lightly beaten |
1 | Teaspoon Vanilla Extract (or essence) |
1 | Pinch Salt (optional) |
1 | Cup (125g) Self-Raising Flour |
4 | Tablespoons Milk |
FOR FROSTING | |
Butter (or shortening) | |
Powdered sugar | |
Cotton candy essence | |
Milk (Or hot water) |