Basic Cupcake Recipe

by Susi
(UK)

I use this basic cupcake recipe for all my cupcakes and cakes. It is so easy to make and always turns out well.

If you use this as a base you can change the flavor by swapping brown sugar for the superfine sugar, add orange or lemon rind or swap fruit juice for the milk. You can add cocoa to make a chocolate cake.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup superfine (castor) sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 350F (180C).

Line cupcake trays with cupcake liners.

Beat sugar and butter until well combined.

Add sifted flour and baking powder, eggs, vanilla essence and milk and beat until the mixture is smooth.

Spoon mixture into cupcake trays.

Bake for approx 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Cool in tray for 5 minutes and then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Variations:
Add 2 tblspns sifted cocoa for a chocolate cake.

Add the grated rind of a lemon/orange and swap milk with 2 tblspns lemon/orange juice for lemon or orange cupcakes, respectively.

Use brown sugar (in place of superfine) and add 1 tblspn of ginger for delicious ginger cupcakes.