Baby Shower Cupcakes

Last weekend I was invited to a friends baby shower and I volunteered to do some cupcakes. She knows she is having a girl so pink themed cupcakes is what I made.

Beautiful mum to be

Cupcake recipe: I've used this recipe for years and was from an American website but it no longer exists. It makes about 12 large muffin tin cupcakes and I've made about 16/18 normal cupcakes with this recipe. 

Turn oven onto 160 degrees or gas mark 4/5

180g Caster Sugar

180g Self raising flour

180g Butter

1tsp Vanilla extract (I always use Dr Oetker) 

1tsp Baking powder

2 large eggs (3medium)

Pinch salt 

1) Beat together butter, sugar & vanilla until creamy

2) Beat eggs in bowl lightly then slowly add to butter/sugar

3) Sieve flour into a bowl & add baking powder and salt

4) Spoon in flour to rest of mixture 

5) Spoon into cupcake cases and bake in oven for about 12-15 minutes (until golden and toothpick comes out clean) all ovens vary.

**I also put a small teaspoon on strawberry jam on top of each cake so when it rises the jam ends up in the middle, so people have a lovely surprise. I've used lemon curd, cherry (almond extract), Nutella and marshmallow fluff to make a great alternative**

Baked & Decorated

I have recently purchased a silicone mould from trulymadlysweetlycupcakes there cakes are amazing and she offers decorating classes which I will try to attend once baby has arrived. To use the mould I brought pink ready rolled fondant icing from Asda, put lots of icing sugar on my work surface rolled out the fondant placed the mat underneath and then used a rolling pin over the top to get an imprint. Mine weren't perfect and I need to buy a bigger cutter so they fit better over the cake. I put a little bit if buttercream on the cupcake and then placed the print on top.

For the Buttercream

1 small box icing sugar 500g

250g Lurpak (slightly salted) butter (melt slightly)

1tsp Vanilla extract (or flavouring of choice)

Splash food colouring of choice 

1/2 tbsp milk (if the mixture needs softening) 

Mix butter and sugar together until soft consistency is achieved (I always try a bit to see if it tastes nice, I don't like to taste butter in it), add vanilla extract and food colouring. Put into disposable piping bag and pipe the cupcakes with desired look. I like to use a large nozzle.