Traditional English Fairy Cakes Recipes

FAIRY CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line 2 x 12 hole bun tins or mini muffin tins with paper cake cases. Put all the fairy cake ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together with electric hand beaters until smooth. If you don't have these you can use a wooden spoon or balloon whisk (see tip).
• Dollop the mixture into the prepared cases until it's all used up. Bake for 10-12 mins or until golden and springy. To be sure they're cooked through, poke a cocktail stick into the centre of one of the cakes in a middle row - if it comes out cleanly, it's cooked. Leave to cool in the tin for 5-10mins then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
• Mix the icing sugar with enough water to make it the consistency of thick cream. Colour some or all of the icing with a few drops of your chosen food colouring(s) then drizzle over the top of the cooled fairy cakes. Sprinkle with your chosen toppings while the icing is still wet. Leave to set firm before serving. Will keep for 2 days in an airtight container.

ICED FAIRY CAKES

Steps:

• Ask a grown-up helper to turn the oven on to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put a paper case in hole of a 12-hole bun tin.
• Put the sugar and butter (it must be soft or you won't be able to mix it properly) in a bowl and mix it together. Sift in the flour.
• Break the eggs into a separate bowl (spoon out any bits of shell that fall in) and add them to the bowl with the vanilla. Mix everything together.
• Divide between the cases using a spoon, scraping it off with a knife. Ask a grown-up helper to put the tray in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Mix the butter and icing sugar to make a creamy icing. Add colouring, if you like. Push an icing nozzle into an icing bag, then scoop in the icing.
• Let the cakes cool completely in the tray. Pipe icing onto each cake and decorate with marshmallows or sprinkles, or whatever you like.

QUICK AND SIMPLE FAIRY CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 355 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease 24 fairy cake cases (muffin cups) or line with paper liners.
• Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 of the flour and 1/2 of the eggs; whisk until smooth. Add remaining flour and eggs and whisk until batter is light and fluffy; spoon into prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

EASY FAIRY CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line 2 x 12-hole fairy cake tins with paper cases.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, and stir in the vanilla extract.
• Fold in the flour using a large metal spoon. Add a little milk until the mixture is a soft dropping consistency and spoon the mixture into the paper cases until they are half full.
• Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
• For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir in enough water to create a smooth mixture. Stir in the food colouring.
• To ice the fairy cakes, drizzle the icing over the cakes, sprinkle with decorations and set aside until the icing hardens.

BUTTERFLY CUPCAKES (TRADITIONAL BRITISH BUTTERFLY CAKES)

Steps:

• In a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. It will begin to pale in color, too.
• Add about one third of the beaten eggs, and mix well at medium speed.
• Then add about a third of the sifted flour. Repeat this step. Add the rest of the eggs and mix well, then turn the mixer to low and add the final flour. Just mix until well combined.
• Fill the cupcake liners half full with the batter and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when placed in the center of a cupcake.
• Remove cupcakes from the tin, place on cooling rack and allow to cool completely. When ready to decorate, cut out the center of each cupcake, angling the knife at a 45º angle.
• Then cut the loose piece in half to resemble butterfly wings. Place a small amount of jam in the center. Follow with a dollop of cream (or buttercream, if desired). You can also pipe the cream like I did. Next, place the "wings" on top.
• Repeat with all of the cupcakes, then dust each one generously with powdered sugar. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

MARY BERRY'S ICED FAIRY CAKES RECIPE

Steps:

• To make this fairy cakes recipe, heat the oven to 200C fan, 180C fan, gas 6. Place fairy cake cases into a 12-hole bun tin, to keep a good even shape as they bake.
• Measure all the ingredients into a large bowl and beat for 2-3 mins until the mixture is well blended and smooth. Fill each paper case with the mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the cakes are well risen and golden brown. Lift the paper cases out of the bun tin and cool the cakes on a wire rack.
• Put the icing sugar in a bowl and gradually blend in the warm water until you have a fairly stiff icing. Spoon over the top of the cakes and decorate with sweets.