What do you do when you fancy something sweet but have nothing in the cupboard .... you make something! This was me last night, so I set about whisking together a recipe that dates back at least 40 years to a time when I used to help my mum in the kitchen (and get to lick the bowl!!) Many a fight started about who's turn it was ... I'm sure you can relate.
Within 10 mins the mixture was weighed, whisked and plonked into cake cases and ready for the oven. It would have taken me longer to get my shoes on and go the supermarket! It really can be that easy and also very satisfying to eat something you have freshly made.
The Recipe Ingredients
4 oz Caster sugar
4 oz Butter (room temperature)
2 mediums eggs
2 caps of vanilla extract
8 oz self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
icing sugar for dusting
For the Filling
Strawberry jam
buttercream (ratio 2oz icing sugar to 1oz butter) or use a pre bought tub!
Makes approximately 12 good sized cakes. (I use a muffin cake tin and muffin cake cases)
Method
Add the butter and sugar to the mixer and whisk until pale in colour.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
Add the 1/2 tsp of baking powder and half of the flour and whisk (start on a slow speed and build up otherwise you'll get covered in flour!) Add the remainder of the flour and whisk again - leave running for 2 further minutes to get plenty of air into the mixture.
It should be nice and smooth now and you'll be ready to add to the cake cases.
Use a dessert spoon to fill the cake cases, about half full as shown in the image above.
Pop into a pre-heated oven Gas 4 -180C for about 15 mins if fan assisted, 18 mins if not fan assisted.
I always set a timer when I am baking, as it is so easy to get distracted and a few minutes can make all the difference between perfect and overdone.
Remove the cakes from the oven - they should be slightly springy to the touch. I usually put the tin on the wire rack to cool for 5 mins before lifting the cakes out as it makes them easier to handle.
Leave the cakes to cool completely before decorating as they will cut better when cold.
To make the buttercream, simply beat together the butter and icing sugar in the mixer until smooth. Remember the ratio is always twice as much icing sugar to butter.
With a sharp knife or a teaspoon, whichever you feel more comfortable using, cut a circle out of the top of the cake, creating a small "pothole"
Fill this with a dollop of jam and a dollop of your butter cream.
Cut the lid in half that you have cut away from the top of the cake, as that makes your butterfly wings and arrange either side of the jam and cream (see image below)
Dust over the tops of the cakes with icing sugar using a small sieve (I used a clean tea strainer as it's nice and small) and there you have it - a dozen lovely cakes!
Perfect for friends coming over for coffee or a kids party ..... inexpensive and takes half an hr tops!
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