Classic Vanilla Cupcake with a Cheer Twist!

So, it's getting towards summer, the end of term and the perfect time for a classic cupcake. Because of this, I was thrilled to be asked to make a big batch of cupcakes for my old university cheerleading team's end of the year awards dinner. The only spec was vanilla...well of course, the perfect vanilla cupcake is a hit with everyone. But I had to put my own spin on it!

I immediately had lots of ideas, but settled on uniform personalised plaques, with cute red fondant bows. I guarantee, with this recipe and a little bit of time, you can recreate this perfect, sophisticated and classy cupcake at home! These would be perfect for weddings, birthdays and just about any celebration you can think of!

Plaques and bows (you could use any shape like hearts, buttons etc) can be made well in advance, because they keep incredibly well.The only thing is, in summer, watch out for the humidity! The moisture in the air means that they wont dry properly and will wilt when put on the cupcakes. I make my plaques out of a flower paste/fondant mix, about half and half. This means that they will dry quickly and stiff but have the shine and smoothness of fondant. I also like rolling this out super thin, as I don't like chunky decorations, but you can go as thick as you want. I use a 4.5cm wide circle cutter which is perfect for cake toppers. For the bows, I use the Lakeland bow silicone mold but like I said, use any shape or design you like!

Make sure you're plaques are completely dry before writing on them or attaching the bows with a little royal icing. I keep a stack of these plaques spare so that, should I need to make a quick birthday cupcake on short notice, it can still be personalised and special. I finished these off using a Sugarflair 'Liqorice' colour edible pen and some edible silver lustre. That little bit of shimmer really adds dimension to the finished product.

So on to the cupcakes themselves! This recipe is super simple and has been my go to ever since I started baking! It is perfectly vanillery, super moist and can be eaten over and over again! The batter is thick and smooth (I used to eat more of this than the cake!) and can easily be spooned into the cases to create the perfectly uniformed batch. I recently invested in an ice cream scoop which has made dividing the mixture infinitely easier! You'll love the close but soft crumb structure and it just matches amazingly with the creamy vanilla frosting.

This frosting as well is a real go to. It is thick and has a whipped cream feel to it, super light and fluffy. It pipes beautifully, crusts slightly but it perfectly smooth underneath. There are plenty of ways to enjoy it, but coupled with the vanilla sponge base of this recipe, everyone will love it! I know the cheearleaders did, as their snapchats, FB posts, tweets and Instagrams showed me!

Recipe - Yields 24 Regular Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

300g Butter
300g Caster sugar
300g Self Raising flour
3tsp Baking powder
5 eggs
2tsp Pure vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

175g Butter
25g Shortening
700g Icing sugar
1/2 cup Double cream
1tsp Vanilla extract

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C.
Weight out all your ingredients and get them ready. Butter and sugar in the mixer bowl. Combine the flour and baking powder in separate bowl. Lightly whisk the egg with the vanilla.
Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, I normally do this for about 5 minutes.
Incorporate the eggs a little at a time, adding a bit of the flour mix with each addition to stop it curdling.
Slowly mix in the rest of the flour until just incorporated to avoid overworking the gluten.
Equally divide the batter between your chosen cupcake cases until 2/3 full. I chose black cases for a sophisticated and formal look.
Just pop these in the oven for 15-20 minutes, rotating half way through. These will be golden on top and a toothpick will come out clean when these are done!
While these are in the oven beat the butter and shortening until completely smooth. Add the sugar in a tablespoon at a time slowly incorporating it into the fat mixture. Once this get to an unworkable consistency, loosen it with the vanilla and a bit of the cream.
Continue to add the sugar and once all incorporated add the rest of the cream. Finally beat on high until it is a beautiful smooth consistency that holds its shape but is soft. I like the test it by lightly touching the paddle beater. If the icing doesn't come off on your finger it's not quite ready.
Next fit your favourite piping nozzle to a piping bag and whip a swirl onto the completely cooled cupcakes.
Finally finish off with the premade plaques designed to your taste and to fit your theme!