Copious Cupcakes

I LOVE CUPCAKES! 

At $3-$5 a pop, a cupcake addiction can unfortunately burn a hole in your pocket very quickly.

After months of experimenting and taste testing, I would like to share with you the cheapest way to have copious amounts of delicious cupcakes!

This recipe includes an easy way to get delicately soft cupcakes every time as well as how to create your own classic smiley cupcakes and cupcakes with fluffy buttercream icing.

This recipe can be easily modified for taste and appearance. 

SERVES: 12

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

White Mill Vanilla Cake Mix

2 Eggs

2/3 Cup of Milk

60g Butter

12 Patty pans

Side note: The White Mill vanilla cake mix from ALDI costs 81c for a packet and makes extremely soft cupcakes.

You will also need a cupcake tray, cooling rack and a bowl.

Icing for Smiley Cupcakes

300g Icing Sugar

1 Tablespoon Water

3-4 Drops Food Colouring 

1 Box of Smarties

100 & 1000 Sprinkles

Chocolate Writing Icing

Side note: You can use whatever colour food colouring you like.
The chocolate writing icing can also be made my taking some of the icing mixture and adding some melted chocolate. Cut the corner off a zip-lock bag and use it as a piping bag.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

150g Soft Unsalted Butter

340g Icing Sugar

1 Teaspoon Milk

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence

Bag of Jelly Beans

Side note: Butter can be salted, doesn't make a huge different but work best when it has a high fat content (around 82%). You can also use different flavoured essence to change the flavour of the icing. You will also need a piping bag.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven and mix the cake mix in a bowl according to the directions on the packet.
2. Line cupcake tray with patty pans and pour equal amounts of the cupcake mix into each of the patty pans.
3. Bake the cupcakes for 25-30 minutes, they should be just turning colour. If they have already started to change colour take them out STRAIGHT AWAY as this means they are already slightly overcooked and may not be as moist as you would like.
4. Take the cupcakes out of the tray and leave to cool on a rack.
5. To make the Smiley icing you will need to sift the icing sugar into a bowl.
6. Add the water and food colouring to the icing sugar and mix until a smooth paste forms.
7. Once the cupcakes have COMPLETELY cooled, spoon the icing mixture onto the cupcakes.
8. While the icing mixture is still soft add two smarties for eyes and add sprinkles above the eyes.
9. Use the chocolate writing icing to draw on the smiling mouth and any other details you wish to add.
10. To make the Buttercream icing you will need to beat the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer for at least 5 minutes. It will start change colour slightly, becoming lighter and also start to form waves/ peaks.
11. Sift the icing and add to the butter in two lots. Between adding the icing sugar beat the mixture for 5 minutes to ensure it is completely mixed and also to add air to the mixture.
12. Once all of the icing sugar has been added, mix the milk and vanilla essence and add it to the icing mixture, you can also add food colouring at this point. Beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes until the colour is even.
13. Once the cupcakes have COMPLETELY cooled, use a piping bag to pipe the icing mixture onto the top of the cupcakes.
14. Use jelly beans or other confectionary to decorate the cupcakes. 

Side note: If you don't have a piping bag you can use a freezer bag or ziplock bag with the corner cut off instead. Each of the icing recipes will cover 12 cupcakes.

This is my favourite video explaining how to make buttercream if you need some extra help!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4qazwRvO6E&ab_channel=CupcakeJemma

Alysse Scotton