Let’s Break It Down
Does the perfect cupcake really exist? The real answer is… Yes - they’re all perfect in their own way. Unless you’ve burnt them or added salt instead of sugar (it happens). Most of the time they get eaten in three massive bites (or one if you’re an animal) and you’re on your way. But what really makes the ‘perfect’ cupcake? What about a cupcake makes you want to come back for more? This post is all about how to make the perfect sponge for your cupcake – whether you’re a passionate home baker or just fancy trying something new, these tips and tricks are sure to make you a winning cupcake every time.
Flour Power
When baking the sponge, the main type of flour you will have to concern yourself with is cake/pastry flour. Cake flour has lower protein content than plain flour and produces lighter, fluffier cakes. However, cake flour is not readily available in most UK supermarkets and if you can’t be bothered to search for it (I can’t) then I have an easy homemade alternative which works just as well using plain flour (also called all-purpose flour) and cornstarch.
My recipe for homemade cake flour is for every cup of plain flour called for in a recipe, remove 2 ½ tablespoons of the plain flour and switch it for 2 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch (yes it’s that simple). The easiest way to do this is to add 2 ½ tablespoons cornflour to your 1-cup measuring cup and then fill it with plain flour and level the top.
If you prefer working in grams then:
1 cup flour = ~125g. 2 ½ tbsp cornstarch = ~25g.
So use 100g plain flour and 25g cornstarch.
Alter the ratio as you wish (mathematicians here is your moment), I have scaled this up to make more cupcakes and it works brilliant. This nifty little trick will get you soft, fluffy cupcakes and can be used in most cupcake recipes. Not to mention its super easy!
A Spoonful of Sugar
Caster sugar is the holy grail of cupcake world. Sometimes I reduce the amount of caster sugar and add light brown sugar to give a more caramel-y taste. This works well in my recipes for Lotus Biscoff, Vanilla Chai latte and Cookies N’ Cream cupcakes. However, when it’s a Sunday afternoon and there is no caster sugar in the house, it’s time to call upon the emergency alternatives! If you have granulated sugar, a neat trick is to pulse blend it in a food processor for around a minute. This will make the sugar finer and easier to blend into the batter. Use the same amount of sugar as the recipe calls for and bake as normal.
Baking Powder Vs. Baking Soda
NO these are not interchangeable! Just because they look the same and they both have the word ‘Baking’ in them does not mean it is like for like. Baking powder tends to be used in most cupcake recipes. Baking soda (also known as bicarbonate of soda) is used in cupcakes that have acidic ingredients (like the buttermilk in Red Velvet cake). I won’t go into the science but, the chemical reaction of baking powder and baking soda are different. Stuff to do with the pH and balancing acid and alkali. If you are ever confused… just follow the recipe!
A Pinch of Salt
Adding a pinch of salt to your batter really does bring out the flavour (don’t go overboard!). Something about adding a little salty to the sweet makes the cupcake flavours more noticeable in the bake. Do not add any salt if you are already using salted butter! We don’t want our cupcakes to taste like the ocean.
Bit O’ Butter
Going for a good quality high fat content butter is a must. I use a minimum of 82% fat content butter. It is written on the back of most butter packets in teeny tiny writing. If in doubt, here are my favourite butter brands that contain a high fat content and are available in most UK supermarkets:
· essential Waitrose Dairy - £1.60/250g
· Président - £2.00/250g
· Lurpak - £2.00/250g
· Lescure - £2.60/250g (slightly more expensive but tastes amazing!)
Remember to let the butter come to room temperature before you start making the batter otherwise you will end up with a lumpy, buttery mess.
Spilled Milk & Eggs All Round
I’ve grouped milk and eggs together for the reason that both of these ingredients need to be room temperature when you start making the batter. If they are not, the batter won’t meld together nicely and you won’t have the perfect bake (this is our goal right?). Organic whole fat milk and free range eggs are the best when it comes to your cupcake’s health and wellbeing. If you can get your hands on free range farm eggs then please do. It will take your cake game to another level. Promise.
Flavouring
As a baker on a journey to create the most desirable and delicious cake, I turn away from anything artificial when it comes to flavouring. The amount of times I have eaten cake and literally tasted the E numbers is unreal. When it comes to vanilla flavouring, the most ideal scenario would be flying to Madagascar and picking your own vanilla pods. But some of us are on a budget… The next best thing is to find a good quality vanilla brand (I’ve done that part for you). Here are my favourite vanilla brands:
· Dr Oetker - Large Vanilla Extract (this brand does vanilla flavouring/essence too which is not as flavoursome so watch out!)
· Nielsen-Massey - Vanilla Extract
· Taylor & Colledge - Vanilla Bean Extract (organic)
For other flavourings especially tea flavours, I usually make my own. I will share how to do that in future blog posts so we can all create beautifully flavoured cupcakes together.
This is pretty much the foundation of the makings of a good cupcake. I will share my buttercream tips and tricks soon so you can master the art of cupcakery in no time!
Happy Baking!
-TCCB
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