Cupcake Queen

Being a dance teacher, I am constantly looking for new ways to motivate my students (or should I say bribe) to perform to the best of their ability. Usually, I use stickers as a reward, and way to encourage my kids to work to their potential. Recently I have noticed some fantastic improvements in my ballet class so I decided to bake some cupcakes for my students as a treat and a way to show my appreciation for their dedication and hard work.

I actually found a Kid’s Cook Book  written by Pamela Gwyther and came across a cupcake recipe .

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE BASIC CUPCAKE:

(Serves 12)

125g butter (softened)              

125g caster sugar
2 beaten eggs
125g self raising flour
2tbsp milk

METHOD:

Using a wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar until mixture is light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour into the mixture, folding it carefully using a tablespoon.  Pour in the milk and stir until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency. Divide the mixture evenly into paper cupcake cases in a cupcake tray. Allow the cupcakes to back for 15-20 minutes. Cupcakes should have risen and should appear golden brown. Place on a cooling rack.

Now for the fun part...

When it comes to decorating the cupcakes you can be as creative as you like! With this set of cupcakes I used a ridiculously simple icing recipe consisting of 225g icing sugar, 1tbsp lemon juice and 1tbsp warm water. Literally all you are required to do is sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the juice and water and mix until creamy and thick. Because I was cooking for children, I decided to incorporate lots of colour (using food colouring) into my icing to increase its appearance. Remember: food colouring is very strong. Add one drop at a time to achieve the desired shade of colour. I then decorated the cakes with sprinkles, edible flowers and fruit!
The decorating is really up to you and can be altered according to who you are cooking for!

My kids really loved the cupcakes their faces were beaming! They were a great incentive.

I’d love to hear how you decorated your cupcakes!

:) Brier

Here are a couple of photos of my cupcakes!