The recipes

My Favourite Cupcake Collection

A round-up of some classic and less traditional cupcakes to bring joy to any occasion.

  1. Vanilla Cupcakes with American Buttercream Icing
  2. Ultimate Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
  3. The Best Ever Red Velvet Cupcakes
  4. Salted Caramel Cupcakes
  5. Peppermint Crisp Tart Cupcakes
  6. Strawberry and White Chocolate Cupcakes
  7. Biscoff Cupcakes
  8. Gingerbread Cupcakes with a Caramel Centre and Eggnog Buttercream

adventureswithsugar.com/my-favourite-cupcake-collection/

Back to the collection

The recipe

Vanilla Cupcakes with American Buttercream Icing

Makes 12 cupcakes

adventureswithsugar.com/vanilla-cupcakes-with-american-buttercream-icing/

Method

Method: vanilla cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven and line the tin: Preheat your oven to 170˚ Celsius. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
  2. Sift the dry ingredients: Sift the self-raising flour, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.
  3. Add the butter and oil: Add the cubed butter and oil to the dry ingredients.
  4. Combine the wet ingredients: In another bowl, add the eggs, milk and vanilla and stir to incorporate everything (you do not have to whisk this vigorously).
  5. Add half the wet ingredients: Pour in half of the wet ingredients into the bowl with the butter and dry ingredients.
  6. Beat: Beat for about 30 seconds until everything is incorporated.
  7. Add the rest of the wet ingredients: Then add in the rest of the wet ingredients and mix for another minute to make sure everything is incorporated and the mixture has increased a bit in volume.
  8. Fill the liners and bake: Fill the cupcake liners up until three quarters full and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
  9. Cool and store: Allow these cupcakes to cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Method: American buttercream

  1. Cream the butter: Cream the butter well for at least 5 minutes to get it volumised. It will be fluffy and whitened. This is really important to do.
  2. Add half the icing sugar: Add in half the icing sugar and beat for 3 minutes.
  3. Add the remaining icing sugar: Then add in the remaining icing sugar and beat for another five minutes.
  4. Add the milk and vanilla: Then, mix the milk with the vanilla and add in a tablespoon at a time until you get the right consistency, mixing for another minute.
What should I know when making these cupcakes?

  • Using self-raising flour helps to control the amount of rise and ensure you do not end up with volcanoes or sink holes in the middle of your cupcake.

  • Having really soft butter is important for the mixing method which I describe in the recipe. Note that soft butter should not be melted, or oily. If you do poke at it, however, you should easily be able to make an indent.

  • Adding just a bit of oil helps to make the crumb extra moist, without making the cupcake too heavy.

  • Using the correct weight of eggs is important.

  • Making sure that your eggs and milk are at room temperature. The batter will not whip up to full volume if they are cold.

  • Reverse creaming the mixture. This is an incredibly easy method, which relies on beating the butter together with the flour and sugar. The fat molecules of the butter inhibit the gluten formation, producing a softer crumb.

  • Baking it at a slightly lower temperature to ensure more even baking.

  • The icing for this recipe is enough for a single piping of icing. If you want to pipe high swirls, I suggest doubling the recipe.

The recipe

Ultimate Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes approximately 24 cupcakes

adventureswithsugar.com/ultimate-triple-chocolate-cupcakes/

Method

Method: chocolate ganache

  1. Combine the ingredients: Place the chocolate, cream and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat.
  2. Melt: Start with 30 seconds to get everything heated and nice and melted, then heat in 10-second bursts, stopping to stir and ensuring that the chocolate does not burn.
  3. Cool and thicken: Once everything is melted and combined, set aside to cool and thicken.
  4. Pipe or spread: Depending on the length of cooling, you should be able to pipe this, or spread it on top of the cupcake.

Method: chocolate cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven and line the tins: Preheat the oven to 180˚ Celsius. Line two 12-cup cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
  2. Melt the chocolate in the coffee: Add the chocolate to the hot coffee and stir to combine. Set aside.
  3. Sift the dry ingredients: Sift the flour, cornflour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
  4. Whisk the sugar, butter and oil: Place the sugar, melted butter and oil in a bowl and whisk until incorporated. I just do this by hand, no need for a beater.
  5. Add the eggs: Then add in the two JUMBO eggs and whisk each one in for 15 – 20 seconds. Again, I just use a hand whisk.
  6. Add the vanilla: Stir in the vanilla.
  7. Add the buttermilk and yoghurt: Add the buttermilk and the yogurt to the slightly cooled coffee and chocolate mixture and stir to combine.
  8. Combine the wet and dry ingredients: Alternating, add the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Start with the flour, followed by the coffee. Then flour, coffee and finally flour.
  9. Bake: Bake for around 15 – 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not overbake them.

Method: chocolate mousse filling

  1. Core the cupcakes: Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, use an apple corer or a cupcake corer to remove the centres. (You can try and scoop it out with a spoon; it just looks less neat).
  2. Fill with mousse: Fill the centres with the mousse. A piping bag is the easiest way to do this.
  3. Pipe the ganache: Pipe swirls of chocolate ganache onto the filled cupcakes.

The recipe

The Best Ever Red Velvet Cupcakes

Makes 24 - 30

adventureswithsugar.com/the-best-ever-red-velvet-cupcakes/

Method

Method: red velvet cupcakes

  1. Prepare the oven and the tin: Preheat the oven to 170˚ Celsius and line two standard 12-hole muffin tins with cupcake cases.
  2. Prepare the coffee: Make the coffee by adding two teaspoons of instant coffee granules to 120ml boiling water in a large measuring jug (or other large heatproof bowl), and set aside.
  3. Prepare the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, cornflour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder until all incorporated and set aside.
  4. Add the remaining wet ingredients to the coffee: To the slightly cooled coffee, add the vanilla essence, food colourings, buttermilk and yoghurt and whisk to combine.
  5. Melt the butter: Place the butter in a microwave-safe large bowl and melt. I prefer using a large bowl so that I can mix all the remaining ingredients into this bowl.
  6. Add in the oil, sugar and eggs: To the melted butter, add in the oil and caster sugar and whisk this by hand, for a minute, to incorporate. We are not creaming the butter and sugar, like you would in a conventional cupcake, so there is no need to use an electric mixer. Then add in the two jumbo eggs and continue to whisk by hand for a minute or two. The batter will begin to thicken at this point, and begin to form little bumps of air.
  7. Alternate the wet and dry ingredients to the butter mixture: To the butter and egg mixture, begin by adding a third of the wet ingredients to the bowl and whisking to combine. Then add in half of the sifted dry ingredients. Add another third of the wet ingredients, followed by the remaining half of the dry ingredients and finally the last bit of wet ingredients. The batter is loose and pourable, but that is normal.
  8. Fill and bake the cupcakes: Fill each cupcake case, until it is three quarters of the way full and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cupcakes are set with no liquid batter in the middle and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely to room temperature before filling the centres with the white chocolate cream and frosting with the cream cheese icing.

Method: white chocolate cream

  1. Melt the white chocolate: Place the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave in 10-second bursts. Remove and stir the chocolate and return to the microwave. Repeat this process. This is the easiest way to melt the chocolate, which is susceptible to burning, without needing a double boiler. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  2. Whip the cream: Place the whipping cream in a large bowl, and using an electric beater, whip the cream to soft peaks, then add in the vanilla and whip to medium stiff peaks.
  3. Fold the cooled white chocolate into the cream: Then gently fold in the cooled white chocolate into the cream. Place the white chocolate cream in a piping bag, until ready to use.

Method: cream cheese frosting

  1. Beat the cream cheese: Place the cream cheese in a bowl and beat, either with a handheld electric whisk or a stand mixer, on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Set this aside. We whip and fold this in separately to avoid a cream cheese frosting which is too loose and runny.
  2. Cream the butter and the icing sugar: In a separate bowl, beat the butter until nice and fluffy, and turned from yellow to pale in colour. Then sift the icing sugar into the butter, add the vanilla and gently beat to combine.
  3. Add the cream cheese to the buttercream: Finally, fold in the cream cheese until a smooth icing is formed. You can do this by hand, or on low speed with a whisk, being careful not to overmix. Place the cream cheese icing into a large piping bag, fitted with a closed star nozzle to frost the cupcakes.

Method: assembly

  1. Ensure the cupcakes are cooled to room temperature: Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
  2. Remove the centre of the cupcakes: Use a cupcake corer, or an apple corer to remove a bit of the centre of the cupcake and pipe in the white chocolate cream. You can nibble on the core and don't need to add it back, but you can also "seal" the white chocolate cream if you want to.
  3. Frost the cupcakes: Using a closed star tip nozzle, fill your piping bag with the cream cheese frosting. With your arm directly over the cupcake, pipe a ruffle and then keeping your arm steady, move your wrist in a twisting motion to create more ruffles, pulling up and away as you do this. If you need more direction on how to do this, see my Instagram reel.
  4. Decorate the cupcakes as desired: I sprinkle a few cocoa nibs on the top of the cupcake, to echo the chocolate flavour included in the cupcake itself and a few cherries for decoration.

The recipe

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Makes 12

adventureswithsugar.com/salted-caramel-cupcakes/

Method

Method: caramel cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven and line the tin: Preheat the oven to 180˚ Celsius. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients: Place the butter, oil, muscovado sugar, golden syrup, self-raising flour, malted milk powder and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl.
  3. Whisk the wet ingredients: In a separate jug, add in the eggs, milk and vanilla essence. Whisk by hand for about 30 seconds.
  4. Add half the wet ingredients: Pour half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix for about 45 seconds.
  5. Add the rest of the wet ingredients: Then add in the remaining wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until the batter comes together and becomes voluminous, about 1 minute more. Do not worry if the batter looks slightly curdled.
  6. Fill the liners and bake: Divide equally between the 12 cases and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Method: salted caramel sauce

  1. Add the sugar to the pot: Place the sugar in a large pot so that the sugar just covers the base of the pot (If the sugar feels too much, I suggest making the caramel in two batches).
  2. Caramelise the sugar: Heat the sugar until it just turns a deep amber colour. You want it to take on some flavour, so do not let it be too light.
  3. Add the butter: Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.
  4. Add the cream: Then slowly pour in the cream, constantly whisking all the time.
  5. Return to the heat: Return to the stove for just 20 more seconds and then remove.
  6. Add the salt: Crush the flaked salt and add it to the caramel sauce.
  7. Let cool: Set aside to cool.

Method: whipped cream filling

  1. Whip the cream: Whip the cream to soft peaks.
  2. Add the caramel: Then add in the caramel sauce and whip until stiff peaks form.

Method: caramel French buttercream

  1. Make the syrup: Combine sugar and water in medium saucepan. Heat over low heat while stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
  2. Beat the egg yolks: In the meanwhile, put the egg yolks in a stand-mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat until thick and foamy.
  3. Pour in the syrup: When the sugar syrup reaches 116˚ Celsius, remove it from the heat. Slowly stream it into the egg yolks, by pouring it down the side of your mixer.
  4. Mix until cool: Continue mixing until the bottom of the bowl is cool to the touch and the yolk mixture has cooled to room temperature.
  5. Add the butter and vanilla: Add in butter one cube at a time allowing each piece to incorporate before adding the next. Add vanilla. Continue mixing until buttercream is smooth and creamy. (about 5 – 6 minutes).
  6. Add the caramel: Add in the dulce de leche or Caramel Treat and continue to mix until smooth and creamy.

Method: assembly

  1. Hollow out the cupcakes: Make a hole in the centre of the cupcake, stopping just before you reach the bottom.
  2. Fill with whipped cream: Pipe some caramel whipped cream into the cupcake, leaving some space at the top for caramel sauce.
  3. Pipe a dam: Pipe a swirl of buttercream around the cupcake to create a dam.
  4. Fill with caramel: Fill the dam with a pool of caramel sauce (on top of the whipped cream).
  5. Repeat: Repeat for all 12 cupcakes.

The recipe

Peppermint Crisp Tart Cupcakes

adventureswithsugar.com/peppermint-crisp-tart-cupcakes/

Method

Method: Peppermint Crisp tart cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven and line the tin: Preheat your oven to 170˚ Celsius. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
  2. Sift the dry ingredients: Sift the self-raising flour, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.
  3. Add the butter and oil: Add the cubed butter and oil to the dry ingredients.
  4. Combine the wet ingredients: In another bowl, add the eggs, milk and vanilla and stir to incorporate everything (you do not have to whisk this vigorously).
  5. Add half the wet ingredients: Pour half of the wet ingredients into the bowl with the butter and dry ingredients.
  6. Beat: Beat for about 30 seconds until everything is incorporated.
  7. Add the rest of the wet ingredients: Then add in the rest of the wet ingredients and mix for another minute to make sure everything is incorporated and the mixture has increased a bit in volume.
  8. Fill the liners and bake: Fill the cupcake liners up until three quarters full and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
  9. Let cool and store: Allow these cupcakes to cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Method: caramel icing and decoration

  1. Cream the butter: Cream the butter for about 5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
  2. Add the Caramel Treat: Add in the Caramel Treat and mix. Do not overmix as the mixture will curdle.
  3. Pipe the icing: Pipe the icing onto your cooled cupcakes.
  4. Decorate: Decorate with the Peppermint Crisp and biscuits.

The recipe

Strawberry and White Chocolate Cupcakes

adventureswithsugar.com/strawberry-and-white-chocolate-cupcakes/

Method

Method: strawberry cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven and line the tin: Preheat the oven to 180˚ Celsius. Line a 12 cup cupcake tin with paper liners and set aside.
  2. Sift the dry ingredients: Sift the cake flour and baking powder and set aside, to form your dry ingredients.
  3. Cream the butter, oil and sugar: Cream the butter, oil, sugar and lemon zest until well combined, about four minutes.
  4. Add the egg whites: Add in the egg whites one at a time, beating each one in before adding the next.
  5. Add the jam and vanilla: Add in the strawberry jam and vanilla essence and mix through.
  6. Add the flour and milk: Add half the flour, followed by half the milk. Then the remaining dry ingredients and milk.
  7. Fill the liners: Divide the batter into the tin, and sprinkle the strawberries on the top.
  8. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 18 – 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
  9. Let cool: Set aside to cool completely before frosting.
  10. Slice the strawberries: Remove the green tips of the strawberries, place the flat edge of the strawberry on a chopping board and slice down the full length of the strawberry. Add three of these slices to the iced cupcakes as decorations.

Method: white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream

  1. Melt the chocolate: Melt the chocolate and oil in a microwave, in short 20 second bursts, and set aside to cool.
  2. Dissolve the sugar: Set a pot of simmering water onto the stove, on medium heat. Place a bowl over the pot of water, to create a bain marie. Place the sugar and egg whites in the bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved into the egg white. Do not vigorously mix the mixture, as we do not want to aerate it too much. If you run a bit of the mixture between your forefinger and thumb, there should be no sugar granules.
  3. Whip the meringue: Transfer the sugar and egg mixture to your stand mixer (you can use an electric hand beater too) and whip for a good 10 minutes, until a glossy meringue has formed and the sides of the bowl have cooled down.
  4. Add the butter: Slowly add in the butter, a few cubes at a time. Let incorporate fully, before adding more.
  5. Add the chocolate: Pour in the cooled, melted chocolate and beat until a smooth buttercream is achieved. Do not overmix this.
  6. Pipe the buttercream: Fit a piping bag with an open star nozzle and pipe generous swirls of buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes.
  7. Decorate: Decorate with the strawberry slices.

The recipe

Biscoff Cupcakes

adventureswithsugar.com/biscoff-cupcakes/

Method

Method: Biscoff cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven and line the tin: Preheat the oven to 180˚ Celsius. Grease and line a 12-cup muffin tin, with cupcake liners.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients: Place the butter, oil, muscovado sugar, golden syrup, self-raising flour, malted milk powder and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl.
  3. Whisk the wet ingredients: In a separate jug, add in the eggs, milk and vanilla essence. Whisk by hand for about 30 seconds.
  4. Add half the wet ingredients: Pour half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix for about 45 seconds.
  5. Add the rest of the wet ingredients: Then add in the remaining wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until the batter comes together and becomes voluminous, about 1 and a half minutes more. Do not worry if the batter looks slightly curdled.
  6. Fill the liners and bake: Divide equally into the cupcake liners, making sure to fill them no more than 2/3 full. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
  7. Let cool: Remove from the tin and let cool completely before decorating.

Method: Biscoff filling

  1. Warm some of the cream: Bring 50ml of cream to room temperature, by warming it for a few seconds in the microwave.
  2. Loosen the Biscoff spread: Add this to the Biscoff spread and mix to loosen the spread.
  3. Whip the filling: Whip the remaining cream to soft peaks, then spoon in the Biscoff spread and continue to whip, until stiff peaks form.
  4. Don't overwhip: Be careful not to overwhip or the mix will split.

Method: Biscoff frosting

  1. Cream the butter: Cream the butter until pale and fluffy. This may take a few minutes.
  2. Add the cream cheese: Add in the cream cheese and continue to mix until smooth and fluffy.
  3. Add the icing sugar and Biscoff spread: Add in the icing sugar and Biscoff spread and beat until smooth, you may need to use a bit of the whipping cream to loosen the mixture if it is too stiff.
  4. Add the rest of the cream: Add in the remaining whipping cream and continue to whip until smooth and silky.
  5. Fill the cupcakes: To decorate the cupcakes, core the centre of the cooled cupcakes out and fill it with the Biscoff filling made earlier.
  6. Pipe the frosting: Then pipe on the Biscoff frosting.
  7. Sprinkle with crumbs: Crush two Biscoff biscuits into fine crumbs and sprinkle over the top of the cupcakes, to carry through the Biscoff taste.
  8. Top with a biscuit: Then place a Biscoff biscuit on each cupcake to garnish.

The recipe

Gingerbread Cupcakes with a Caramel Centre and Eggnog Buttercream

Makes 12

adventureswithsugar.com/gingerbread-cupcakes-with-a-caramel-centre-and-eggnog-buttercream/

Method

Method: gingerbread cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven and line the tin: Preheat the oven to 180˚ Celsius. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients: Place the butter, muscovado sugar, molasses, self-raising flour, malted milk powder, spices and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl.
  3. Whisk the wet ingredients: In a separate jug, add in the eggs, milk and vanilla essence. Whisk by hand for about 30 seconds.
  4. Add half the wet ingredients: Pour half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix for about 45 seconds.
  5. Add the rest of the wet ingredients: Then add in the remaining wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until the batter comes together and becomes voluminous, about 1 minute more. Do not worry if the batter looks slightly curdled.
  6. Fill the liners and bake: Divide equally between the 12 cases and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Method: salted caramel sauce

  1. Add the sugar to the pot: Place the sugar in a large pot so that the sugar just covers the base of the pot (if the sugar feels too much, I suggest making the caramel in two batches).
  2. Caramelise the sugar: Heat the sugar until it just turns a deep amber colour. You want it to take on some flavour, so do not let it be too light.
  3. Add the butter: Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.
  4. Add the cream: Then slowly pour in the cream, constantly whisking all the time.
  5. Return to the heat: Return to the stove for just 20 more seconds and then remove.
  6. Add the salt: Crush the flaked salt and add it to the caramel sauce.
  7. Let cool: Set aside to cool.

Method: eggnog buttercream

  1. Make the syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Heat over low heat while stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
  2. Beat the egg yolks: In the meanwhile, put the egg yolks in a stand-mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat until thick and foamy.
  3. Pour in the syrup: When the sugar syrup reaches 116˚ Celsius, remove it from the heat. Slowly stream it into the egg yolks, by pouring it down the side of your mixer.
  4. Mix until cool: Continue mixing until the bottom of the bowl is cool to the touch and the yolk mixture has cooled to room temperature.
  5. Add the butter and vanilla: Add in butter one cube at a time allowing each piece to incorporate before adding the next. Add vanilla. Continue mixing until buttercream is smooth and creamy (about 5 – 6 minutes).
  6. Add the rum: Add in the rum and mix until combined.

Method: assembly

  1. Hollow out the cupcakes: Make a hole in the centre of the cupcake, stopping just before you reach the bottom.
  2. Fill with caramel: Pipe some caramel into the cupcake.
  3. Pipe the buttercream: Pipe a generous swirl of buttercream on the cupcake.
  4. Decorate: Decorate with a gingerbread cookie.
  5. Repeat: Repeat for all 12 cupcakes.