My Mini Cupcake Recipe
I love these little bites of indulgence, of sweetness that give brings the right amount of sugar to my palate that is more attracted to the salty and tart. I have lots of ideas of how I want to proceed with different flavors, but this is the basic recipe. I assure you that they are quite addictive, but quick to make so you can actually indulge yourself every day with a new batch. If you are like me, I have little plastic containers with the dry ingredients measured out for recipes – cake, cookies, bread, focaccia, crackers, mini cupcakes… This way when I feel an urge to make something, I already have my dry ingredients ready, the part that I find boring. In fact, on lazy days I measure out dry ingredients so that I can feel quite accomplished for the day. Then when I want to bake, I am so satisfied with myself for being prepared.
The great thing about this recipe is that it can be totally done by hand with the full proof method of mixing dry ingredients together, liquid ingredients together (melt the butter) and then combining the two. Really easy. Please enjoy these little bites for the utter joy of the ease in making them – non bakers this is a great start and can make even the accomplished bakers sit up and acknowledge your greatness. In my home we go for simplicity, so a dash of confectionery sugar is the only decoration, more sugar required is appeased by the addition of fresh fruit. I have added berries to the batter as well. However, kick it up a notch with icing, whipped cream, crème fraiche, jams and preserves etc. I on the other hand, am thinking about other flavors, a salty version, for instance a carrot and/or zucchini. Since I am not a great fan of vegetables, funnily enough I am always thinking of ways to add vegetables to my diet. So, let me know what you think. For my gluten free friends, I have also made these with rice flour that were delicious, and the amount of flour was the same.
Enjoy, and try not to be like me, of the 30 mini cupcakes I made yesterday, I think I ate 10 or more, but I refused to count. Let me continue to delude myself that I don’t like sweets.
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Mini Cupcake Indulgences for the Non-Sweet Tooth
Preparation: 10 minutes prep + 14 minutes baking
Amount: approximately 30 mini cupcakes
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Scant ¾ cup cane sugar
½ tsp nutmeg (I use freshly grated Jamaican nutmeg – optional)
Zest of 1 orange
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange extract (optional)
½ cup milk
Confectionary sugar (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Mix all of the dry ingredients together with a whisk. Then do the same with the liquid ingredients. Combine the two.
Place mini cupcake paper cups into the cupcake tin (mine were 1.37”). Fill approximately ¾ of the cup as you don’t want them to overflow.
Bake for 14 minutes depending on your oven.
Remove from oven, let cool. Decorate as you wish, or do a sprinkling of confectionery sugar.
