Vanilla cupcapés

Yes, you’ve read it right. These aren’t cupcakes but rather cupcapés – in other words, cupcake canapés. I have invented this word and will be trying to get it adopted into common usage. Feel free to bandy it about as you please.


I haven’t made mini cupcakes before but wanted something to serve at Iron Cupcake London that was relevant and bite sized. Hence, cupcapés were born!

Here are 36 of the 50 cupcapés made. If you are now counting the cupcapés to validate the numbers I recommend that you either pursue a career in audit or go and get your OCD sorted!


I used my trusted basic cupcake recipe and simply adjusted the cooking time to take into account that mini cupcakes will bake quicker. They really are lovely to eat – down in one is definitely the best way to enjoy these!

Nude cupcapés:



Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g caster sugar
2 eggs
125g self raising flour
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

For the buttercream:
100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200g icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Splash of milk

How to make:

- Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan oven 170°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.
- Line two mini cupcake tins with paper cases. This quantity will make 24 mini cupcakes
- Beat the butter and sugar together until they are smooth, fluffy and pale. This will take several minutes even with soft butter. Don’t skimp on this stage.
- Add the eggs , flour, vanilla and milk and beat until smooth.
- Spoon into the paper cases and bake for approximately 15 minutes until a skewer comes out cleanly. Best to start checking them after 10 minutes.
- Leave to cool on a wire rack.
- Now make the buttercream: beat the butter in a bowl until very soft.
- Add the icing sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the vanilla and milk.
- Either spread or pipe over the cupcakes
- Decorate as desired
- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.
- Eat.