Vanilla Sponge Cupcakes with Cheat's Meringue Buttercream
delicious cupcakes with an easy-to-make meringue buttercream
Servings: 9
Equipment
- 1 12 hole cupcake tin and liners you can also make these as fairy cakes, you will need 2 trays with 12 holes and a smaller scoop
- 1 spring loaded ice cream scoop, 5cm diameter
- 1 piping bag and large star nozzle
Ingredients
Cake mix
- 2 large eggs
- 115 g butter
- 115 g caster sugar
- 115 g self raising flour
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract you can change the vanilla for any flavour of your choice
Buttercream
- 1 tablespoon egg white powder eg Meriwhite - you can also use pure egg albumen but you need to mix it a couple of hours before you use it and stir occasionally to get rid of any lumps
- 60 ml cold water
- 250 g icing sugar
- 170 g butter if you need to make this dairy free you can substitute the butter for Flora Plant, it is the only acceptable substitute for butter and no other margarine or spread will work in this recipe
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or other flavour of your choice
Instructions
Cake mix
- Preheat the oven to 160C (fan) and place the cupcake liners in your tin. You may not need all 12, this recipe normally yields 9 or 10.
- Soften the butter in the microwave on short bursts, stirring well each time until it is the consistency of clotted cream.
- Stir the flour and sugar together to break up any lumps.
- Whisk the eggs together in a jug and add the vanilla.
- Add the butter and eggs to the flour/sugar mix and beat well on a medium speed until the mixture is smooth and a little paler in colour.
- Use the ice cream scoop to measure one full scoop of mixture into each cupcake case, place in the preheated oven and bake for approx 25 - 30 minutes, until a pale golden and the centre springs back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool completely before adding the buttercream top.
Make the buttercream
- Soften the butter, if required - you should be able to press your finger lightly into the butter and leave an indent.
- Mix the egg white powder and water together until no lumps remain then beat in the icing sugar - you want the mixture to be quite stiff and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and softened butter and whisk until smooth. Use immediately.
Notes
If you don't have large eggs (2 large eggs weighs approximately 4 oz or 115 g), simply weigh the eggs you have (cracked weight, shells removed) and use this exact weight of flour, sugar and butter for perfect cupcakes.