Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe by Donna Hay (2024)

Who can resist cupcakes? They are the perfect treat to whip up with the kids – everyone will be engrossed in the baking and decorating of their cupcakes before you even get to the best part: eating them! This cupcakes recipe covers all flavour preferences and is super easy to cook up with the little ones.

Ingredients:

– 125g unsalted butter
– 260g self-raising flour
– 165g caster sugar
– 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (for extra puff)
– 2 eggs, lightly beaten (in a small bowl)
– 2 tsp vanilla extract
– 125ml milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Line 12 x ½-cup-capacity (125ml) muffin tins with paper cupcake cases.
2. Place the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring with a spatula, until melted.
3. Place the flour, sugar and baking powder in a big bowl and, using a whisk, mix to combine. Add the melted butter, the eggs, vanilla and milk and whisk until well combined and smooth.
4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
5. Wearing oven gloves, carefully remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes. Move onto wire racks to cool completely, before spreading with your favourite icing (see recipes, below).

Variations:

For chocolate cupcakes
1. Add 45g chopped dark chocolate to the butter in step 2 and stir until melted and smooth.
2. In step 3, replace 35g of the self-raising flour with 2 tablespoons sifted raw cacao or cocoa powder. Follow the rest of the steps. Spread cooled cakes with the chocolate cupcake icing.

For strawberry cupcakes
1. Whisk 15g chopped freeze-dried strawberries into the cupcake mixture at the end of step 3, before baking.
2. Spread cooled cakes with the vanilla cupcake icing and sprinkle with some extra chopped freeze-dried strawberries.

Lemon coconut cupcakes
1. Replace 35g of the self-raising (self-rising) flour in the cupcake mixture with 40g desiccated coconut.
2. At the end of step 3, whisk 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind into the mixture, before baking.
3. Spread cooled cakes with the vanilla cupcake icing and top with some toasted shredded coconut.

Icing:

Vanilla cupcake icing
1. Place 80g chopped and softened cream cheese and 120g fresh firm ricotta in a medium bowl. Using a whisk, mix them together until lovely and smooth (you can use a food processor for this step if you don’t have time to soften your cream cheese).
2. Add 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Keep in the fridge and spread over the cooled cakes when ready to serve.

Chocolate cupcake icing
1. Add 1½ tablespoons sifted raw cacao or cocoa powder and an extra 2 teaspoons maple syrup to the vanilla icing and whisk to combine.

Australia’s best-selling cookbook author, Donna Hay, wants to take you from basics to brilliance when cooking with your kids.

Australia’s Number 1 Bestselling cookbook author returns with a major TV-tie in cookbook for the modern family who love to eat, cook, celebrate and have fun together. Basics to Brilliance Kids is the latest gorgeous new book from Australia’s bestselling cookbook author, Donna Hay, to accompany her new TV series of the same name which will show on Foxtel in October 2017.

As a mum, Donna knows that there is nothing more enjoyable than introducing your children to the wonders of taste, food and flavours. Her new book highlights the importance of mastering the basics, celebrates fresh, healthy food, and the joy of cooking, eating and sharing delicious food with the people we love. Featuring over 120 fantastic, fun-filled, simple, family-friendly recipes, Basics to Brilliance Kids gives you and your kids endless ideas for birthday parties, picnics, school fairs and bake sales, family and celebration dinners, brilliant breakfasts, beach days, backyard movie nights and sleepovers.

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