Carolyn White - A Taste Of... Bake Me Im Yours... Cupcake Fun: Five Sample Projects from Carolyn Whites Latest Book

When I started my cake-making company 10 years ago, every order was all about having fun with different sizes of cake and icing in order to make the celebration in question memorable. Over the following years, customers have continued to challenge my team in their desire to see their varied hobbies and interests re-created in sugar and popped on top of a cake or cupcake. So this book brings lots of those simple, interesting ideas together to create delicious cupcakes for every occasion that really will make both kids and adults smile. These little cakes make great party centrepieces or gifts to show how much you care, or simply an entertaining family treat.

Have fun!

• Kitchen scales/measuring cups and measuring spoons for accurately weighing ingredients
• Electric stand mixer with paddle attachment (flat beater) to make the sponge cake bases and toppings
• Muffin and mini muffin trays (pans)
• Wire rack to cool cupcakes
• Flexible plastic spatulas for scraping out bowls
• Muffin baking cases (liners) keep a variety of the many fantastic designs available, both paper and foil, on hand for spontaneous events
• Large disposable plastic piping (pastry) bags for piping your mixture into cases (liners)
• Oven thermometer a must if unsure of your internal oven temperature
• Microwave or double boiler for melting chocolate
• Plastic or glass microwave-safe bowls for melting chocolate and butter
• Sieve (strainer)

• Non-stick work board with non-stick mat beneath to prevent slipping to roll out icing and cut out and model paste shapes
• Non-stick rolling pin for rolling out sugarpaste (rolled fondant) and flower (petal/gum) paste
• Icing spacers to achieve an even 3mm (in) thickness
• Large disposable plastic piping (pastry) bags, 46cm (18in) or 53cm (21in) for piping frostings
• Paper piping (pastry) bags made from baking (parchment) paper for small quantities of royal icing/applying details
• Piping tubes (tips) fine for piping royal icing details; large for piping frosting (see )
• Scissors to snip the ends of piping (pastry) bags for tubes (tips) to fit snugly
• Large and mini palette knives large for buttercream; mini for cutting, turning paste and lifting paste shapes/features
• Paintbrushes a selection of sable (no. 3 for glue) and pony (no. 8 for glitter) are handy
• Set of 11 circle cutters (Ateco) nos. specified count outwards from the smallest, no. 1
• Icing smoother for smoothing and polishing sugarpaste (rolled fondant)
• Sugar glue for attaching decorative elements
• Cocktail sticks (toothpicks) for applying colour to icing and creating tiny indentations

• Shaped cutters ovals, hearts, square, star, triangle
• Kemper mini plunger cutters 4mm (in) circle and heart are used in many projects; PME blossom set comes with a foam pad to push the plunger against to cup the paste
• Ball tool and smile tool (PME) for adding detail to paste characters
• Dresden tool for scoring lines into paste and adding texture
• Paint palette for mixing colours and blending gold/silver lustre dust with alcohol
• Dusting brush for brushing lustre dust onto paste
• Foiled cake board for storing made-ahead paste discs

• Let all your ingredients come to room temperature before you begin to make your cake mix.
• Before starting to make your cupcakes, read the recipe right through to familiarize yourself with the method.
• Preheat your oven and check that it is reaching the correct temperature by using an oven thermometer.
• Prepare tins (pans) before starting to make your cake mix so that it doesnt have to sit.
• Ensure you weigh the ingredients accurately the key to great cupcakes!
• Never cream your mixture on full speed start on slow and work upwards.
• Eggs are best used when they are at room temperature.
• Add eggs one at a time or gradually to prevent curdling, adding a tablespoon of the flour if it looks like the mixture may be starting to curdle.
• Always fold in the flour. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment (flat beater) on the slowest speed.
• Generally fill the muffin baking cases (liners) two-thirds full for a flat top and to allow room for frosting.
• If your oven has a hot spot, rotate the pan halfway through baking.
• Use a wire rack to help your cakes cool quickly.

• Peaked either too much raising agent or the oven temperature is too hot
• Sunken not cooked for long enough or oven door opened too soon
• Sloping check with a spirit level that your oven shelves or even the oven itself is level
• Some cooked but others not quite your oven may have a hot spot, so the muffin tray (pan) needs to be rotated halfway through the cupcake baking time
• Dense or heavy texture mixture not thoroughly mixed together and the raising agent hasnt been distributed evenly; can also be caused by overbeating the mixture

Light and luscious, this vanilla sponge recipe will never fail to produce a great sponge base for the most fabulous decorations. If you fancy a change for a more zingy flavour, simply follow the suggestions for a citrus version.

makes about 12

125g (4oz) margarine, softened

125g (4oz) caster (superfine) sugar

1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract

2 eggs (medium or large), lightly beaten

125g (4oz) self-raising (-rising) flour

2 tbsp (30ml) milk

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Line your muffin tray (pan) with muffin cases (liners) and set to one side.

2 Place the margarine, sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and cream together until light and fluffy.

3 Add the eggs gradually and then sift the flour into the mixture and combine on a low speed. Add the milk to make a smooth dropping consistency.