Almost like a Betty Crocker cake mix.

 

For months I have been searching for that perfect cupcake recipe, the type that is made from scratch but gives you the Betty Crocker type consistency. Everything that I have read on the internet, has said that it is virtually impossible to get that perfect Betty Crocker consistency because of ratios and types of ingredients that go into these mixes, I forget all the reasons there were many of them and to remember them all would require me finding the website again, and making notes. Notes help me to remember these sorts of things and because I have literally note books everywhere for everything, I am easily able to find the information I need if I do forget. I have two for blog notes, four for recipes, one for general notes (that would be this sort of thing), one for recipes I want to try and shopping lists, and I have one that is for lists of any kind and nothing else (I need my lists, I rarely follow them but I can’t function if the list is not there) I have two others that were for course work, one was my creative writing course which took a dramatic nose dive once we got back to this country, work, stress and other commitments, not to mention bad back and dodgy knees, made it impossible for me to get out and do the ground work I needed to do for my articles, I am genuinely gutted about that because I was very much enjoying it…. Writing about something I know gives me a bit of an ego boost. Quite often people call me thick or stupid, usually because I don’t share the same opinion as they have. If I am honest though I would much rather be called any other name under the sun, it just seems at times as though I somehow attract the “You’re mince” comments, which I find far more hurtful than if I had been called a female dog. Obviously I mean the curse word, or perhaps the rude equivalent of a lady of the night/ill repute, or that sort of thing. I hope that my writing shows that I have a little bit more substance that people give me credit for. Then of course my last notebook was about my coursework for my health and social care, which I had started through work and can only do through work, so won’t be able to continue to do that….. I hate to waste paper, but I hate having notebooks for loads of random stuff, which means I’ll end up ripping the pages out, so my notebook is super thin and then it will go in the cupboard and rarely get used, because I am very particular about my stationary, it has to be just so, but I can’t throw away perfectly decent writing paper.. After all that, all I can say is I probably should have made the notes, on why the cake mixes can’t be replicated at home in the first place. One thing I did notice between the Betty Crocker batter and the cake batter that I was following is that the Betty Crocker mixes are somewhat looser so I wondered if a looser batter might be the answer I was looking for. This recipe is pretty close to the Betty Crocker batter and it tastes really good too!

Jaffa Cupcakes

For the cupcakes

70g unsalted butter

210g plain flour (all-purpose)

250g caster sugar

1tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

210ml full fat milk

2 large eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

100g marmalade with no bits

For the frosting

450g icing sugar, sifted

60g cocoa powder, sifted

150ml unsalted butter, softened

60ml full fat milk

Mini jaffa cakes to decorate

1. Preheat your oven to 170˚C/325˚F and line a 12 hole muffin pan with large cupcake cases.
2. Using a mixer and your K paddle attachment if you have one, mix together the butter, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder, until they look like breadcrumbs.
3. In jug mix together the milk, eggs and vanilla extract, then with your mixer on a slow speed very slowly add half the milk mixture to the crumbs mixing until combined. Speed up the machine and beat just until there are no more lumps, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to get all the batter mixed.
   Finally slow down the machine again and add the remaining milk mixing until it is completely combined.
4. Fill each of the cupcake cases so they are about 2/3 full of the batter. Put them in the oven and bake until they are golden on top and skewer comes out clean, about 15-20mins. Leave them to cool a little in the tin and then transfer to a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely before you start to frost them.
5. On a slow speed mix together the first three ingredients for the frosting, once it is well combined add the milk and turn the speed up, beating until it is light and fluffy.
6. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, using a cupcake corer if you have one, otherwise a sharp knife will work, cut a hole in the cupcake, keeping the bit you removed, fill the hole with the marmalade and then replace the cut out bit, press down gently and trim the top so that it is level with the rest of the cupcake if need be. Finally pipe on the frosting, and top with a mini jaffa cake.