The recipe for the cake part of this recipe on Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess. She calls them fairy cakes, which are sometimes also called butterfly cakes when the cakes have a filling and a buttercream frosting. Butterfly cakes are sort of an English version of a cupcake. I realize probably just offend all of my English readers by comparing the two! Before making this recipe and reading many heated comments from English bakers on the differences of fairy/butterfly cakes and cupcakes, I was unaware how deep the feelings ran in this debate! Yes there is a difference between an American cupcake and an English fairy cake, but you have to admit, they are kind of similar...cake baked in a muffin tin, topped with a frosting...please don't send me nasty emails! :)
Anyhoo as I was putting the "wings" on my lovely lemon curd filled
Nigella's fairy cake recipe couldn't be easier to make. It only takes a few minutes to whip up the cakes and they bake in under 20 minutes. Then they're ready to be made into bunnies or butterflies, which ever suits your fancy!
Bunny Ear Cakes (Butterfly Cake)
Source: Nigella Lawson, How to be a Domestic Goddess
Yield 10-12 regular size cupcakes
Printable recipe
INGERDIENTS:
1/2 cup, (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk
lemon curd, store bought or homemade
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
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| I baked mine in these paper baking cups I had, but a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners works just as well. |
Put all the ingredients except for the milk into a food processor filled with the blade and process until smooth, about a minute. Pulsing quickly, while adding the milk down the funnel till just blended. Spoon batter into muffin pan, filling about 2/3 full.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until they are golden on top. Cool completely
With a sharp knife and cut a circle out of the top of each cake at an angle (kind of a cone shape) about 1/2 inch from the edge of the cakes.
Cut each circle in half and set aside.
Fill the cakes with about 2 teaspoons of lemon curd. Fill a piping bag fitted with a tip with the frosting. (Alternately you can put the frosting into a zip lock bag with a hole cut into one corner, to pipe out the icing.) Pipe the frosting onto the tops of the lemon curd filled cakes. Top with the cut out pieces of the cakes. I stood them upright to look like a bunnies ears. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated until served. The cakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 or 4 days but are best the day they are made.
Frosting
1 stick butter, room temp
2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
Enough heavy cream to get a cream consistency
1 teaspoon of either lemon or vanilla extract
Mix butter and sugar together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. Gradually add in enough cream to produce the desired consistency for spreading or piping. Mix in flavoring of your choice.
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| Happy Easter! |
