These Vanilla Buns for Cupcakes are light, airy and buttery. Sometimes referred to as fairy cakes or queen cakes, these simple buns are incredibly easy to make and so versatile! Eat them plain as is or add some cream, jam, buttercream, ganache or water icing for something a bit more substantial. These buns bake fairly flat too which is perfect if you plan to pipe anything on top. They also freeze wonderfully if you want to double or triple the recipe and keep in the freezer. This recipe can also be used as a simple cake recipe, one batch will make one 8 inch cake layer.
This Vanilla Buns for Cupcakes Recipe uses the very simple “all in one” method. This means that all the ingredients are added to a large mixing bowl and beaten until combined. You can do this by hand with a whisk, with an electric whisk or the paddle attachment on a stand mixer. It’s important that your butter is soft and at room temperature to prevent lumps. Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat the batter for 2-3 minutes until it’s smooth and no lumps remain. Scoop or pipe the cake batter into 12 cupcake cases, about 2/3 the way full.
Bake until the buns have turned a very light golden brown around the edges, making sure to turn the tray halfway through baking. Allow to cool before adding any decorations, if using. Allow to cool before icing. Cooled leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Sometimes when baking cupcakes, moisture collects on the bottom of the tin. This makes the bottom of the cupcake cakes wet and oily looking. To avoid this, you can add 2 liners for each cupcake. This way, you can remove the outer one if it becomes wet.
Yes! Once they have completely cooled you can transfer to an airtight container or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 1 year.
Sometimes if your butter or eggs are very cold, the batter can curdle and start to look a little like scrambled eggs which is not ideal. While the buns will still taste great, the texture can be less soft and a bit tougher than you’d prefer. To ensure this doesn’t happen, make sure to use room temperature eggs and butter. If your butter is too hard, slice into chunks, place on a plate and pop into the microwave for 10 second bursts to soften.
It’s possible you were a tiny bit heavy handed with the baking powder or the oven could have been a little too hot when you baked the buns. Try to level off the baking powder when measuring to ensure you don’t add too much. For the oven, I would recommend investing in an oven thermometer for an accurate gauge of your oven temperature. They are relatively inexpensive and can be bought on sites like Amazon etc.
Typically, cupcakes, originating more from the USA, refer to the bun and the icing on top, usually buttercream or a cream cheese frosting. Queen cakes or fairy cakes, originating from the UK and Ireland, are typically the same thing and are just the bun, sometimes accompanied by a simple water icing, sprinkles or jam. For more info, you can check out Nigella’s explanation, here.
Interested in more Cake Recipes? Check out my Cake Category, here.
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