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Fairy cakes recipe

Fairy cakes recipe

456 ratings

Created by The Tesco Real Food team

This easy fairy cake recipe is lovely for afternoon tea at home or birthday parties. Fluffy vanilla sponge, creamy icing and sweet strawberry jam are a classic combination, and the butterfly decoration is simple to do but oh-so-pretty. Find out how to make fairy cakes with our step-by-step recipe and how-to videos. See method

  • Serves 9
  • 15mins to prepare and 20mins to cook, plus 15mins to decorate
  • 485 calories / serving

Ingredients

  • 125g salted butter
  • 125g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 125g self-raising flour
  • 5ml vanilla extract
  • 15ml milk

For the buttercream icing

  • 150g unsalted butter
  • 250g icing sugar
  • 10ml vanilla extract
  • 60ml strawberry jam
  • icing sugar, for dusting
No self-raising flour? Add 2 tsp baking powder for every 150g plain flour

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    2030kj
    485kcal     24%

  • Fat

    27g 39%

  • Saturates

    16g 78%

  • Sugars

    49g 54%

  • Salt

    0.2g 3%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 61.2g Protein 3.1g Fibre 0.5g

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with 9 cupcake cases.
  2. Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and whisk until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating between each addition. If the mixture splits, add a tablespoon of flour and whisk until the batter is smooth.

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  3. Sift the flour into the mixture and using a large metal spoon, then gently fold the flour until well combined. Stir in the vanilla essence and milk. The mixture should easily drop off a spoon.
  4. Spoon into the cases and cook for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake.

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  5. To make the buttercream icing, put the butter in a large bowl and beat until creamy. Sift in the icing sugar and whisk until well combined. Add the vanilla extract. If the mixture is too stiff, add a little milk.
  6. Cut the top off each cake and then cut the slices in half. Cover each cake with the butter icing. Put a little strawberry jam on top of each cake and push the 2 half-slices into the buttercream at an angle to make a pair of wings.
  7. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

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Tips and FAQs

How to make fluffy fairy cakes​?

You can ensure your fairy cakes are fluffy by making the batter carefully: start by beating (or creaming) together the softened butter and sugar really well to trap air, combine the ingredients and increase the overall volume – it should be very pale and fluffy. Next, add the eggs gradually, one at a time. Gently fold in the flour with a metal spoon until just combined, but be careful not to overmix. This should help your fairy cakes turn out light and fluffy.

How many calories are there in a fairy cake?

There are 485 calories in a fairy cake, if you follow our recipe. To reduce the calories, use less buttercream or make a simple icing with icing sugar, a little water and food colouring, if you like.

How long to cook fairy cakes​?

It takes 18-20 minutes to cook fairy cakes, but cooking times vary depending on the recipe. If you insert a skewer into one fairy cake and it comes out clean, they're done.

Can you freeze fairy cakes​?

Yes, you can freeze cupcakes, but freeze uniced. Cool the cakes completely before storing in an airtight container. Fairy cakes will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before decorating.

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