Recipe for butterfly cakes

The weather was unbelievable today – grey, overcast, snow and even a hail storm. Is it really the beginning of April? This morning we had to go out as the toddler had a hair appointment. Little Sis got her first hair cut too, one quick snip across her fringe and she can see again.

When we were home with the front door shut firmly behind us we started baking. We needed a sweet treat so turned to our favourite, classic butterfly (or fairy) cakes. They are simple to make but look and taste great!

Just in case you want to make some yourself I’ll share my recipe which makes 12 cakes.

Ingredients:

• 110g butter
• 110g caster sugar
• 110g self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Preheat the oven to 180° and line your cake tin with cases.

Place the butter, sugar, flour and baking powder in a bowl, add the eggs and vanilla essence and mix with an electric whisk for a couple of minutes. Add a generous spoonful of mixture to each case and bake for 15-18 minutes. Leave to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the butter cream:

• 110g butter
• 225g icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tsp milk

Slowly beat the butter and icing sugar and add in the vanilla essence and milk. Cut a small circle of cake from the top of each cake, fill with buttercream, cut the cake circles in half and place back on the top of each cake to look like wings. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

Because I wanted to make and eat my cakes quickly I was naughty and didn’t allow the butter to come up to room temperature. This meant my food processor really struggled and I made such a mess that even my toddler commented on the state of the kitchen! Cold butter doesn’t mix well with icing sugar. Or perhaps I just need a new food processor for my lovely new house!