From the 1950s divider · Off the ration

Fairy Cakes

Name: Fairy Cakes
Yield: 12
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 110g unsalted butter, softened; 110g caster sugar; 2 eggs; 110g self-raising flour; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tbsp milk; For the icing: 150g icing sugar, 2 tbsp water, a drop of food colouring; Hundreds and thousands

Small, light and iced with glacé icing and a sprinkle of hundreds and thousands. Not a cupcake. A fairy cake.

Prep15 mins
Cook15 mins
Serves12
DifficultyEasy

1950s

Photo: Gavin Tapp, CC BY 2.0

From the tin

Fairy cakes are smaller and lighter than an American cupcake, with a thin layer of glacé icing instead of a swirl of buttercream. They were the centrepiece of 1950s birthday parties once sugar was back in the shops. Cut the top off, halve it and stand it in buttercream and they become butterfly cakes.

Fairy CakesServes 12 · 1950s

You'll need

110g unsalted butter, softened
110g caster sugar
2 eggs
110g self-raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk
For the icing: 150g icing sugar, 2 tbsp water, a drop of food colouring
Hundreds and thousands

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas 4. Line a 12-hole bun tin with paper cases.
Beat the butter and sugar until pale, add the eggs one at a time, then fold in the flour, vanilla and milk.
Spoon into the cases, filling each two-thirds full, and bake for 15 minutes until risen and golden.
Cool completely. Mix the icing sugar with just enough water to make a thick, spoonable icing and colour it if you like.
Spoon a little icing on each cake and scatter with hundreds and thousands before it sets.

From the tin

You'll need

Method

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