Butterfly Cupcakes （蝴蝶杯子蛋糕）

 忽然收到在Curtin念书时的室友的短讯，说是孩子要做一岁生日了，问我可以给她做个生日蛋糕吗？我自己没小孩也没做过小孩生日蛋糕，当然不能答应这个重大的任务啦。一岁生日多有纪念性，可不能毁在我手里。搞不好多年后小女孩长大了，看回旧时的照片，为什么每个小孩都有可爱的生日蛋糕，唯独她有个丑丑的，那我不就是最大的祸首吗？ 我于是建议如果要做几个杯子蛋糕衬托一下场面我大概还能献丑一下，主角蛋糕还是要professional做的比较像样。大家就这样商量着，后来知道派对主题是蝴蝶，刚好Donna Hay最新的小孩杂志里巧见有butterfly cupcakes的画面，于是就决定用书上的idea做了一组12个蝴蝶小蛋糕。青和粉红为底色是主人家的要求，蝴蝶是到文具点里买到的。 从来没有想过要买蝴蝶，原先正想去那里扑那12只蝴蝶。。后来才发现原来店里卖了很多形形色色的蝴蝶，幸好蝴蝶不难扑到。

可惜没能在天黑之前把蛋糕完成，所以当我完全牢牢的把12 只蝴蝶绑稳时天色已经昏暗，所以有些照片是偏黄的。

希望小Beth喜欢auntie Helena给她打造的蝴蝶生日小蛋糕。也祝她生日快乐快高长大，身体健康。

Magical Butterfly Cupcakes

cake ingredients:(makes 12)

125g butter softened

165g caster sugar (superfine)sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs
185g plain flour, sifted

1tsp baking powder
125ml milk

store bough ready to roll fondant icing

store bought butterflies

Vanilla Butter Icing

125g butter

160g icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160C. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer and beat for 8-10 minutes or until pale and creamy.

2. Gradually add in eggs, beating well after each addition, until just combined.

3. Add the flour, baking powder and milk and beat until just combine..

4. Spoon mixture into 12 x ½ cup capacity muffin tins lined with paper cases and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to stand in the pan for 5 minutes and move to wire rack to cool.

5. To make vanilla icing, place the butter in an electric mixer and beat for 5-6 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the icing sugar and vanilla and beat for further 10-15 minutes or until pale and creamy.

6. Using a palette knife to spread the cupcakes with the icing.

7. Tint the fondant icing with preferred colour. Roll out fondant icing between 2 sheets of baking paper to 2 mm thick. Cut into 7cm diameter round shape to c top the iced cupcakes.

8. Decorate with fondant mushrooms and butterflies.

Recipe adapted from: Donna Hay Kid’s Magazine, Annual 9, 2012, pg.74