Cute as a cupcake!

Photo by Lana Joos

You must have picked up the cupcake hype by now. There are plenty of workshops if you want to get a guided start. Or you browse the Net to let the ideas sprout.

You will need a good cake recipe to start with. It is the base of your cupcake and it needs to be moist and full of flavor. There are tons of recipes out there, but to give you a little hand, I'll write down our favorite cupcake recipe. Visit the specialty shop to get fondant and some tools and you're ready to give it a try.

What do we need:

• 250 grams of flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 250 grams of butter, softened
• 200 grams of sugar
• 50 grams of runny honey
• a splash of vanilla extract
• 250 grams of eggs

What do we do:

• Preheat the oven on 180°C.
• Sift the flour with the baking powder over a bowl.
• Mix the butter with the sugar and the honey until all the sweetness has melted into the butter. Add the vanilla.
• Alternate adding eggs and flour and mix well in between. 
• Pour the dough into 20 muffin cups (paper or silicon, whatever you like the best). 
• Bake the cakes for 20 minutes and let them cool down.
• Use your imagination to decorate your cupcakes. Make a mixture of powdered sugar, egg white and a few drops of lemon juice to use as a glue. 
• Enjoy! And don't forget to mail me your pictures!

See this activity as a wonderful pastime. It's fun to involve your children. I haven't met any child who doesn't like to decorate cupcakes! Let your imagination go wild and admire the result before you indulge!

Photo by Eva Joos