These days, I’ve come to the point where I have quit buying recipe books. Not because of the economy (hell, good or bad economy, I must have my books). Not because I am running out of shelf space for all my recipe books, Flavours magazines and crochet/knit books.
I got fed-up coz sometimes recipes from books don’t turn out that great.
That’s why I always scout about for recipes especially tried-and-tested ones.
Last week, I was channel-surfing and chanced upon a repeat of Nigella Lawson’s show. Besides her incredibly sexy (buxomy) look, this woman can cook. And she makes it so easy that everyone wants to don an apron and be the domestic goddess.
She shared a cupcake recipe during that show and I jotted down the ingredients. This is a food processor recipe which means if you have one, it’s faster to make. I don’t so I have to go the usual way – use the electric mixer but even so, this cupcake recipe takes less than 20 minutes to mix up. (I know, I usually preheat my oven for 20 minutes and when the beeper rings, I’m usually done with my batter.)
This recipe makes 12 cup cakes.
Batter mixing time: 10 mins
Baking time per tray of 6 cup cakes: 15-20 mins at 160 degree Centigrade
Nigella Lawson’s Cup Cake Recipe
125 gm butter (I use Anchor)
125 gm sugar
125 gm plain flour (mixed with 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp milk (I use powdered milk mixed with some water)
12 cup cake casings
Optional – raisins, choc chips
First, cream butter and sugar. Make sure butter is soft so you spend less time creaming it. Once this mixture becomes fluffy and pale yellow, add in eggs, one at a time. Mix well (I use the electric mixer throughout). Then add vanilla essence. Add in half the flour. Then add some milk. Put in remaining flour and milk and mix on medium speed till all combined.
You can now add raisins or choc chips if you want or you can leave it plain (and make your own butter cream or frosting for the cup cakes).
Fill cup cake casings about 3/4 with batter each. The batter will be enough for 12 casings.
Bake in a 160 degree Centigrade oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer poked into the cake comes out clean. (Pre-heat oven for 20 minutes before you start mixing your cake batter)
That’s it! And I’ve baked these twice already and both times turned out well. They’re moist, not too sweet and with a rich buttery taste.
I am a cup cake monster…like Cookie Monster
If you want to make more, just double up the ingredients. Say if you want to make 24 cup cakes, then you need twice as much of everything (4 eggs, 250 gm butter, 250 flour, etc).
If you have a food processor, the method is the same. Put butter and sugar and whiz, then eggs, then vanilla then flour then milk and flour again.
More helpful recipe posts:
Best banana cake ever
Making bread tips
Or how to take the easy way out and order from a good baker
Hi Maya,
These cup cakes look sooo delicious. I love cup cakes, so does my family.
Cheers,
Marirama
Marirama — Great to know you. Try baking them and let me know?
Hey thansk for sharing this in such a easy to read way! I wish I have an oven but it won’t be long before I get my own house and MY OWN KICKASS OVEN! Lol! 🙂
Ju Ann — Yes, I was like you once. I didn’t have an oven so I went out to get a cheap one from Tesco. Don’t get the most expensive one coz you never know if the baking thing is a phase or a longterm love. Once you get the hang of baking, then you can consider buying the top of the range oven.
Hi Maya,
I tried the recipe too and it turned out great! Thanks for sharing the recipe 😀
p.s.: Love your writings 🙂
Wahida – thanks for the kind words. Yes, Nigella’s recipe is such a success right? Love the designs on your cupcakes too and of course their fabulous names.
Hi Maya, i found your blog and tried this cupcake yesterday. It was my first attempt in making cupcakes. It turned great & awesome! Thank you ..
Hi Atheena: Cool! It’s great that so many people who used the recipe found it easy and the results super delicious. Not thanks to me, but thanks to Nigella the fab domestic goddess.
Hey Maya, thank you so much for your lovely cupcakes recipe which you shared with us. It’s easy to bake and delicious. Since, you are into food, I want to share with you this blog which I have came across.. http://gregs1950.blogspot.com. This site sells very delicious and special home baked pies and cakes. So far, I have tried their salmon spinach pie and durian cake and it’s awesome! can’t believe I actually can find great food on the net..hehehe keep it up! cheers
Hi Cheryl! Thanks for your comments. Haha, it’s not my recipe but Nigella Lawson so I think we should all love her for her amazingly simple cupcakes. I have not been watching Nigella Bites for sometime now but each time I do, I love looking at her! She’s so voluptuous! And her recipes are just perfect for lazy cooks like me. I like fast and quick cakes. I checked out Gregs Blog…unfortunately they are in KL! Otherwise I would order the pies. Looks yummy. Come back soon!
Hi Maya,
Thanks for sharing this simple and yet yummy recipe:-)….My kids just loves them!
I am looking forward to trying your banana cake recipe too soon!
Hi Joyce! Great to know the recipe was a success. With the basic cupcake recipe you can modify by adding other goodies like choc chips, walnuts, etc if you like. Yup, yup, try the banana cake recipe. It’s a real winner!
it’s my first time making cupcakes and it turn out amazing.. haha.. im gonna start making those banana cake now..
Grace: Glad to hear of your success in making these cupcakes. 😉 Yup, try the banana cake recipe.
hai..maya .rasa seronok mencube resepi u .Sedap dan lazat. Kalau ada resepi yang best foward pd saya. terima kasih.
hi Maya, just brought Oven and Cake Mixer from my mums house .. she’s no longer into baking .. i’ll giv a try with ur cup cakes recipe from Nigella .. who knows frens and colleague willl like it .. may consider for part timer job then
Good luck! Based on people who have tried this recipe, it’s a sure winner!
tried it tonight and it turned out great with less effort. thanks for the recipes though it is nigella’s, but you review is really helpful.
thanks 🙂
Hi Wawa: Haha, thanks girl. I like your cakes too, the ones you feature on your blog. I’m not big on wilton or anything like that but I always look out for simple cakes!
Hi Maya, I would like to recommend my favourite Cream Cheese Muffin to you, http://www.hongkitchen.com/2009/03/cheese-muffin.html . It is easy to prepare as well ^^
hi maya..
i;m gonna try out this recipe today..hope it turn out well 🙂
btw,nice blog here..
Hi Ila – Yes, try and let me know how it turned out.
hi…ada tak resepi coca-cola cupcake?
Hi there: Nope, I don’t have this recipe. Will look out for it though. Interesting combination. I have heard of Coca Cola Chicken Wings before but not cupcakes.
i bake cupcake 3 times but all ‘hancur’…hehe..should blame myself…i x ikut sukatan…suka hati……i’ll try yours then….thanks…
hello maya…i bake cupcake 3 times but all ‘hancur’…hehe..should blame myself…i x ikut sukatan…suka hati……i’ll try yours then….thanks…
Sorry to hear that. Try with exact measurements and I am sure it will turn out great! Happy experimenting. I myself have used this recipe a few times now and so have independent testers (haha,see the long list of comments here) and it should be a fairly easy recipe with outstanding results.
hai maya…nak tanya, this recipe adakah cake itu akan grip the paper cup?…i mean i always fail when using paperliners di mana paperliners tu akan terbuka dan tak akan melekat pada kek…what about this recipe?
Hi Leen: Yes this cake will ‘grip’ the cupcake liner but it comes off easily when you peel it off after baking. Do try it and let me know.
Very delicious! Thanks for Cup Cake recipe. I will try it as soon as possible. I hope my daughter will enjoy this recipe. Thanks.
hi,i wanna try to make these lovely cupcake too. But i’m little confused about the ‘plain flour’. I can get those from supermarket is it? Can i use self raising flour too?? Please help. Thank alot
Jess – yes you can buy plain flour from the supermarket. It is usually sold as tepung gandum or wheat flour. If I am not wrong, you can substitute with self raising flour. If you do that, you can omit adding the baking powder and bicarbonate soda. Happy baking and please let us know the results of this recipe.
hi maya.. i just found your blog and i’m gonna try your simply delicious cup cake tomorrow. it’ll be my 1st own baked cupcakes.. just bought new oven n cake mixer.he3.. hope it’ll be successful..
Hi Rita: Yes do try it and let me know the results. 😉 Based on the good results everyone’s had here, I bet your cupcakes will be successful too.
hi… maya, just came across your blog while surfing for cup cake recipes…. sounds easy hope it will turn out well for me too!
Chrisya – I am sure it will. Let me know the results ya.
wow this is brilliant…will gv it a try tonight 🙂
Hi Rina – You have a great blog yourself! I liked your ubat barut recipe 😉 And I see you are as big a fan of sexy Nigella as I am. I love her raven black curls and I love the way she impishly smiles to the camera – kind of flirting! Let me know how the recipe turns out ya.
i came along this site as i was surfing for cupcake recipes, i am a humongous fan of the great nigella, i will try this recipe, hope it turns out good
As you can see from the comments here, this cupcake recipe is a sure winner. I have made it many times and each time, I go “Thank you Nigella!” It is a recipe that you will want to pass down to your kids. Cupcakes are a delight for adults and kids alike so I hope you have great success with it….. bon appetit!
hi… maya, just came across your blog while surfing for cup cake recipes…. too easy hope it will turn out well for me too…hehehe..wish me luck..
Hi Maya, thank God I have found your website.:-)
I have tried the recipe this morning and it turned out quite well. My family loves it alot and I got great comment from my FB frens too (altho by just looking at the muffin pic).
The texture of the muffin indeed soft and moist. But for me, it is a lil buttery taste but is ok, it taste superb with coffee:-)
Thanks again for posting the recipe. I have bookmark your blog, will revisit your blog very soon.
Hi Joanne: Glad you liked the recipe (actually it’s Nigella’s LOL). I love simple recipes with delicious results.
Maya, good day to you!
At least you posted her recipe here and once I google search it, the first link from Google was from you, hehe.
Me too, I love simple recipe, especially for a beginner in baking like me.
Hi Joanne: I consider myself an amateur baker too. I’m not too clever nor too patient with baking cookies so I tend to fall back on tried and tested (plus yummy) easy bakes like this one.
Hi Maya,
I am sure I still have a lot to learn from you. Keep posting yummy and SIMPLE (hehe) recipe. I will “stay tuned” on your blog.
Hi Joanne: Thank you! Your blog looks very interesting too. You’re such a considerate and thoughtful mummy to your daughter. She’s quite lucky to have you!
Hello Maya,
Ooo, you did visited my blog? Thank you so much!
Sorry I have yet to upload the photo of the cake and muffin, but will do that soon and inform you:-)
I love my family. Therefore, I will do my best to take care of my husband and my daughter.
Thanks for your lovely comment.
Hi Maya, how are u getting on?
Just to drop by and inform you that I have done a posting about the baking I have done recently.
Feel free to take a look and leave comment yea!
http://samydy.blogspot.com/2012/01/baking-mood.html
P/S:
I just make another round of Banana Cake. It turned out so nicely.
Thanks!
Hi Joanne: As you can see, I’ve been crazy busy with the new year. Hardly have time to blog. But I have some bread recipes which I want to share. Your comment came at the right time…prompt me to put those up ;-). Yup, the banana cake is turning out to be quite a keeper, isn’t it? Awww…thanks for mentioning me in your blog. I am just like you, a learner baker. My aunt and cousin and even my youngest sis are much better at baking pastries and cookies than I am (I have no patience for waiting for cookies to bake!). But through trial and error, we all learn…and blogging makes it much easier to share tips and recipes. Pass the recipes along!
Hi, i tried the recipe and it turn out really well. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
HI Ling Ling: You are welcome. It’s great to be able to share good food with other people. Have a good day and come back any time!
Fantastic recipe!!! Did not change anything in recipe. Tastes wonderful!! This is my new go-to chicken recipe! Thanks!!!
Thanks. But this is a cupcake recipe. Not sure where you got the chicken recipe from this?