But the title of this post stands because… I really got some recipes from my car servicing centre this afternoon although I did get more than pissed. I got pissed because the people keep telling you to change this and that and when you get the bill for servicing your car, you almost die of a heart attack. The bill’s crazy. (But more of this later*…)

Most car service centres have ‘waiting lounges’ while your car gets its engine oil changed, or its air-conditioner cleaned. Sometimes I bring along my Asus netbook so I can hook up on the free wifi and reply emails during the 1 hour to 2 hour wait.

There’s the TV but who’s watching TV these days right? And the ice cream corner isn’t exactly what I like either. The magazines are rather old and most of them are Malay magazines.

Today I’d planned to read my Pratchett but that didn’t happen. I saw Her World on the magazine rack and decided to poke about – I’ve never been a fan of this magazine (it reminds me too much of my mother’s era!). In fact, I’ve never been much of a local women’s magazine fan unless they’re passed to me by my sister after she’s finished clipping out contest forms!

But surprise. The magazine featured a few very simple cake recipes! Since I tote along my Canon Ixus everywhere and I was too lazy to start scribbling down the recipes, I decided to take some snaps of the recipes! The best thing about technology these days! No pen or paper? No problem. Have camera will travel!

In fact, the cakes were pretty interesting plus they had basic and simple ingredients – Apple Cake with Pine Nuts, Chocolate Raisin Cake, Lemon Almond Cake and Banana Cake.

Here’s one of them:

This is the second part – where the ingredients are listed:

And finally part 3 where the instructions are:

I’m going to try them out soon! Wait for the results.

(* Oh ya, never let the car service people tell you what YOU ought to change/replace in your car even though it is ‘recommended’ to do so. If you don’t feel you ought to simply change and replace parts of your car, tell them you don’t need the change. We don’t need to be bullied into paying hundreds of ringgit just because someone tells us it’s needed. As a consumer, you decide what you want. Don’t let others make decisions for you.)

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.

Nigella Lawson's super simple cup cake recipe

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