Nigella's Easy Cup cake Recipe

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.

Nigella Lawson's super simple cup cake recipe
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