All the ingredients should be at room temperature before you start. You’ll get more reliable cakes if you use scales to measure by weight rather than volume in cups.
Ingredients (makes 12 fairy cakes, 8 muffin-sized cakes)
1 stick or 115g room temperature butter
½ cup or 115g sugar
2 eggs
1 cup or 115g flour
¼ tsp baking powder
1 tbsp milk
1 ½ cup cream
1 tsp sugar
½ cup fresh strawberries
3 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp sugar
- Pre heat the oven to 350 (180 C)
- Line the cake tin with paper cases
- Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy (takes about 5 mins – faster in a mixer or with an electric whisk)
- Whisk the eggs then add to the mixture a bit at a time until incorporated
- Sift the flour and baking powder together then stir in in a few batches
- Mix in the milk so that the batter is smooth and easy to drop into the cases
- Spoon into the cake cases and bake for about 15 mins until the cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. If you have a dodgy oven (like me) turn the tray half way through cooking to try to get a more even temperature
- Transfer to a rack to cool
- Dice the strawberries and mix with the balsamic vinegar and the sugar. Let them sit together for five minutes until the strawberries start to ooze their juice and form a syrupy sauce
- Whisk the cream with sugar until it forms soft peaks
- Once the cakes are cool, top with the cream, the strawberries and drizzle of the syrup
This recipe originally appeared with three easy recipe ideas for Valentines day.