Classic Birthday Cake

It was my friends birthday this week so I decided to make her cupcakes for her! This recipe has the directions for a two layer cake, but since I made cupcakes I will give you both ways of doing it.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups (8 oz/250 g) sifted cake (soft-wheat) flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (6 oz/185 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
• 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz/330 g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup 98 fl oz/250 ml) buttermilk

For the Frosting:

• 4 oz (125 g) bitter sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 oz (60 g) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup (8 oz/250 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups (8 oz/ 250 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• A little decoration of some sort. (sprinkles, sugar candies, ect) Optional

Directions:

Gather ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease the bottoms of two 8- or 9-inch (20- or 30-cm) round cake pans lined with parchment paper. Lightly grease the paper and sides of pans with butter and dust with flour. Or line 2 cupcake (muffin) pans with cupcake wrappers, or grease each hole with butter. Cupcake wrappers never seem to want to stay in the pans.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Make sure you remember to sift the flour!

In another bowl, using the mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until smooth. Slowly add the granulated sugar  and continue beating until well blended and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until just blended. Beat in the vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 batches alternately with the butter milk in 2 batches, beating on low speed after each addition. You don't have to add the flour and butter milk in that perfectly, just alternate it when mixing it in.

Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans or cupcake pans, and spread evenly.

 Bake until a tooth pick is inserted into the center comes out clean, 25-35 minutes. Let cool on rack for 15 minutes. Run a small knife along the edges of each pan, or cupcake to loosen the cake, invert onto a rack and lift up the pans. Carefully peel off the parchment paper, then let cool completely before frosting. Or Remove the cupcakes from the pan and wait 15 minutes, plus the time it takes to make the frosting to frost. The cupcakes. The cupcakes should come out of the pan really easily, but some of them need to be helped out with a knife. They baked perfectly at 25 minutes.

To make the frosting combine the chocolates in the top of a double boiler. Set over barely simmering water and stir until melted.

Before

Let cool slightly. In a large bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter and the confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Beat in the corn syrup, vanilla and salt. Continue beating while gradually adding the chocolate. Beat until smooth. If your frosting is a little soft then you can put it in the fridge to help it firm up. 

Frost cupcakes, and put the little decorations (if you chose them) and then you are done! I chose a little Frankenstein candies for the top of them in spirit of Halloween.

My Experience:
Cupcakes are a recipe I am very familiar with. So this recipe was a breeze. Make sure your butter is softened, and mixed all the way before putting the batter in the pan, sometimes it doesn't mix all the way in, like it should. This cupcake recipe is one of the better ones I have tried out, the cupcakes taste wonderful!

Enjoy! xx