BBC Good Food

• Baking For Pleasure

  28 October 2009, 12:43PM

  Baking For Pleasure

  Cupcakes and fairy cakes are both fiddly and take time to decorate. To be honest, although I do enjoy baking both and have a preference for fairy cakes purely because of my home equipment, I'd far rather have less faff and bake one big cake.

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• ErinB

  28 October 2009, 12:56PM

  ErinB

  The best thing about cupcakes (and fairy cakes, though I've never heard of them before) is that I don't have to do all the decorating. I bake the cakes and make the frosting, and then let the kids have at it. They enjoy decorating their cupcakes moments before eating them. Decorating becomes part of the meal!

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• Nicola

  28 October 2009, 1:08PM

  Nicola

  Yeah, I agree - they always look fantastic, but I manage to resist when out for a bit of cake, as I know they are not the best tasting of cakes. I'd rather have a slice from a big cake personally! But I'm sure they are versatile enough to be able to make mini versions of all my favourite cakes...perhaps I'll try!

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• Chris Brack

  28 October 2009, 4:19PM

  Chris Brack

  Cupcakes are the most over rated bun/cake eva......the icing is usually there to hide the fact that the sponge part is stale and the icing is usually layed on way to thick. So all you are tasting is icing sugar and stale sponge-disgusting. While I am on a rant regards over rated cakes-need I mention the dreaded brownie......

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• sioden

  28 October 2009, 5:56PM

  sioden

  Living in the US, cupcakes are everywhere. And waaaay too sweet for my liking. Actualy most ckaes here have at least an inch/inch and a half of frosting, and I just find it too much. Give me a nice sponge cake with apricot jam any day - yum!!

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• tanya

  29 October 2009, 10:52PM

  tanya

  I like cupcakes. They are nice and cute. They help me with keeping my portion small (just one at a time). I usually do them without frosting, simply using decorative paper cases and special serving plate. I'm not sure what is the difference between cupcakes and fairy cakes. Can anyone explain, please?

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• Barney

  30 October 2009, 10:24AM

  Barney

  I’m leaving myself open to be left with flour on my face but the way I understand it a fairy cake is a simple little sponge cake, which can differ slightly in the flavour added to the sponge, but is always a sponge base. Cupcakes on the other hand are basically any cake base you wish just baked in miniature and normally covered in what we call icing but our American friends would probably call frosting.

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• Caity

  30 October 2009, 12:09PM

  Caity

  What about butterfly cakes? I used to love those!

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• Barney

  30 October 2009, 1:16PM

  Barney

  Butterfly cakes are a fairy cake with the top cut off and cut in half and then stuck back onto the cake with a splodge of icing so they resemble (kind of) butterfly wings.

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• Mounses2

  2 November 2009, 11:12AM

  Mounses2

  I agree that they are over rated. They are so sweet and leave the back of your throat sticky from sugar. I like plain fairy cakes that you get at school bake sales and so on. With just plain icing or else jam and coconut like my mum used to let us make when we were small.

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• geoffers1

  6 November 2009, 3:47PM

  geoffers1

  I always thought that cup cakes were bigger than fairy cakes? Not quite muffin size but bigger than fairy cakes. I agree that they are usually overly sweet and gooey.

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• Doylee

  6 November 2009, 9:32PM

  Doylee

  They look gorgeous and whipping up a batch are fun and cheap! Im about to embark any minute now on a batch and am sooooooooooo excited about about using my new sprinklers and my new piping bag and nozzles. And yes it is friday night and yes Doylee doesn't have the most exciting of social events lined up this weekend..........

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• tigger

  9 December 2009, 8:34PM

  tigger

  Are cupcakes supposed to be sponge or muffin? The only ones I've bought have been too muffiny ie bit heavy - very nice sickly icing though!

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• fromBAtoParis

  3 January 2010, 9:44PM

  fromBAtoParis

  I think they are lovely to look at...I would eqt one, maximum, but that's all.... Gastronomically speaking, they don't exist....the sponge is usually bad because the over-sweet frosting is the only thing that stays in your mouth....

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• SUE

  7 February 2010, 4:23PM

  SUE

  My Mum used to make fairy cakes with chopped-up glace cherries in them Lovely!

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• megan catherine

  18 April 2010, 6:38PM

  megan catherine

  i have no idea what your talking about!!!! YOU MUST LOVE CUPCAKES OR, and i have to say it, YOU ARE A WIERDO!!!! also the cartoon ones are so cute!!! naaw! no offense, sincerely megzii moo

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• Gwenda

  1 June 2011, 10:38PM

  Gwenda

  How can you not like cupcakes???I make them all the time and it seems to me no-one has had the perfect experience!!I always whisk my eggwhites separately so that they are light and as for icing, good old buttercream every time or a thin layer of fondant to be decorated with whatever you fancy!!!I've just ound a new favourite made for a recent birthday, pink champagne with vanilla double cream topping it was gorgeous and the champagne made them light too!!!No disrespect to the fairy cakes which I also love but a cupcake is for the adults that want something perfectly indulgent whilst looking classy!!As for the best shop bought Fiona Cairns every time!!!

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