Butterfly Cupcakes
Butterfly cupcakes bring back so many happy memories for me. When I was a child a butterfly cake at a tea shop with my grandma was the absolute height of sophistication! My grandma is no longer with us, but I that my children would also find butterfly cupcakes absolutely magical.
Why This Recipe Works
- It's really easy, you don't need any fancy cupcake decorating tools to turn vanilla cupcakes into a gorgeous butterfly cakes
- They evoke lovely childhood memories for many people
- The simple combination of vanilla cake with whipped cream and jam is always delicious!
Super Insects
Countdown's Super Insect Collectibles is amazing! Have you seen it in-store?
This post is a sponsored post Countdown paid for the creation of this recipe, for it to appear on my website and for it to be shared on social media, but it is a campaign I was absolutely delighted to be part of as I really do love the Super Insects Collectibles because:
- Kids become excited about insects and learn about their role in biodiversity
- An easy way to show kids how we can make a positive contribution to New Zealand's environment
- It's helped my nervous around insect kiddos become more familiar and comfortable around insects!
- Oh, it's also plastic free! Which makes me happy
The ingredients you will need
To make butterfly cupcakes you will need a good vanilla cupcake recipe as a base, I've included a great basic on in the recipe card below. But feel free to use any cupcake recipe you like! If you have family members with any dietary requirements my new gluten-free vegan cupcakes (free from egg, dairy, wheat, gluten, and nuts) could be perfect.
And do you know what, you could totally use a packet cake as a base (Countdown's cake mixes are great, no weird taste and a great price too!)
Once you have your cupcakes sorted, all you then need to take them from plain cupcake to magical butterfly cupcakes is some cream, icing sugar and jam.
Cupcakes
- Bake and cool 12 vanilla cupcakes
Whip cream
- In a medium-sized bowl beat cream, icing sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
Assemble the Butterfly Cakes
- Using a sharp knife carefully cut out the centre of each cupcake, hold your knife at approximately a 45-degree angle this will mean you won't just remove. the top of the cupcake but you will also create a shallow well in the centre of the cupcake (photo 1). Set the piece of cupcake you have removed aside as this will become the wings
- Add a spoonful of jam to the well you have just made (photo 2).
- Top with the whipped cream. You can either pipe this or just dollop with a spoon (photo 3).
- Carefully cut the cupcake top you set aside in half to create two butterfly wings (photo 4.) Arrange on top of the whipped cream (photo 5.)
- Dust with icing sugar (photo 6.)
Butterfly Cupcakes
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Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 125 g butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- ½ cup caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup plain flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup milk 60ml
Butterfly Cupcakes
- 300 ml cream
- 2 tablespoon icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius (160°C fan-forced).
- Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases, spray the cupcake cases with oil
- In a large bowl place the butter, vanilla, and sugar, cream until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Sift flour and baking powder together. Fold half of the sifted flour into the creamed butter,
- Fold in the milk
- Fold in the remaining flour
- Spoon mixture evenly into the prepared tin.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until cakes springs back when lightly touched.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Once cool
- In a medium-sized bowl beat cream, icing sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
- Using a sharp knife carefully cut out the centre of each cupcake, hold your knife at approximately a 45-degree angle this will mean you won't just remove the top of the cupcake but you will also create a shallow well in the centre of the cupcake. Set the piece of cupcake you have removed aside as this will become the wings
- Add a spoonful of jam to the well you have just made
- Top with the whipped cream. You can either pipe this or just dollop with a spoon
- Carefully cut the cupcake top you set aside in half to create two butterfly wings
- Arrange on top of the whipped cream
- Dust with icing sugar
Video
Notes
- The recipe included makes a great basic vanilla cupcake if you require an allergy friendly alternative my gluten-free vegan cupcakes would work well
- I find the butterfly cupcakes look their best when you remove a relatively small piece from the centre of the cupcake to create the wings
- I like to spray my cupcake liners with olive oil as I find this means they come out of the cupcake liners nice and easily making them easier to eat.
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