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Close-up of fairy cakes on a baking tray.
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5 from 1 vote

Fairy Cakes

Fairy cakes have been delighting children at birthday parties for generations. They are quick & simple, cheap to make, not too large and simple decorated with water icing. In fact, iced fairy cakes are an ideal bake for children to get involved with.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Total Time48 minutes
Course: Baking, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: British, English
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 12
Calories: 230kcal

Equipment

  • 12 hole bun tins
  • 12-15 Paper fairy cake cases

Ingredients

  • 110 g Butter or baking margarine - room temperature
  • 110 g Caster sugar
  • 110 g Plain flour (all-purpose)
  • 2 Eggs large, free-range
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Decorations

  • 200 g Icing sugar
  • Water
  • Sweets or sprinkles of choice

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/ GM 6 and put 12-15 paper fairy cake cases into the cavities of several bun tins.
  • Cream the butter and sugar together, using electric beaters, until pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
  • Add the vanilla (if using) and 1 egg. Beat well.
  • Beat in 1 tablespoon of flour followed by the second egg.
  • Sieve the remaining flour and baking powder into the bowl and mix well.
  • Test the batter is not too stiff. It should have a soft dropping consistency. If not, mix in a tablespoon of milk to loosen it slightly.
  • Divide the batter between the paper cases. Aim to fill 12 and if there is batter left after this fill the extra 3 cases.
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes until well risen and golden.
  • Lift the paper cases out of the bun tin and let cool on a wire rack.

Decoration

  • Sieve the icing sugar and mix with enough water to form a fairly stiff icing that won’t just run off the cakes. (it's best to add 1-2 teaspoons of water initially, then continue to mix in additional water ¼ teaspoon at a time to avoid turning the icing too runny).
  • When the cakes are cold spoon some icing over each cake and decorate with sweets or sprinkles of choice.
  • Let set for 30 minutes then serve or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 293IU | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg