Vintage "Fairy Cake" recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my fairy cakes not fluffy? ›

Why are my fairy cakes not rising? This could be down to a lack of raising agent - or even old self-raising flour where the raising agent has become less effective. It also could be because you beat the air out of the mixture when you added the flour. Quick and gentle is the key to perfectly risen fairy cakes.

Over mixing cake batter can result in a heavy, closed rubbery texture. Over mixing acts on the gluten in flour and will make cakes hard instead of the lovely soft spongy texture we associate with a good cake.

What is the difference between a fairy cake and a cupcake? Cupcakes are bigger than fairy cakes and use a generous amount of frosting on top. In comparison, fairy cakes are often drizzled with icing rather than piled high with the buttercream or cream cheese frostings that American-style cupcakes are famous for.

Assuming this happens with all your cake recipes, not just with a particular recipe, it's likely your oven and/or the placement of the oven racks. Electric ovens in particular are more likely produce cakes and cupcakes that are hard on the top. You might also have the oven rack too high in the oven.

The most crucial tip? Instead of buying an entire box of cake flour, simply incorporate two tablespoons of cornstarch into 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour. This blocks the formation of gluten in the flour, which produces a lighter, fluffier cake.

My cake has sunk in the middle.

There are three main reasons for this: a/ the oven door has been opened before the cake has set, b/ the cake didn't go in the oven as soon as the mixture was ready or c/ there's too much raising agent.

Tip: Don't Add Too Much Baking Powder/Soda

These rising agents create a chemical reaction which causes the cake to rise faster and fall flat, making them dense and eggy tasting. The same could happen if you don't add enough baking powder, as the cake might not rise enough, leading to that eggy taste.

Overcooking the Cake

If you are overcooking your cake, that may be the cause of the eggy smell.

A cupcake (AmE), fairy cake (BrE), or bun (IrE) is a small cake designed to serve one person, which may be baked in a small thin paper or aluminum cup. As with larger cakes, frosting and other cake decorations such as fruit and candy may be applied.

Fairy cakes are not, as their name might imply, themed cakes designed and decorated to the liking of fantasy and sci-fi fans. They are, simply stated, smaller versions of cupcakes. They're widely popular in the UK, and tend not to pile on the icing in the same way that American bakers do with cupcakes.

Is fairy cake American or British? ›

Fairy cakes may refer to: A British cupcake, typically of a smaller size than the American variety.

We don't want our fairy cakes to come out flat, so the raising affects of self-raising flour takes care of that. No other baking powder required either – these are only little cakes and don't need any more assistance to rise to the occaision.

Overmixing ingredients can create a dense batter that doesn't get that same airy rise. Mismeasured baking powder (too much or too little) may also give you a flat cake. Make sure you have just the right amount of this leavening agent to give your cake the right lift.

My cake is very dense.

This could be because a/ the cake mixture hasn't had enough air beaten into it, b/ the eggs were added too quickly and curdled or c/ there's not enough raising agent.

If you have too much flour in a recipe and not enough fat, like butter or oil, your cake is going to be dry and hard. For best results, I would encourage you to use a scale when baking, but if you don't have a scale, then just make sure you're using measuring cups correctly.