I don't know anyone who doesn't adore cupcakes and for kids, calling them Fairy Cakes just makes them all the more desirable. For me, a Fairy Cake would be light in color and bright in flavor, and if it were topped with what looked like little fairies that had alighted there for a rest, that would be perfect. Use butter frosting to top the treats.
What you'll need
- Cupcakes
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon extract, vanilla, orange or lemon
- 1 tablespoon citrus zest, orange, lemon, lime
- 1 cup milk
- 5 egg whites
- Toppings
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon extract -- vanilla, orange or lemon
- 4 1/2 to 5 cups powdered sugar
- 3 to 4 tablespoon milk
- 1 cup fruit-flavored O's cereal
- Colored sugar, several colors
Yields 24 cupcakes
How to make it
Preheat oven to 375° F, and line 24 muffin cups.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Beat butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl at medium speed for one minute. Add sugar and extract and continue beating until fluffy -- about 2 minutes.
Add flour mixture and milk to butter and sugar alternately until well blended.
Remove beaters and clean well before beating egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form.
Fold egg whites into cake mixture until well blended.
Divide evenly among muffin tins.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Frost each cupcake with Butter Frosting using a bag fitted with a large star tip or by spreading frosting onto each with a knife. Sprinkle each cupcake with colored sugar.
Top cupcakes with fruit flavored O's placing two together to form "wings."
Butter Frosting
Beat butter with an electric mixer for 1 minute.
Add extract and half of the powdered sugar. Beat until fluffy.
Add remaining powdered sugar alternately with milk until frosting is the consistency desired.
