Cloud Cupcakes

I've never really understood the fuss about cupcakes.  Don't get me wrong, I think they're great and have made them before, but what's with all the extra fuss and hype?  What makes them better than a normal cake, or brownies, or cookies? These answers I cannot find but feel free to enlighten me.  

These cupcakes I made for a friends birthday. They are a simple vanilla cupcake with strawberry jam swirled through them. They are delicious. And the frosting? WOW! Its the first time I'd made frosting like this and had no idea what it would be like. AMAZING.  They were applauded by all.  I made the entire batch of frosting which was about twice as much as you really need. 

I'm also highlighting cupcakes in this weeks Sunday Baking.  Here are just some of the cupcakes seen around the blog world this week.

• Pioneer Woman Cooks (can you believe I have featured this blog yet?!) finishes off her cupcake series showing us how to decorate cupcakes with fondant
• Sammy W has some Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
• The Gourmet Foodie Blog gives us Kahlua Cupcakes
• And seeing as its Easter Sunday you can't leave out Chocolate Egg Stuffed Cupcakes from Life's Ambrosia
• I'm not sure about the name but they do look good, check out Deathcakes from Sweet and Saucy
• And what is a cupcake feature without How to Eat a Cupcake, this week sharing Milk Chocoalte Malt Ball Cupcakes

Cloud Cupcakes

From AWW Bake 

Ingredients

90g butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 cup self-raising flour

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons strawberry jam

Fluffy frosting

1 cup caster sugar

1/3 cup water

2 egg whites

food colouring

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases.

2. Beat butter, extract, sugar, eggs, flour and milk in small bowl with electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are combined. Increase speed to medium; beat until mixture is changed to a light colour.

3. Divide mixture among cases; smooth surface. Divide jam over tops of cakes; using a skewer swirl jam into cakes.

4. Bake cakes about 20 minutes. Turn cakes, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.

5. Make fluffy frosting. Spread frosting over cakes.

Fluffy Frosting

Stir sugar and water in a small saucepan over heat, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved. Boil, uncovered, without stirring about 5 minutes or until syrup reaches 116C /240F on a candy thermometre. Syrup should be thick but not coloured. Remove from heat, allow bubbles to subside.  Beat egg whites in a small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. While mixer is operating, add hot syrup in thin stream; beat on high speed about 10 minutes or until mixture is thick and cool.