The school are having a cake sale to raise funds so we obliged by creating these Children in Need Cupcakes. These are super easy for anyone to make, vanilla sponge cupcakes with a simple vanilla buttercream.
The kids are going into school dressed as teachers today to help raise money for Children in Need!
So proud of the school for supporting such a great Charity.
What is Children in Need?
They raise money throughout the year to help disadvantaged children and young people in the UK.
Every year in November, Children in Need has an appeal night where they run an evening full of entertainment.
Which involves celebrities making fools of themselves to help raise money.
See our step by step slide show below on how we made our cupcakes, full ingredients and cooking times can be found on the recipe card below.
How to make simple cupcakes?
Here is our favourite cupcake recipe, so simple & easy to make and guaranteed to make light fluffy cupcakes every time!
We always use Stork Margarine for cakes, it is so soft and makes light work of mixing the cake mix up.
We also highly recommend Two Chicks egg whites product! Saves you the hassle of separating the egg yourself and no wasted yolks!
We like to pipe the mixture into the cupcake cases to keep it neat, but a spoon will do the job!
Keep an eye on them in the oven and remove when a pale golden colour.
Whilst they are cooling you can make your buttercream.
To make the best buttercream use real Butter! I used a 6 star closed nozzle tip to pipe the buttercream on the cupcakes.
How to pipe buttercream on cupcakes?
Start from outside edge and follow around the case until you reach where you started and circle inside until you reach middle, then stop squeezing and pull away to leave a small peak! You can go build it up bigger if you wanted, but my two find it too sickly with too much icing!
Decorating Children in need cupcakes?
Sprinkle with your choice of decorations! We lucked out in with these cases we had already left from last year and the balls from Tesco!
Thanks to Pudsey for showing off the cupcake decorations we used Dr Oetker – Bright and Bold mix.
A perfect match!
How to store cupcakes with butter icing?
Butter icing will be fine stored at room temperature if made day/night ahead of cake sale.
However, if you make more than 1 day ahead they will need to be stored in the fridge to stop the butter icing from spoiling.
Well, it’s now gone past midnight, I had to get this blog on tonight!!! At least I get to sit down tomorrow evening to watch the Children in Need fun on TV?
That’s if I can stay awake?!!
Don’t forget to donate to this great cause if you can? https://www.donate.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/
Children in Need Cupcakes – Easy Vanilla Sponge and Buttercream
Equipment
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 300 g (2 Cups) Self Raising flour
- 140 g (1/2 cup) Butter we use Stork
- 360 g (1 1/2 cups) Caster Sugar
- 4 Egg Whites We use Two Chicks brand
- 250 ml (1 cup) milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Buttercream
- 200 g (1 cup) Butter
- 400 g (4 cups) Icing Sugar
- 1 tbsp Milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- sprinkles your choice, we used colours that represent children in need
Instructions
Vanilla Cupcakes- makes 24
- Preheat oven to fan 170°C (350F).In a large mixing bowl using an electric whisk on low, mix the butter and sugar together for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy
- Add egg whites and whisk for further 2 minutes
- Add the flour, milk and vanilla extract. Mix with a spoon at the start to prevent the whisk showering flour everywhere! Then use the whisk for 3 more minutes.
- Put cupcake liners in 2 x cupcake tin. We like to pipe them in to just above halfway. You can spoon them in if prefered.
- Bake in the oven for 15-18 mins they should have a pale golden colour when ready.Place on a cooling rack whilst you make the icing.
Simple Vanilla Buttercream
- Beat butter in mixing bowl using a whisk for 2 minutes
- Add icing sugar, stir with a spoon to start. Then once settled into butter, whisk for 5 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract, whisk for 2 minutes.
- Check the consistency of buttercream, add a table spoon at a time of more icing sugar if too runny, or milk if too firm.
Decorating- Make sure cakes are cool, or the icing will melt!!
- Start fro the outside and swirl in circles into the middle.
- Once you reach the middle pull up to leave a tip.
- Now sprinkle on the edible decorations
- Enjoy! Will be fine stored at room temperature if made night ahead of cake sale.If you make more than 1 day ahead they will need to be stored in the fridge (upto 3 days ahead)
Nutrition
Hope you enjoy your Children in Need Cupcakes?! Please pin and comment below letting us know how you got on!
Take a look at our other recipes for more inspiration
So cute and what a great cause, well done!
A great recipe for a great cause!
I love baking for a great cause! These cupcakes look so fun and festive!
Such a cute recipe and great cause!