Giant Cupcake

I have had one of those giant cupcake silicone moulds for a while now yet have never gotten round to trying it.  Well this weekend was the weekend for it.....OH's family were visiting us from the States and were here from Friday until Monday and as it was Lucy's (youngest niece) birthday on Wednesday, I decided I was going to make her the giant cupcake as a surprise cake.

She unwittingly helped me make her own cake as she was hanging around the kitchen whilst I was baking .....so she chose the icing colour, the flowers, where to put them etc all the while me telling her it was an order for someone else's birthday (cruel aunt!!) so it was nice to see her face when we brought the cake out and she realised it was for her and that she'd help to do it.

It was a basic vanilla sponge and took about 1 & 1/2 hours to bake.  I expected it to take longer and I suppose for the sponge to be a bit denser but I have to say it was a bit tricky getting it out of the mould.  I would suggest you grease it well to help it.  I had sprayed it with my usual spray that I use when doing ordinary cakes, but I think it could have done with a thicker covering of it.

I also got to try our my new flower cutter / mould which I have got for wedding cupcakes.  It was quite expensive for a cutter....£9......FOR ONE CUTTER!!! But it came with the mould and the flowers are lovely once done.  I think I will get my money's worth from it.

I ordered the giant cupcake box on-line and I think it made it look really special when done and even though they were damn expensive for a box, they are worth it for a special occasion and if you look after the box it should last a while (these boxes will definitely have to be returned in good order if someone wants one of these doing!!).  So all in all, it was a success!  I am thinking of doing one for Niece Chloe for her birthday next week in fact

Ingredients
360g plain flour
1 tablespoon baking power
360g butter, softened
360g caster sugar
6 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream sugar and butter together until light, fluffy & pale in colour.  Add eggs, one at a time giving a good mix in between (if the mixture looks like its curdling, just add a spoonful of flour to the mix).  Once all eggs are in, slowly add the flour & baking powder.  Mix until combined.

Fill the tubs 3/4 way up

Place in oven at 180°C (I do 170°C as my oven is 'hot' fan oven)

Check after 1 hour.  If the top if browning too much, don't worry as you will invarably be cutting this bit off anyway to make the flat top.

once cooled, cover in buttercream or fondant...your choice.  I used buttercream, vanilla on top and chocolate on the bottom and i sandwiched the two halves of the cake together with buttercream and then decorated with sugarpaste flowers and glitter......Do not forget the glitter!

NB, the colours of the flowers were in fact much paler than the photographs suggest....they were white, lilac, hot pink & pink with lime green butterfly's

 the box had another 'cupcake window' that was on the top side of the box when shut so you could pear into the box

 Instagram picture