Lemon Buttercream Cupcakes

If you’re wondering what the “NFFC” stands for, it stands for No Fuss Fudge Cake, which I blogged about early this year. To me, it’s the easiest, most versatile, adjustable, nicest tasting cake recipe I’ve ever come across. I got the recipe from a forum I belonged to a while ago and I have made it into so many different combinations. I’ve made cupcakes, muffins, bar cakes, ring cakes, sheet cake and even a Swiss Roll once. You can chop and change ingredients to make it into just about anything. In my original post, I had made it into a Black Forest Cherry Cake.

I was actually challenged by a girlfriend of mine, after I mentioned to her that I was craving a Lemon Meringue Cupcake. She suggested the good old NFFC and she’d know as she’s made just as many, if not more, different combinations than I have. I thought about the lemon meringue and remembered my husband doesn’t like it and I don’t think the kids would eat the lemon butter. I also am on the last of my apples that I got from the farmer a few months back. I made up some Spicy Apple & Walnut Muffins the other day and they

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turned out lovely and moist from the use of the apple puree so I decided to use apple puree again in the NFFC in place of the oil that’s in the cake.

Here’s the original recipe with my adjustments.

No Fuss Fudge Cake

1 and half cups plain flour

3 tablespoons cocoa (omitted)

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla (replaced with 1 tsp lemon essence)

1 tablespoon white vinegar

6 tablespoons oil (6 tbs apple puree/sauce) 

1 teaspoon bicarb soda

half teaspoon salt

zest of 1 lemon

 

Lemon Buttercream:

2 cups icing sugar

100gm butter, softened

juice of 1 lemon

 

For cake, heat oven to 180 deg C. Mix all ingredients together well and bake for approx 15-20 mins. For buttercream, mix ingredients together and spread or pipe on cakes.

 

Don’t get me wrong. I love traditional cake recipes, creaming butter and sugar together etc etc but when you’re time poor (as I always claim to be), this is such an unforgiving, quick, great recipe.

 

I’m linking up with Rhonda from over at Down to Earth today for her regular Friday feature, “On My Mind”. These cupcakes are on my mind today and I have enjoyed one for morning tea and lunch. Only made 12 so I’ve got to get in quick while I can!

Basic Crazy Cake

 

 

I’d been a member of Simple Savings for a while, a web site with handy hints to save money in all aspects of your life. I came across a thread in the member’s forum for a “No Fuss Fudge Cake” (also more commonly known as the “crazy” cake) and being a traditionalist with baking, didn’t think much of it at first but eventually gave it a try. It’s one of my most used recipes and favourite cake recipes. It’s so quick and easy and produces a gorgeous, moist cake. It’s so easy to adapt to a slice, brownie, bar cake, loaf, cupcakes, you name it.

This is the basic recipe as submitted by Annette Bennet on 7 September 2007.

 

No Fuss Fudge Cake

 

1 and half cups plain flour

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon white vinegar

6 tablespoons oil (I use canola)

1 teaspoon bicarb soda

half teaspoon salt

Turn oven to 180 C. Grease a 20cm tin well. Dust inside the tin with a little flour. Tap out excess. Put the flour, sugar, cocoa and water in a bowl. Add vanilla, vinegar, oil, baking soda and salt. Mix with beaters until smooth. (Mixture is runny.) Pour into the tin. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes then take out of tin. Ice with your favourite icing.

 

Tonight I made a Black Forest version, using the exact recipe above, except replaced the water with 1 cup of the liquid from the jar of sour cherries, 1 cup of sour cherries. I then split the cake and filled with whipped cream and topped with chocolate ganache (100gm melted dark chocolate and 100mls cream, warmed and mixed together). Very moist, very light and very quick.