Cupcakes, cupcakes everywhere...

This has been the week (or two!) of the cupcake. It all began with my daughter's birthday and what better way to introduce a little one to the concept of a birthday cake and the ritual of blowing out a candle, than with a single cupcake?! She loved it but of course no one ever makes just one cupcake, they're baked in batches of 12 and so there were lots for the adults to enjoy too.

These were made with a very simple classic sponge recipe although I have struggled to find self-raising flour over here and so I'm becoming quite adept at adding baking powder to plain flour. Of course, for these I also added cocoa powder and, having run out when it came to the icing, I used melted chocolate drops, butter and icing sugar. Yum!

Last weekend we went to a children's easter party and as we were asked to take along something sweet, I couldn't resist making another batch of cupcakes. This time they were baby cupcakes and to avoid making them too fiddly for little fingers, I used my mini silicone muffin moulds rather than paper cases. So as not to incur the wrath of the other mothers, I restricted the icing to a single butter icing rosette. Topped off with a bright coloured chocolate button. Festive and fun, the perfect recipe for a party in the April sunshine.

And then I got the email about International Cake Day!! This was an event put on by UN House here in Copenhagen to raise money for the Japan Emergency Relief Fund. I couldn't resist making more cupcakes and going along to taste the fruits of other labours all for a good cause.

I've never made anything for public consumption before and I have to admit being quite nervous as I baked and iced late into Tuesday evening. The creative process was both tiring and enjoyable but there was immense pleasure in seeing people tasting the cupcakes and clearly happy with the results. The cake day was a huge success and there was an incredible turnout, lots of cake consumed and money raised for a very worthy cause.

It's always fun to get together with people who share one's passions and I was truly inspired by the other cakes on display. I was like a child in a sweet shop - literally!!