Butterfly Cakes Recipe

4.84 from 6 votes

Butterfly Cakes, filled with cream and a little jam, are a classic retro treat. These pretty winged creations take the humble cupcake to new heights.

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Total Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Australian, British

Servings: cakes

Calories: 376kcal

Author: Libby Hakim

Equipment

cupcake tins
patty pans (paper liners for cupcake tins) (You can't beat the plain and simple white patty pans for butterfly cakes)

Ingredients

Patty cakes

125 grams butter
215 grams caster sugar / superfine sugar (1 cup)
3 eggs, lightly beaten (60 grams each)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250 grams plain flour / all purpose flour (2 cups)
2 teaspoons baking powder
⅓ cup milk (85ml)

Mock Cream

115 grams caster sugar / superfine sugar (½ cup)
⅓ cup water
225 grams unsalted butter
60 grams icing sugar / powdered sugar (½ cup)

Decorating

1-2 tablespoons raspberry or strawberry jam (optional)
1 tablespoon icing sugar / powdered sugar

Instructions

Patty cakes

Preheat oven to moderate (180 degrees celsius/355 degrees fahrenheit).
Line cupcake tins with 12-14 paper patty pans.
Beat the butter and sugar to a cream.
Add vanilla extract to butter and sugar mixture and beat again for one minute.
Add eggs to the mixture and beat again until mixture is smooth.
Sift half of the flour and baking powder into mixture and gently fold together until combined (use a spatula or wooden spoon).
Add half of the milk and stir into the mixture until combined.
Sift the remaining half of the flour and baking powder into mixture and gently fold together until combined (use a spatula or wooden spoon).
Stir through the remaining milk until the mixture forms a smooth batter.
Scoop the mixture into patty pans, distributing the mixture as evenly as possible between each patty pan. They should be half full. Depending on the precise size of the patty pan (they can vary slightly) by filling them half full you should have between 12 and 14 cakes.
Bake for 14-18 minutes (or until the cakes have a domed top and are firm to touch when you press the top of the cake before removing from the oven).
Allow to cool in the tins for 5-10 minutes before removing the cakes from the tin to cool completely on a wire rack.

Mock cream

Combine water and sugar over heat until sugar is dissolved. Simmer gently for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely to room temperature.
Whip butter to a cream using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, increasing sped from low to high.
Add sugar syrup to creamed butter very slowly while continuing to beat on low-medium speed.
Once sugar syrup is added, add icing sugar ⅓ at a time, beating on low-medium speed after each addition.

Assembling butterfly cakes

Cut a round circle in the top of each cupcake, leaving a little space at the edges and angling the knife towards the centre of the cupcake. You should be able to scoop out a dome/cone shaped piece of the cupcake once the circle is complete.
You can add a little dob of jam in the centre before piping mock cream into the centre of the cupcake. (Additionally or alternatively, add a dot of jam in between wings on top of cakes.)
Cut the cone-shaped piece of cake in half so you have two "wings" to sit on top of the mock cream. Refer to pictures in the post above for the angling of the wings.
Once you've added the wings to all of the cupcakes, place a dot of jam between the wings (if you're using jam to decorate the top of the cake) and dust lightly with icing sugar.

Video

Notes

TIP: Make the sugar syrup for the Mock Cream the day before you plan to make your cakes to ensure it has completely cooled before making the cream.

Q. How do I store these cupcakes?

Since they contain cream, store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Q. How long will they keep?

Your cakes are best eaten the day you make them, however they will keep for up to 3 days.

Nutrition