Old Fashioned Patty Cakes Recipe

Patty Cakes are the Australian version of the little cupcakes your Nanna used to make.  With just a handful of basic ingredients, you can whip them up in no time and use them in so many different ways -think Jelly Cakes, Lamingtons, Butterfly Cakes....

If you were an Aussie kid growing up in the 70's and 80's, you'll remember these Patty Cakes that your Mum or Grandma used to make.  They were a staple at kids' birthday parties, in school lunchboxes and at every family get together.  And there's a reason why -they're budget friendly, using simple ingredients, they're a simple vanilla cake that is the foundation of so many other cakes and it's just the easiest vanilla cupcake recipe that comes together in no time, using just an electric hand mixer (or, back when I was a kid, a rotary hand mixer!)

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• It makes the best vanilla cupcakes -the one's your Nanna used to make
• It's a great base to create so many different cakes
• There's no fancy ingredients
• No fancy equipment -just an electric hand mixer
• There’s so many ways to flavour it and so many ways to use it
• It’s a great foundation recipe that everyone needs

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter to give richness to the cupcakes
• Caster sugar or superfine sugar for sweetness
• Whole eggs to give structure and flavour to the cakes
• Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for the ultimate flavour
• Whole milk rather than skim milk, for a richer cupcake
• Self-raising flour rather than all purpose flour means no need to add baking powder -the rising agent is already in the flour

Substitutions and Additions

• Vanilla -if you're not a fan of vanilla (first of all, who are you?), you can leave it out.  My sister gave me this recipe from when we were kids, and she never actually uses vanilla (I don't know how we're related!)
• Citrus -swap out the vanilla for fresh lemon, lime or orange zest.  The easiest way to get the most flavour out of your zest is to rub it into your caster sugar before creaming it with the room temperature butter.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Place the caster sugar and room temperature butter in a large bowl
2. Using an electric hand mixer, beat on low speed until it starts to combine, then increase the speed to medium for about 2 minutes
3. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix again on low, then medium until well combined.  Don't forget to scrape the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, to ensure everything mixes in well
4. Stop the mixer, then add the self-raising flour and the milk (unpopular opinion, I know, but that's how we did it as kids and it worked!). With the mixer on low, start mixing everything until it's almost combined.  Stop and finish mixing with you spatula to avoid over mixing the cake batter.
5. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the batter, popping it into the cupcake liners
6. Bake at 180 celsius or 350 fahrenheit for 15-18 minutes, until golden.  Check the cakes with a cake skewer, then remove from the oven
7. Allow to cool in the tin, before transferring your patty cakes to a cooling rack
8. Once cool, decorate as desired

Tips and Tricks

• Use a large ice cream scoop to scoop out the cake batter, scraping it along the side of the bowl to get the right amount.
• Avoid over mixing the batter by finishing the mixing off by hand
• We always used (patty cake tins -they are more shallow than a regular cupcake or muffin tin.  If you don't have patty tins, just use the cupcake tin you do have.
• Bake time can vary, just as all ovens can vary.  Keep an eye on your Patty Cakes at 15 minutes, to see if they're done.

Serving Suggestions

• Keep it simple: top with my Easy Vanilla Bean Glaze and some sprinkles
• Jelly Cakes or Lamingtons: these cupcakes are so simple to make and can be easily turned into Jelly Cakes and Lamingtons
• Make Butterfly Cakes:  cut out a circle, pop in some jam and Chantilly cream, then make wings out of the circles (if you know, you know!)
• Decorate:  these Patty Cakes are a blank canvas and can be decorated with your favourite buttercream, Swiss Meringue Buttercream, Cream Cheese Frosting, or even my Nutella Frosting.  Use any of your favourite star tips to pipe mounds of frosting on your cupcakes, or simply spread a light swirl of Vanilla Bean Glaze
• Dessert:  turn them into a delicious dessert by topping with store bought ice cream and salted caramel, or try it with my French Vanilla Ice Cream and Homemade Salted Caramel

Storage

• Room temperature: they will keep for a few days, but best eaten in a day or 2
• Freezer:  you can freeze these cakes for up to 3 months.  I place 2 together, then wrap them in plastic wrap -great for school lunchboxes!

Did you try this recipe?  I’d love it if you could  take a minute to leave a review or share your photos on Instagram, tagging @apple.cake.annie