Mini Cake or Cupcakes

 Is your kid begging to bake a cake or cupcakes and you really don't want that much sugar around your house?

This recipe makes one 8 inch round cake or 12 regular cupcakes so you can get your sugar fix.

At my son's request, we made the cake chocolate with strawberry frosting, but I've also made this as a yellow cake with vanilla frosting too.

Cake Ingredients

1 1/3 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons cocoa powder (optional)

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter or oil

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cake Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. grease wither an 8x1 1/2 in round cake pan or place cupcake liners in a 12 cupcake pan.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and if desired cocoa powder, making sure there aren't any lumps. Make a well in the center and add milk, melted butter or oil, egg, and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients together well and then stir them into the dry ingredients.

3. Place in greased cake pan or cupcake pan. Bake a cake for 30 minutes or cupcakes for 14-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

4. When cool, frost with either the buttercream frosting or the creamy white frosting (recipes below).

Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

-- This recipe makes enough to generously frost tops and sides of 1 8 or 9 inch layer cake or 12 cupcakes.

6 tablespoons butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

2-3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons strawberry syrup (optional. If using, only add 1-2 tablespoons of milk).

Buttercream Frosting Instructions

1. In a large bowl, beat softened butter until smooth. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and beat and then add milk, vanilla, and if you're using it, strawberry syrup. Gradually add remaining sugar.

Creamy White Frosting Ingredients

-- This recipe makes enough to frost the top of an 8 or 9 inch layer cake or cupcakes when spread smoothly, rather than piped.

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons strawberry syrup (the kind you put on ice cream) (optional) 

2 cups powdered sugar

2-4 teaspoons milk

Creamy White Frosting Directions

1. With a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat together shortening, vanilla, strawberry syrup (if you're using it), and one cup of powdered sugar. Once combined, beat in the other cup of powdered sugar. Add milk if needed for consistency.

2. Frost cake or cupcakes once they are cooled.