Valentine's Day Fairy Cakes

Name: Valentine's Day Fairy Cakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 42 min
Ingredients: 100 g Softened butter; 100 g Caster sugar; 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract; 2 Small Eggs; 100 g Self-raising flour; 130 g Icing sugar; 1-2 Tablespoons Milk; ¼ Teaspoon Pink or red gel food colouring ((more as needed)); Few Tablespoons Heart-shaped sprinkles

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These Valentine's Day fairy cakes are easy to make and great for baking with kids. With simple ingredients and that classic glacé icing, these are so good that you'll want to make them over and over!

stack of pink valentine's day fairy cakes

When it comes to baking classic desserts, you just cannot beat a good old fairy cake. The soft and fluffy cake texture paired with the subtle vanilla flavour and simple glacé icing is just heavenly! Since it's February, I thought I'd give them a romantic twist and make Valentine's fairy cakes. I made the icing pink and used heart-shaped sprinkles and I'm so happy with how they turned out! I can't wait for you to try them yourself!

Ingredients

Butter: Soften your butter before you start baking to make it easier to mix in with the sugar. You can either leave it at room temperature for 1-2 hours or you can cut it into cubes and microwave it for 10 seconds. Just make sure not to melt it!
Caster sugar: Also known as superfine sugar, for sweetness.
Vanilla extract: Just a teaspoon for flavour. You can also add a small splash to your icing if you like.
Eggs: 3 medium eggs, to help the ingredients bind together and prevent crumbly fairy cakes.
Self-raising flour: Self-raising flour is a handy baking shortcut, giving both the structure and the rise we need in one go.
Icing sugar: To make that classic fairy cake icing.
Milk: You can mix milk, water or lemon juice with the icing sugar to make your icing, depending on your preference. Plant-based milk will also work.
Food colouring: Use pink or red food colouring in your icing to give it that romantic Valentine's touch. I recommend gel over liquid colouring as it's much more vibrant so you'll only need a small amount.
Heart-shaped cake sprinkles: These are the finishing touch that makes these fairy cakes look so special! If you can't find heart sprinkles, stars or simple hundreds and thousands would look just as lovely with the pink/red icing!

Equipment

Cupcake or muffin tin: I like to use a muffin tin to bake my cakes as the depth helps them to hold their shape better. This recipe makes 12 cakes so you'll need a tin that fits 12 cases.
Fairy cake cases: These smaller cases are ideal for dainty fairy cakes. If you can't find any, you can use regular-sized cupcake cases but you will only get 6 rather than 12.
Mixing bowls: One medium-sized bowl for the cake batter and another for the icing.
Utensils: A wooden spoon for mixing the cake batter and a teaspoon for mixing and spreading the icing.
Wire cooling rack: To prevent soggy-bottomed cakes!
Kitchen scale: Because this recipe uses quite small amounts, it's best to use a scale for measuring to ensure consistent results.

overhead image of fairy cakes with pink heart shaped valentines day sprinkles

How to make Valentine's Day Fairy Cakes

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 160°C (140°C for fan ovens) and line a cupcake or muffin tin with 12 fairy cake cases. Note that these are a lot smaller than cupcake cases so make sure you're using the correct type.

Step 2: In a medium-sized bowl, mix together 100g of softened butter and 100g of caster sugar. Once that's smooth, stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Step 3: Add 2 small eggs and 100g of self-raising flour to the bowl and mix well. You should end up with a smooth, thick cake batter.

Step 4: Divide the cake batter between your fairy cake cases and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick through the middle comes out clean. Let them sit in the tin for about 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 5: Once the fairy cakes are cool, prepare your icing by mixing 130g of icing sugar and 1-2 tablespoons of milk together until you get your desired consistency. Then stir in some pink or red food colouring, starting with a small amount and adding more as needed until you get your desired shade.

Step 6: Using a teaspoon, add a small amount of the icing onto each of your Valentine's Day fairy cakes and spread it out evenly.

Step 7: Lastly, add a few heart-shaped sprinkles on top of each cake while the icing is still wet then enjoy!

Top Tips

Use a deep cupcake tin or regular muffin tin to bake the fairy cakes. This will help them rise upwards in the oven rather than outwards.
For extra flavour, try adding a little freeze-dried strawberry powder to your icing.
For an extra vibrant fairy cake, you can add pink or red food colouring to the cupcake mixture too.
If you'd like to try a chocolate version, swap 2 tablespoons of the flour for cocoa powder.

FAQs

Can I use margarine instead of butter in this fairy cake recipe?

Yes, either is fine. Margarine or baking spread will give the fairy cakes a slightly softer crumb but in my opinion, butter will give them the best flavour.

Can I use plain flour instead of self-raising flour?

Yes, you can but you'll need to add 1 teaspoon of baking powder to the recipe separately. This ensures they'll still rise to be nice and fluffy.

How long will Valentine's fairy cakes last for?

They will last for up to 5 days. Make sure to keep them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place such as your kitchen cupboard.

Can I freeze them?

Yes, fairy cakes can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Alternatively, you can freeze them on a baking tray until solid and then pop them into freezer bags. Pre-freezing them will prevent them from sticking together in the freezer, meaning you can take out only what you need.

More Valentine's Day desserts:

I hope you like these Valentine's Day fairy cakes. If you make them at home, please leave a comment and rating below to let me know how it goes. Enjoy!