* We sometimes use affiliate links, so we may receive a commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Check our disclosure for more info.
If a fairy were to bake a cake, she might create something like these British fairy cakes. Super cute and very yummy!
British Fairy Cakes
Fairy cakes were a staple British birthday party food at children’s parties. Sometimes called Butterfly Cakes thanks to the divided top that resembles fairy wings, super popular in the 1970’s and Mom’s all across the UK made a plate of them for parties and school Summer fates.
Ahhh yes, the British fairy cake. Fond memories.
These days muffins and cupcakes are more popular, fairy cakes seem a little quaint and old fashioned but you still see them occasionally. Me? I still love them! Plus when my kids were little they thought they were fun to make and being small, they’re perfect for little hands to hold!
If your Mom wasn’t the baking type every supermarket across the country sold boxes of pre-made fairy cake batter, you’d add an egg and a little milk and hey presto….Fairy cakes! If you were really lucky you’d get a rice paper printed topper with your favorite characters on them. Yep, My Little Pony, I’m thinking of you!
In fact, you can still buy these boxes in just about every store but they’ve been upgraded to Muffins or Cupcakes although I’m happy to confirm they still come with your favorite character toppers :)
Anyway this is a recipe to bake your own very traditional, very British fairy cakes, they’re super cute even if they are a bit smaller!
Grab the FREE 7 Day Clean Eating Challenge Pack & Take The Kids Diet From Zero To HERO!
Grab the FREE 18 Meal Ideas CHEAT SHEET Here!Clean Eating Fairy Cakes
Since I’m a Clean eating Mom, naturally I’ve Cleaned these up a little. I’ve kept the plain Vanilla sponge as the base, but I’m not going to be using icing sugar nor buttercream to top the fairy cakes. I’m instead using fresh heavy whipped cream to create a base for the wings to sit in.
Grab the FREE 7 Day Clean Eating Challenge Pack & Take The Kids Diet From Zero To HERO!
Instead of using regular white caster sugar I’m using 100% pure Maple syrup and apart from the cream frosting, that’s the only change I’m making. Traditional fairy cakes, here we come!
They look every bit as cute as the regular version and are every bit as yummy! I’m just leaving out the nasties, that’s all!
More Clean Eating Cakes
- Clean eating birthday cake
- Easy clementine cake
- Fresh orange loaf cake
- Clean eating Christmas cake
- Healthy blueberry cake
- Upside down pineapple cake
What’s A Fairy Cake?
The (somewhat disappointing!) Fairy Cake reality is that they’re made from exactly the same batter as muffins and cupcakes: It’s the size the sets them apart, as well as their butterfly fairy wings! The paper fairy cake paper liners used to make fairy cakes are much smaller than regular muffins, and they tend not to have quite so much frosting as cupcakes.
Traditionally the topping would be a thin layer of icing sugar on top of a plain vanilla sponge cake with the wings sitting in the icing. And if it was a really special occasion there would be some sprinkles thrown on top! As the years went by they became more elaborate with coloured sponge cakes and fancier toppers.
Fairy Cake Cases
Fairy cake paper case sizes are not widely available in the US. As a general guide their size is a 45mm base x 25mm deep, so they’re pretty shallow and far smaller than a muffin. These smaller size muffin papers are pretty much the same as you’d be able to get widely in the UK.
Fairy Cake Baking Pan
Since fairy cakes are shallower than muffins, you can either use a muffin tin dedicated to the job or use your regular one. I wouldn’t buy one especially, just use a knife to ‘lift’ the fairy cakes out of the pan as the papers will sink lower than the top of the tin. If that makes sense!
Grab the FREE 7 Day Clean Eating Challenge Pack & Take The Kids Diet From Zero To HERO!
What’s the Difference Between A Fairy Cake and A Muffin?
The size and the frosting is what sets Fairy cakes and muffins apart. Muffins are often not frosted at all and you get loads of savoury muffins and cupcakes are generally frosted, with liberal amounts fo frosting and are also far bigger.
And that’s it. They’re just smaller!
Storing Fairy Cakes
Since this recipe used fresh cream to top the cakes, they need to be stored in the fridge to keep the cream from going bad. This means that the cakes will dry out quicker than they usually would. I make these cakes when we’re going to be eating them not long after!
You can make the cakes ahead of time and then store them in an airtight container in a cupboard for up to 3 days and then add the whipped cream and make the wings just before you want to eat them!
How To Make British Fairy Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Flour I used white Buckwheat flour
- ½ Cup Butter Softened so you can beat it
- ¼ Cup Maple syrup 100% pure
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla paste Or vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ½ Cup Heavy cream For topping the cakes
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 190c or 375f and line a baking pan with your paper liners
- In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter and maple syrup and using electric beaters, whisk until they’re combined and fluffy. The butter should become paler as you beat it
- Crack the egg and vanilla paste in the butter and syrup mixture and beat again for 30 seconds or so
- Sieve the flour and baking powder into the wet ingredients and use a wooden spoon to gently combine, making sure not to over-mix the batter
- Divide the fairy cake batter between your paper liners and bake for 12 minutes until they’re golden brown and skewer inserted into the middle of one comes out clean
- Cool on a wire rack until cold
- In another bowl, whip your cream. Pop it into the fridge if your fairy cakes are not fully cooled. They need to be room temperature before you can make the fairy wings!
- Once the cakes are cold, use a very sharp knife to slice the top of the cake off in one piece, leaving you with a flat surface on the top of each cake. Repeat on all cakes, keeping the tops carefully in one piece!
- Cut each top on half
- Add a little whipped cream to the top of each cake, around a heaped teaspoon full on each cake is enough
- Add the wings to the cakes by securing them in the cream
- Store in the refrigerator until you’re going to eat them!
British Fairy Cakes Recipe
British Fairy Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Flour I used white Buckwheat flour
- ½ Cup Butter Softened so you can beat it
- ¼ Cup Maple syrup 100% pure
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla paste Or vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ½ Cup Heavy cream For topping the cakes
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 190c or 375f and line a baking pan with your paper liners
- In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter and maple syrup and using electric beaters, whisk until they're combined and fluffy. The butter should become paler as you beat it
- Crack the egg and vanilla paste in the butter and syrup mixture and beat again for 30 seconds or so
- Sieve the flour and baking powder into the wet ingredients and use a wooden spoon to gently combine, making sure not to over-mix the batter
- Divide the fairy cake batter between your paper liners and bake for 12 minutes until they're golden brown and skewer inserted into the middle of one comes out clean
- Cool on a wire rack until cold
- In another bowl, whip your cream. Pop it into the fridge if your fairy cakes are not fully cooled. They need to be room temperature before you can make the fairy wings!
- Once the cakes are cold, use a very sharp knife to slice the top of the cake off in one piece, leaving you with a flat surface on the top of each cake. Repeat on all cakes, keeping the tops carefully in one piece!
- Cut each top on half
- Add a little whipped cream to the top of each cake, around a heaped teaspoon full on each cake is enough
- Add the wings to the cakes by securing them in the cream
- Store in the refrigerator until you're going to eat them!
