ready for take-off
Butterfly cakes are a taste of my childhood. I thought they were the ultimate in luxury and sophistication. I used to bake for my three siblings and often made simple, iced fairy buns, but when I was feeling extravagant - or when there was enough margarine in the fridge - I would make these little dainties for us all.
Butterfly cakes are basic sponge cakes; I make both vanilla and chocolate versions. Once they have cooled, I slice off the tops, fill the hollow with the appropriate buttercream (nowadays I do use butter) then cut each top in two to make butterfly 'wings' and replace them at an angle to the cake's surface.
Today, in the interests of verisimilitude, I decided to sieve a little icing sugar on top for the butterflies' scales. I also added a little colour along the middle and, quite by accident, managed to recreate the three segments of a butterfly's thorax: the prothorax, the mesothorax and the metathorax. Who would ever have guessed you could learn so much about lepidoptery while baking for others? Unfortunately, the children didn't care so much about the natural history, but they are quite happy to be the next chapter in my family baking history.
***
And here's an aerial view of the whole squadron, all ready for take-off.
Oh those cakes look wonderful! I just found your site from Posie gets cozy and love it all! I can't wait to take a look at your new book, as it looks delightful. Raised by feminist parents, I have struggled my whole life with the balance of domesticity in any relationship and am so pleased to see people like yourself explain the meaning and grace of traditional domestic arts. Cheers!
Posted by: Sally | October 16, 2007 at 05:34 PM
Delicious looking cakes, i love making fairy cakes too and they never hang around for long! I love your scarf too its given me an idea for some wool i saw at the weekend.
Posted by: Jane | October 16, 2007 at 05:34 PM
I love butterfly buns!! There is a recipe in the Victoria (magazine's) Sweet Baking Book for the cakes to be filled with an orange marmalade cream. They are simply divine!! Yum. :)
I may have to make some this week.
Posted by: Karin | October 16, 2007 at 05:34 PM
Oh! My mum made these with lemon pudding as the filling when we were little. I'll take some with me when I go to see her on the weekend.
Posted by: Ingrid | October 16, 2007 at 05:57 PM
They are soooo cute and sound scrumptious! My little girl would LOVE those for her birthday!
By the way, I've *heard* of fairy cakes before, but what are they? (I'm American - I think that's why I don't know - maybe??)
Posted by: Margo | October 16, 2007 at 06:25 PM
Pretty and yummy. And hurray for butter!
Posted by: Nicole | October 16, 2007 at 06:36 PM
Pretty darn cute. Like the writer above, this American does not know what a fairy-cake is. Please fill us in. Thanks for another charming post.
Posted by: Kathy | October 16, 2007 at 06:36 PM
My Mummy used to make these for us when we were little. In fact it is pretty much the only baking I ever remember her doing!!
Looking forward to Saturday!!! Am dusting the crumbs out of The Book especially for you!
Posted by: Gemma | October 16, 2007 at 06:37 PM
I used to love butterfly cakes as a child, but rarely had them. Can you send one through the ether please? Thanks for the natural history lesson!
Posted by: Sue | October 16, 2007 at 06:38 PM
ooh I remember making these and icing patterns onto the wings :)
fairy cakes are baked like these and iced with a simple glace icing
Posted by: ysolda | October 16, 2007 at 06:43 PM
My mother used to make huge numbers of these for parties (she even did them for special events at school and would fill bakers' wooden trays). You've brought it all back, Jane!
Posted by: Karen | October 16, 2007 at 07:33 PM
oh yummy!! I so loved a butterfly cake when I was a wee one and this has inspired me to have my no-so-little-anymore-sis around for tea and some butterfly cakes. I also had a favourite dress when I was a child with a butterfly print on it. Butterflies are SO exciting and magical to little girls aren't they? Something about transformation and beauty. Thank you for reminding me of all of this.
Sarah xx
Posted by: Sarah | October 16, 2007 at 08:59 PM
My children don't seem to like it when I divert into explaining marginally related facts either.
As far as I know, fairy cakes and cupcakes are essentially the same. But butterfly cakes are sublime!
Posted by: Penny | October 16, 2007 at 09:50 PM
Butterfly cakes are the best. When we make them my children like to share them with our lovely neighbour - mainly because they come home laden with sweets in return!! I love the jelly bean bodies on yours xxx
Posted by: Lesley | October 16, 2007 at 10:37 PM
My mother makes THE best butterfly cakes , she makes them for all her grandchildren's birthdays. I have my own version of the chocolate ones, we call them blowflies, invented for my son's birthday when he thought butterflies were a bit girlie.They have a couple of blobs of green jelly for eyes. Yummo.
Posted by: littlejennywren | October 16, 2007 at 10:45 PM
These look scrumptious!
Posted by: Queen Bee | October 16, 2007 at 10:52 PM
Hum! que aspecto delicioso!
Posted by: elisabete | October 16, 2007 at 11:23 PM
Beautiful - I love the chocolate bejewelled version. My great-aunt used to make butterfly cakes when we visited her for afternoon tea, with whipped cream as the filling and of course dusted with icing sugar - fond memories!
Posted by: catherine | October 17, 2007 at 12:28 AM
Yummy! I like the simple design. I'll have to try these.
Posted by: bernie | October 17, 2007 at 01:30 AM
Mmmm..nice! Don't they look fab!...Butterfly cakes were a luxury fixture of birthday parties when i was little, along with staples such as chocolate crackles and "snags." They were all vanilla, whipped cream was the filling, with a bit of jam. We, too, thought they were the coolest!
Ah...gotta get some baking done.
Posted by: flygirl | October 17, 2007 at 02:17 AM
ooh, they look so yummy! love the jelly bean bodies too!
Posted by: driftwood | October 17, 2007 at 09:31 AM
Uhmmmmm!!! I have never seen these before... but they look so yummy!! :):)
Posted by: Tina Poulsen | October 17, 2007 at 10:27 AM
Such a good idea, I never thought of that. I used to make cupcakes with filling haven't done that in ages.
Posted by: Kathleen | October 17, 2007 at 02:28 PM
Your post has come at a perfect time as I have a request for a Butterfly Birthday party for my almost 6 year old. Perhaps white cakes with pink-tinted frosting...
Posted by: tara | October 17, 2007 at 02:51 PM
These are so brilliant in their simple elegance!
Are the recipes in your book?
Posted by: adrienne | October 17, 2007 at 02:52 PM