Small-Batch Baking: The Joy of the 8-Cupcake Recipe

There is a unique kind of comfort that comes from a house filled with the warm, sweet aroma of baking cake. But for many of us -- whether we are empty-nesters, cooking for a household of one, two, or three, or simply trying to be mindful of our budgets and our waistlines -- standard baking recipes can present a real dilemma. Most traditional cupcake recipes yield two dozen cakes. In a small household, that means one is staring at (and trying to resist) those leftover cupcakes day after day.  

One of the pillars of frugality in the kitchen is reducing food waste. To do that, there are times when scale is the difference between enjoying abundance and throwing away excess. Understanding the scale of our circumstances allows us to make exactly what we need to bring joy to the table without creating an accidental burden.

This is why I have completely embraced small-batch baking. Today I'm opening my recipe box and sharing a simple homestyle cupcake recipe that makes exactly eight perfectly golden cupcakes.

It is the ideal amount for a quiet Sunday dessert, a small gathering with friends, or a tiny celebration that leaves nothing behind but clean plates.

This past weekend my own family was celebrating something small. It was just the four of us, but I still wanted a celebratory dessert. I could have zipped over to the store and bought a small cake. But you know me, why spend several dollars on a cake when I can bake a handful of cupcakes from scratch for about $1 and change? 

Small Batch Golden Cupcakes (yield: 8)

There's no need to pull out the stand mixer for this recipe. A medium bowl and a mixing spoon will suffice.

1/4 cup butter or shortening, softened 
3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in 8 wells of a muffin pan.

In a medium-sized bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg, then vanilla. Stir in salt and baking powder. Gradually stir in the flour alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined after each addition. Beat for 2 minutes, occasionally scraping the side of the bowl.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops spring back when gently pressed with a finger. Remove from pan right after baking. Cool on wire rack before icing.

Icing

I make a simple cocoa powder buttercream frosting. No recipe -- I just add ingredients until it looks and tastes right. I believe I use about 2 tablespoons of butter in the frosting, if that gives you a starting point. I use butter, cocoa powder, salt, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.

Small-batch baking feels incredibly liberating. It allows us the sweet homemade treats that we crave while skipping the guilt of excess. It uses ordinary pantry ingredients, like a single egg, a splash of milk, and scoop of flour. There are no extra grocery trips required, no sink full of mixing bowls and beaters to wash, and zero thought on Monday morning as to what to do with a dozen leftover cupcakes. It reminds us that abundance doesn't mean huge portions. It means creating the perfectly-sized special moment for the life we are living right now.

If your household or its appetites have scaled down, how do you handle large-portion recipes? Do you bake and freeze part for another time? Do you share your surplus with friends and neighbors? Or do you prefer to work with small-batch recipes? There is no one right answer. A baking life can entail the use of several tactics to prevent waste.

The Accumulation Effect: Why I'm Focusing on Micro-Savings Instead of Massive Budget Moves

image: Katie Harp on Unsplash

Sometimes our lives are peppered with blockbuster money-savers. And other times there's nothing stunning about the way we are living out our frugal lifestyle. This week's frugal efforts have seemed less than engaging. Nonetheless, it's these run-of-the-mill activities that save our wallets the most. 

We need to be honest. There's likely just one or two ways any of us will save tens of thousands of dollars in one fell swoop. And there are only a handful of ways we can save one to five thousand dollars. But there are endless ways we can save a few dollars a pop.

In reflecting upon this past week, I really couldn't think of anything in particular that I'd done or accomplished that met the definition of frugality. I certainly didn't buy or sell real estate this past week. And I didn't buy a car or large appliance, nor did I DIY a fantastic project around the house. But what I did do kept us on our financial track. It wasn't a spendy week. In fact, as average of a week it was, I maintained my own values throughout. 

Here are some of my micro-savings for the week:

• I cooked all meals from scratch, and that in itself is a huge money-saver. 
• When my daughter had her wisdom teeth extracted on Wednesday, I cooked up a bunch of very soft foods for her. And we reused ice packs that we already had to minimize swelling in her face. I was her driver, and it was an early appointment. I could have driven through Starbucks and no one would have faulted me for wanting a drink to take into the waiting room. Instead, I packed up my breakfast smoothie into a small canning jar to sip while I worked on some things on my laptop.
• I used a timer for watering the garden, so I watered each area a precise amount and didn't waste water. To help compensate for the water I am using on the garden I took very brief showers each morning. And I saved produce rinsing water to pour over the potted plants on the deck.
• I made the most of our garden produce. Many of our meals focused on garden produce this week. For example, today's lunch was leftover scratch baked beans with a side of garlicky Swiss chard and a bowl of garden raspberries. I've also been freezing raspberries all week to use in smoothies this fall. I harvested a second batch of oregano and dried it for winter use. A few apples have been knocked off the trees. I picked them up, chopped them and froze to use in winter.
• We were running low on laundry detergent, and I didn't have plans to go to the grocery store for a few more days. So, I used about half of my normal amount, both stretching the detergent to last until I shopped and saving a little money in the process. Bonus-- I hung-dry part of the laundry on two clothes racks.
• The weather is pleasantly warm this week. While I was hot in the kitchen cooking dinner last night and tonight, instead of turning on the box fan, I opened windows on opposite walls to bring in some fresh air. It was just cooling enough for the day. Cross ventilation with open windows is free.
• All of our entertainment for the week happened right here at home and cost nothing. We watched movies for free with free streaming services and borrowed DVDs. We listened to the non-premium Spotify, the level that plays ads periodically and is restricted to shuffle play. We took walks on trails within our neighborhood, and enjoyed the beauty of summer in the garden and under the stars.
• I piggy-backed a prescription pick-up for my daughter at Walmart's pharmacy on Thursday onto my weekly shopping at Walmart, shopping strictly by a list. I took care of two errands at one time by delaying the grocery shopping by a couple of days until I would be able to get the prescription filled. I saved gas and time.

My week may have not had sensational frugal moments. However, I stayed the course. When you add the smoothie from home instead of a drive through, the water savings, the gas savings, the meals all cooked from scratch, and the free entertainment, these little choices become a steady stream. Sure it would have been great if I could have saved my family thousands of dollars this week. But frugality isn't just about drastic budget overhauls; it's about the nondescript micro-decisions that protect our time and our wallets. The small stuff really does add up.

I'd love to hear from you. What is one micro-saving habit or small frugality you practiced this week? Share in the comments.