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.