Muffins are among the most delicious and versatile cakes that you can make. These are light, fluffy cakes that are shaped similarly to a cupcake (though usually larger) and that provide a delicious combination of dry texture and moist flavouring.
While there are many different recipes, toppings, and flavorings, most of them are designed to be somewhat moist so as to allow the flavor to be absorbed and to travel through the muffin. Add in some big pieces of sugar on top, and you have an amazing taste and texture that becomes incredibly moreish.
These are among the most comforting cakes out there – perfect for when you get home after a rough day in the office, or to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee while you’re out having a brisk walk. When they’re fresh from the oven they’re especially warming and gooey, though they can also be eaten nicely cold. Even the smell of the muffins is incredibly enticing – just like homemade bread it is a welcoming and homing sensation.
What’s more is that muffins are so incredibly versatile and easy. From just a few simple ingredients you’ll have your basic ‘plain muffin’. And from there, you’ll be able to play around with the variables in order to make a huge range of different amazing flavors.
And on one final note, this is also what makes muffins such a favorite among cafes, coffee shops, and other businesses. Being affordable and easy to make, they can nevertheless be sold in a number of different formats.
With all that said then, let’s dive in and take a look at some of the most heavenly muffin recipes around.
1 Basic Plain Muffin
Our first ‘heavenly’ muffin recipe is this basic plain muffin. Sure, the words ‘basic’ and ‘plain’ might not be things you usually associate with ‘heavenly’, but the point is that even the most basic muffin is going to be light, fluffy, and just a little sweet.
Moreover, by starting with these first few basic recipes, you’ll then have an excellent starting point to build off of so that you can begin adding interesting extras.
The basic plain muffin recipe then is going to require:
- 2 medium eggs
- 125ml vegetable oil
- 250ml milk
- 250g golden caster sugar
- 400g self-raising flour
- Pinch of salt
As for the method, you are going to first beat the two eggs, then add the vegetable oil and milk. Continue beating to combine and then add the sugar and whisk. You should be left with a nice smooth batter.
Now sift in 400g of self-raising flour, a pinch of salt, and mix until smooth. Tip: don’t overmix the mixture as it can otherwise leave you with tough and dried out muffins. No one wants that!
Now just place your muffins in their cases and bake for 20-25 minutes.
This is a completely plain muffin, so try adding just a little bit of vanilla extract if you want. Either way, the subtle sweetness is still very tasty.