In the “Ireland” section of Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia, Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire writes that “many children learn to bake by making fairy cakes (little buns) and gradually progress to sponge cakes, apple tarts and crumbles.” This is true!
Fairy cakes, or queen cakes, are very similar to cupcakes, and butterfly buns are a type of fairy cake. Advertised as such in Ireland since at least the 1890s, they are smaller and lighter, more like a sponge or genoise rather than a buttercake, although both use the creaming method for sugar and butter with the addition of eggs and flour. The traditional flavors are lemon, vanilla, and chocolate. Instead of loads of heavy, sugary butter or cream-cheese based frosting (Baker Mich Turner calls it “the wrong icing: great wodges of lurid buttercream”), fairy cakes are topped with light icing or sprinkles. Because they aren’t a mini cake unto itself, they’re often sold in packs and cases instead of individually.
Butterfly cakes, which have the middle scooped out and filled with jam (usually raspberry) before getting a dollop of cream and the signature “wings,” make many appearances at children’s birthday parties and will evoke that sense of nostalgia. They were also popular during Nollaig na mBan.
In earlier days, these most likely would have been bought from a local confectioner or baker. There were special exceptions:
“Butter or any other ingredients were never put in cakes except on certain occasions such as making buns.” Edward Kehoe, Coan, Co. Kilkenny (NFCS 0865:248).
Fairy Cake Recipe
From Darina Allen’s Irish Traditional Cooking – makes 12. You can add ⅓ cup of dried fruit, like sultanas or glacé cherries, if you like. To make this vegan, use plant-based butter or milk and flax eggs (1 tbs flax seed + 2 tbs water = 1 flax egg).
INGREDIENTS
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
2/3 cup superfine granulated sugar (whiz regular sugar in food processor if you can)
2 eggs
vanilla extract, orange or lemon zest
1 ¼ cups flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon milk or water
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°.C.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, extract or Zest gradually.
4. Stir in flour and baking powder, adding water and milk as necessary for a liquid batter. Spoon into greased muffin or cupcake tins and bake for about 20 minutes. Cool.
5. Cut tops off cakes and put to side.
6. Spoon jam into center and top with cream, icing or frosting.
7. Cut removed tops in two and place into the cream like butterfly wings.
cleite agus cnámh 