There is nothing more delicious looking than a vanilla cupcake, iced in white buttercream and topped with a flake. These were definitely my most popular cupcakes when I was making cakes. They look amazing, just like a “99” ice cream and taste delicious.
And why do we call an ice cream with a flake a 99?
Every cake maker has a different recipe for every different cake and a different way to make the cake. I prefer to go back to basics and make them as our Nana used to. You can make so many things from a simple vanilla cake mix.
My motto is keep it simple and keep it light and it is sure to delight.
Why Is The 99 Ice Cream Called The 99?
One of the nation’s favourite ice creams is the 99. But have you ever wondered why it is called so? It is basically an ice cream in a cone but with a flake in.
The real answer is: Nobody knows!
There are many theories out there, some plausible, some not, and some used for marketing by Cadburys and their product, but the exact truth may never be known,
The 99 ice cream has been around since the 1920s. So, those that say it was because it was always 99p originally can say it was a very very expensive item back then?
It was later, in 1930 that Cadbury made a short version of the flake especially for ice cream vendors. The 99 Flake. No it was not made 99mm long, our country didn’t use mm until decades later.
It is far fetched also to believe that the initials for ice cream IC is Roman numerals for 99. In fact IC isn’t 99 in Roman numerals, it’s XCIX.
Cadbury marketers may have you believe that in olden days the Italian monarch had 99 guards and showed a sign of class and luxury to a simple ice cream by adding a flake.
A common and maybe plausible case is made by the ancestors of an ice cream vendor in Edinburgh. It is said that in the 1920s he started putting cut Flakes in ice creams and when they were popular he named them after his shop number. 99 Portobello High St.
Let’s Bake
99 Style Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe
There is nothing more delicious looking than a vanilla cupcake, iced in white buttercream and topped with a flake.
10
servings30
minutes20
minutes240
kcalIngredients
- For the cupcakes
6 oz Self Raising Flour (sifted)
6 oz Caster sugar
6 oz Margarine
3 eggs (beaten)
1 tsp Vanilla Essence ( I always choose one with seeds in as it tastes more natural)
- For the icing
500 g Icing Sugar
250 g Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
- For the topping
Flakes chocolate bars cut in half
Directions
- Beat margarine and sugar together and then gradually mix in the eggs
- Add the vanilla essence and beat all together
- Fold in the flour
- Place the mixture in your cupcake cases and bake in the oven at 180 degrees (160 fan) for 20 minutes or until turning a golden brown colour
- You can check if your cupcakes are cooked properly by either using a cake skewer which should come out clean or gently pressing the top of the cupcake and if it bounces back and is lovely and spongy then it is cooked
- Leave the cakes to cool
- To make your icing, mix the icing sugar and butter together until white and creamy and add the vanilla essence
- Pipe onto your cakes once they are cooled. Pipe into a nice high spiral that looks like an ice cream
- Then top off the cakes with your flakes
