Easy Sponge Cakes with Fondant Roses

Since the birth of my little daughter, it has become increasingly difficult to find the time to get creative in the kitchen. I thought it was difficult before, with a toddler helping me out (hanging off my skirt and licking the spoon mainly), but it is almost impossible with a newborn wearing the apron as well!
So I have been on the hunt for quick recipes, simple elegance without the fuss and time consuming detail. I love detail, I love having the time to add all the extras and get inventive, but being a mum of two babies makes that near impossible. So any mums in my boat, here's a winner.
These little rose sponge cupcakes are just gorgeous, drizzled in a little pink icing, topped with a pre-made fondant rose. If you want to know how to make your own fondant roses, they're quite simple, but you may want to make them when you have some time on your hands, when babies are solidly asleep and no one is around to need you, but the sugar in front of you. The good news is, if you don't have the time to model fondant flowers, you can readily purchase them at your local supermarket in the cooking section.
They make an elegant afternoon tea cake, these little sponges, but if you don't have any time at all, you can make it into a single cake (see notes below). Wedged with jam and cream in the middle and a little icing sugar sprinkled over the top, you have a sponge cake whipped up in under and hour (and 80% of that is cooking time!) Honestly, this only takes 5 minutes to prepare, then into the oven, cooling time and 5 minutes to whip up some cream for the centre. Easy peasy! and did I mention super soft and delicious?

EASY SPONGE CAKES WITH ROLLED FONDANT ROSES (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, April 2010)

 1 cup self raising flour
1 tsp cornflour
1 cup caster sugar
3 tbsp milk
2 tbsp melted butter
3x 60g eggs
finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup icing sugar
drop of red food colouring

Preheat the oven to 190C.
Grease and line a 12 hole cupcake pan with butter and paper cases or baking paper. Combine the flour and cornflour in a large bowl, then add sugar, milk, butter, eggs and zest and beat with teh electric mixer on high. Beat until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Fold the baking powder into this mixture.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin amongst the 12 holes. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden in colour and cooked through when tested with a skewer.
Leave to cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to complete the cooling process on a wire rack.
To make a thin icing, place the icing in a medium sized bowl. Add water until you achieve a desired consistency, then add the food colouring. Combine well until the colour is incorporated. Drizzle over cooled cupcakes and decorate with a rolled fondant rose.
Learn how to make Rolled Fondant Roses HERE.

Makes 12

NOTES: these cakes are best eaten on the day they are made, for maximum softness.
To make a whole sponge instead of 12 mini sponges, divide the batter between two greased and lined 20cm round tins. Bake at 190C for 18-20 minutes until golden and cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool on wire racks 5 minutes after removal from the oven, and wedge together with jam and whipped cream. To decorate the top, sprinkle a little icing sugar over the surface, add some berries to the centre if desired and serve.