Easy vanilla cupcakes

Rustle up a batch of vanilla cupcakes with pretty butter icing for a family picnic or weekend treat. Decorate them with fruit or sprinkles, if you like

  • Prep:30 mins
    Cook:15 mins
    Plus cooling
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 291
  • fat 17g
  • saturates 10g
  • carbs 32g
  • sugars 25g
  • fibre 0g
  • protein 2g
  • salt 0.5g

Ingredients

  • 110g butter, softened
  • 110g golden caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 110g self-raising flour
  • 1-2 tbsp milk, plus a little extra for the icing
  • 125g butter, softened
  • 185g icing sugar

Method

  1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line 12 holes in a shallow muffin tin with cupcake cases (not muffin cases). Cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat the eggs and vanilla in a jug, then beat into the butter mixture a little at a time.

  2. Fold the flour into the mixture along with a little milk – the mixture should fall easily off a spoon. Divide the mixture between the cases, filling each one no more than half full.

  3. Cook the cakes for 12-15 mins – they should be firm to the touch and slightly golden brown. Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then lift them out gently and leave to cool completely.

  4. To make the icing, beat the butter until it is very soft. Beat in the icing sugar a little at a time, then beat in a splash of the milk as you need to give you a soft icing that can be piped easily. Scrape the icing into an icing bag fitted with a star nozzle. Ice the cakes in swirls, starting in the centre and working outwards.

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