Cupcakes

Photo: Supplied

Ingredients

• 125 g (4½ oz) butter
• 125 g (4½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
• 125 g (4½ oz) self-raising (self-rising)
• flour
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons milk

Equipment

• 12 paper muffin cases
• 1 muffin tray
• kitchen scales and measures
• 2 medium bowls
• 1 sieve
• 1 wooden spoon or electric mixer
• 1 cup
• 1 metal tablespoon
• 2 teaspoons
• 1 wire rack

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
2. Place the paper cases in the muffin tray hollows.
3. Place the butter in a bowl and soften it if it is hard.* Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat together with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until smooth and well combined. This is called ‘creaming’.
4. Sift the flour into the other bowl.
5. Break one egg into a cup – if any eggshell falls in remove it. Add the egg to the butter mixture and beat well.
6. Stir a spoonful of the sifted flour into the butter mixture. Break the second egg into the cup, add to the butter mixture and beat well.
7. Add the rest of the flour and fold into the mixture with a metal spoon.
8. Add the milk and stir well.
9. Using 2 teaspoons, scoop and scrape the mixture evenly into the paper cases.
10. Bake the cupcakes in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes until their tops are golden in colour and they spring back when lightly touched.
11. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool for a few minutes, then take them out of the muffin tray and spread them on a wire rack to cool. If you want to ice them, wait until they are completely cold.