Easy vanilla cupcakes
By Lulu Grimes
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
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Prep:30 mins
Cook:15 mins
Plus cooling - Easy
Nutrition per serving
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kcal 291
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fat 17g
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saturates 10g
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carbs 32g
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sugars 25g
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fibre 0g
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protein 2g
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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
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.
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.
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.
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.
