- 110g butter
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110g caster sugar
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2 eggs
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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110g self-raising flour
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1-2 tbsp milk
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140g butter
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280g icing sugar
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1-2 tbsp milk
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a few drops food colouring
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2 tbsp Cherry Essence
Preparation method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale. Beat in the eggs a little at a time and stir in the cherry essence.
- Fold in the flour using a large metal spoon, adding a little milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until they are half full.
- Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
- For the buttercream icing, beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
- Then add the remaining icing sugar with one tablespoon of the milk, adding more milk if necessary, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add the food colouring and mix until well combined. One can add the cherry essence or another flavour also for a new dimension given to the cupcake.
- Spoon the icing into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe the icing using a spiralling motion onto the cup cakes in a large swirl