Cupcakes are quick, easy and very adaptable, and looked great piled up for a kid’s birthday.

Makes 12

Ingredients

Cakes

• 125g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 125g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 125g self raising flour

Icing

• 200g icing sugar
• 3-4 tbsp hot water
• Optional: hundreds & thousands, chocolate sprinkles or any cake decoration

Method

Heat oven to 180°C

1. Line a 12 hole cupcake tin with paper cases and set aside
2. Mix butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon until pale and creamy
3. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well. Add the flour and stir until everything is well mixed in
4. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of the mixture into each paper case, then bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown and the cakes feel springy to touch. Cool on a wire rack
5. To make the icing, place the sugar in a bowl and add the water a tablespoon at a time (you may not need all the water). The icing should be the consistency of glue with no lumps
6. When the cakes have cooled a little dollop a heaped tablespoon of the icing on the centre of each cupcake. Spread the icing to the sides of the cake. Be fast as it will start to dry straight away! If you want to use cake decorations such as hundreds & thousands, silver balls, chocolate sprinkles etc now is the time to add them!

The cupcakes will keep for up to four days in a cake tin or freeze well un-iced.

Basic Variations

For chocolate add 1 tbsp of cocoa powder when you add the flour. Then add 1 tbsp of cocoa powder to the icing sugar for chocolate icing

For orange or lemon grate some of the fruit’s zest into the cake mixture and icing

For raspberry press a fresh or frozen raspberry into each cake before putting in the oven. Add a few drops of red food colouring to the icing.