This is an easy vanilla cupcake recipe we turn to for bake sales and school functions. It’s quick, easy and fairly foolproof. Get creative with the sprinkles or add a few drops of food colouring to brighten them up.
Recipe by: Emily Angle
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- • 200g unsalted butter, softened
- • 200g caster sugar
- • 3 eggs
- • 200g self-raising flour
- • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- • 2 tablespoons of milk
For the buttercream icing
- • 250g icing sugar
- • 125g unsalted butter, softened
- • 1½ teaspoons of vanilla extract
- • 1½ tablespoons of milk
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with 12 paper cases.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until the egg is completely incorporated into the batter before adding the next. Add a tablespoon of flour if the mixture curdles (starts to look grainy).
Mix in the vanilla extract and fold in the flour using a large metal spoon until no traces of flour are visible. Gently stir in the milk to loosen the mixture.
Spoon the mixture equally between the cases, about 55g each. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when the centre is pressed gently with a finger.
Remove from the oven and take the cupcakes out of the tin after about five minutes. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the buttercream icing, sift half the icing sugar into a bowl with the softened butter and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the remaining icing sugar then beat in the vanilla extract and milk.
Using a palette knife or spatula, spread about a tablespoon of icing onto each cupcake. This buttercream makes enough for a modest swirl if you want to use a piping bag.
