Light vanilla cupcakes

• butter↗110g g

  softened

• golden sugar↗110g g
• eggs↗2
• vanilla extract↗1 tsp tsp
• self‑raising flour↗110g g
• milk↗1-2 tbsp tbsp

  plus a little extra for the icing

• butter↗125g g

  softened

• icing sugar↗185g g

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C/160 °C with convection/gas 4. Line a shallow 12‑hole muffin tin with paper cupcake liners (not for muffins). Beat the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. In a jug, whisk the eggs and vanilla, then gradually fold them into the butter mixture.

2. 2

   Gently fold the flour into the mixture together with a small amount of milk — the batter should easily fall off the spoon. Divide the batter into the liners, filling each no more than halfway.

3. 3

   Bake the cupcakes for 12–15 minutes — they should be firm to the touch and lightly golden‑brown. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then carefully remove them and let them cool completely.

4. 4

   To make the icing, beat the butter until it becomes very soft. Gradually add the icing sugar, then drizzle a drop of milk as needed to achieve a soft icing that can be piped easily with a pastry bag. Transfer the icing to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes in a spiral motion, starting from the centre and working outward to the edges.