Try these spring-inspired cupcakes for a picnic, birthday party or just to brighten up your weekend! Recipe and design by Sophie Barton from Sophie Victoria Cupcakes in Hertfordshire. 
For the vanilla cupcakes (makes 12) 110g butter, softened 110g caster sugar 110g plain flour 2 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 free-range eggs For the vanilla buttercream 280g icing sugar 140g butter, softened 1-2 tbsp whole milk Green colouring gel For the decoration Sugarpaste Wax Rolling Pin Daisy Plungers (Small & Large) Blossom Plunger Cocktail Sticks Black Edible Food Paint & Brush Edible Glue CMC Pre-heat the oven to 190°C (Gas mark 5) and line a 12-hole muffin tin with brown paper cases. For the vanilla cupcakes
- Whisk together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt until smooth. Then add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth again.
- Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until well risen and springy to touch, then put on a wire rack to cool.
For the vanilla two-tone buttercream
- Sift the icing sugar and beat together with the butter and milk until smooth, then add some green food gel colouring and beat until the colour is mixed in.
- To get the two-tone effect icing dip a cocktail stick in the green gel colouring and make 3 lines inside the piping bag, then gently spoon in the frosting and pipe large swirls on top of the cupcakes.
For the decoration For the flowers – Firstly add a small amount of CMC to your white sugarpaste then roll onto a surface slightly dusted with icing sugar. Cut out some daisies using the large plunger (one per cupcake). Now use the small plunger for smaller daisies and put to one side (you will need these for the Bumble Bee). Now roll a small amount of yellow sugarpaste into a ball and gently flatten with your fingers, then using edible glue stick to the centre of the large daisies. Lastly roll out some sugarpaste (any colour you fancy, I have used pink, yellow, purple and blue) and use a small blossom plunger to create little flowers. 
For the bumble bee – Roll the yellow sugarpaste into a ball, mould into a bee shape and insert a cocktail stick into the base. Using the black edible paint and a brush, paint on the stripes and some eyes. Take the small daisies that you made in the previous step and break off the petals, using the edible glue attach 2 per bee for the wings. 
To assemble your cupcakes put the large daisy in the centre and insert the cocktail stick with the bumble bee on into the cake, lastly sprinkle the little flowers you have made on top of the cupcakes. Sophie Victoria Cupcakes is based in Hertfordshire and creates cupcakes for all occasions, such as; Weddings, Anniversaries, Birthdays, Baby showers and much more. You can see more of our creations at www.facebook.com/sophievictoriacupcakes or follow us on Twitter @sophievcupcakes
