How to master the art of basic cupcakes!
By Trudy Mitchell from JellyCake
Ingredients | Makes 12
For the Cupcakes:
- 150g (5½oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 150g (5½oz) caster sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large free-range eggs
- 150g (5½oz) self-raising flour
For the Buttercream:
- 150g (5½oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 300g (11oz) icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4, and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Beat the mixture by hand or using an electric hand whisk until it becomes very light and fluffy. 2. Lightly beat the eggs in a jug, then slowly add to the mix, with the mixer on medium speed, beating well between each addition. If the mixture starts to curdle, add a spoonful of the flour. 
3. Sift the flour into the bowl, then fold in using a metal spoon until just combined. 
4. Evenly spoon or scoop the mixture into the paper cases. Bake the cupcakes in the oven for approximately 18-20 minutes, until the sponge springs back when touched and a skewer inserted into the centre of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. 
5. Remove the tin from the oven. Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
6. To make the buttercream, place the softened butter, icing sugar and vanilla together in a bowl and mix together slowly using an electric whisk. Once the ingredients are starting to combine, turn up the speed and beat until very light and fluffy. 
7. Using a nozzle and piping bag of your choice, fold the top of the piping bag down over your hand and carefully spoon the buttercream into the bag. 8. Pipe swirls of buttercream onto the top of each cupcake. For smooth iced cupcakes, you don’t need a piping bag – simply spoon a little buttercream on top of the cupcake and smooth over using a spatula. 
TIP To make chocolate cupcakes, substitute 25g (1oz) cocoa powder for an equal quantity of flour. To make chocolate buttercream, substitute 25g (1oz) cocoa powder for an equal quantity of icing sugar.
