Easy Cupcakes!!

by Rima Ali
(Middlesbrough UK)

INGREDIENTS
110g butter, softened
110g caster sugar
110g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 medium eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F / Gas 4. Line a muffin tin with paper cases.
Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until pale and fluffy.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl.
Beat the eggs and vanilla and add to the bowl. Beat until just combined.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until risen, golden and firm to the touch.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

FILLINGS AND FLAVOUR SUGGESTIONS
You can add a filling to the cupcake by cutting a cone from the middle of each cake with a serrated knife. Be careful not to cut right to the bottom of the cake. Fill the hole with jam, lemon curd or something else. Then ice over the top with buttercream or fondant icing.
My particular favourite is:
Raspberry and Chocolate Cupcakes
Fill each cake with 1 tsp seedless raspberry jam and ice with chocolate buttercream.

Well Rima these cupcakes sound lovely. They are also easy to do and perfect for any cake sale / bake sale at school or for any other charity event. The variations on the basic theme are endless too so it would be easy to adapt the filling to suit any event or set of potential customers. Thank you for sharing.