Vanilla cupcakes

Name: Vanilla cupcakes
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 24
Ingredients: 225 g unsalted butter (at room temperature); 225 g golden caster sugar; 4 large free-range eggs; 1 vanilla pod; 225 g self-raising flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 250 g unsalted butter (at room temperature; 400 g icing sugar; 1 splash of milk optional

Vegetarianv

“If you need a quick, easy and super-reliable cupcake recipe, look no further. I’ve kept things quite simple here, but feel free to replace the vanilla in the buttercream with a squeeze of citrus and top with a fine grating of zest, or pimp with a little natural food colouring to jazz them up, if you like. ”

Makes 24

Cooks In30 minutes plus cooling

DifficultyNot too tricky

Nutrition per serving

Calories 296 15%
Fat 17.6g 25%
Saturates 10.1g 51%
Sugars 27.4g 30%
Salt 0.2g 3%
Protein 2.1g 4%
Carbs 34.6g 13%
Fibre 0.3g -

Of an adult's reference intake

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Ingredients

225 g unsalted butter , (at room temperature)
225 g golden caster sugar
4 large free-range eggs
1 vanilla pod
225 g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
250 g unsalted butter , (at room temperature
400 g icing sugar
1 splash of milk , optional

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Method

Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 3.
Line two 12-hole cupcake trays with paper cases.
In a food processor or by hand, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
One-by one, crack in the eggs, making sure you beat each one in before adding the next.
Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds, then add half the seeds to the mixture (save the remaining for the buttercream).
Sift in the flour and baking powder, then pulse until just combined or gently fold together by hand.
Using two teaspoons, divide the mixture evenly between the paper cases.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden, cooked through and an inserted skewer comes out clean of cake mixture.
Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
To make the buttercream, beat the butter for a couple of minutes until light, then mix in the remaining vanilla seeds.
Gradually sift in the icing sugar until smooth, loosening with a splash of milk, if needed.
Either spoon into a piping bag and pipe over the cooled cupcakes or rustically spread over the icing using a spatula, then enjoy.