Raspberry and Vanilla Cupcakes

This recipe is from the Hummingbird, again, until I find a bouncier recipe, I'm not defecting elsewhere. So the sponge is just plain flavoured only with vanilla and cinnamon, then I have a really think layer of butter icing between the sponge and sugar paste which holds the raspberry flavour. I used raspberry flavouring I got from Decobake called Lorans. You can buy it online, it's fairly strong so don't use a heavy hand when adding to the butter icing.




You'll need.......

Sponge
80g unsalted softened butter
280g caster sugar
240g plain flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
2 large eggs
240 ml milk

Frosting
200g icing sugar
125g unsalted and softened butter
1 tablespoon of milk
1/4 teaspoon of raspberry
sugar paste
circular cookie cutter

Makes 16

Preheat oven to 190 degreees Celsius and line a cupcake tin with good strong cupcake cases that fit right in

With a whisk on medium to low beat together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until they resemble fine breadcrumbs

In a jug pour in milk and crack in eggs and add essence and mix together. Pour about half of this into the flour mix and whisk on medium until well incorporated including any bits of flour on the sides of the bowl. Pour in the rest of the milk mix and give the ingredients a good quick blitz with the whisk

Fill up the cases only max two thirds full, you don't want them overflowing as they cook and then burning at the top. Pop in the oven and cook for about 18-20 mins and don't open the oven door until after 18 minutes. Don't overcook them because they'll go hard so remove from the oven once goldeny and the 18 minutes have elapsed they'll set as they cool. This is one of my golden tips

For the frosting, sieve the icing sugar and beat in butter. Then add in milk and flavouring, if the icing sugar and butter have still not come together add another spoonful of milk and whisk lots. The more you whisk the smoother it will be and it will lose that yellowish buttery colouring.

Roll out your sugar paste with icing sugar on your counter and cut out rounds with the cookie cutter.

Once buns are cool spread on the butter icing evenly and then place sugar paste disc on top. If you want to decorate the sugar paste at all do it while it's flat on your hard kitchen counter. I used an ink stamper I got from Michaels in America.

These cupcakes always get devoured and I always get asked to bring to family christenings etc. It's all in the sponge and the flavourings. Never underestimate the importance of baking this easy peasy old-timer recipe right.