Sweet 'n Sassy Cupcakes

I recently was bored and decided that I should try my hand at making cupcakes (strange idea, seeing as anything that doesn't contain the words chocolate and brownie generally isn't something I bother with) and so created this batch, a variation on the normal cupcake. It's relatively easy to do (provided you don't forget to take the butter out of the fridge before you start... oops) and if I can do it, anyone can. Here's the recipe:

Cupcakes with normal icing (buttercream recipe at bottom of post)

Cupcake

125g butter (diced and softened)

125g caster sugar

2 eggs

125g self-raising flour

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons of milk

1/2 per cupcake strawberry jam (or any other jam/ curd you like)

Ok, it's as simple as this.

1. Place 12 fairycake cases into a fairycake tray. Preheat the oven to 180'C.

2. Add all the ingredients (except the jam) into a large mixing bowl and either use an electric whisk or a wooden spoon to mix them all together until there are no lumps and it appears to be a fairly smooth consistency.

3. Put between 1 and 2 heaped teaspoons of mixture into each cupcake, so that just under half the case is full. Then add around 1/2 a teaspoon of jam in the centre, making sure it is only in the centre and not touching the cupcake case. It isn't the end of the world if it does touch the case but it means there is less of a surprise when eating it.

4. Add the rest of the mixture on top of each cupcake, making sure they all have a similar amount of mixture in them. Level the tops using the back of a teaspoon dipped in a beaker of cold water. Put in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden on top. Take them out and leave to cool.

Icing
I personally love buttercream icing but you can use ordinary if you wish (i.e. icing sugar + water).
105g butter (softened)
210g icing sugar
milk

1. Sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl.

2. Add the butter and then beat the two together using an electric whisk, wire whisk or a wooden spoon. If it is difficult to whisk and remains lumpy, add a splash of milk and continue to whisk to a smooth consistency.

If you do have a piping bag then follow step three. If not, use step 4.

3. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag with nozzle already attached, holding it wide open and squeezing down the mixture using your hands. Pipe a circle on top of the cupcake, working your way inwards like a spiral and then bringing the bag upwards so that the icing finishes at a point facing upwards. You can decorate using chocolate shavings (grated chocolate), silver balls (great for breaking teeth and braces), hundreds and thousands or whatever else you have lying around.

4. Using an ordinary desert spoon or a soup spoon, take a heaped spoonful of the buttercream and place it on the cake, removing it from the spoon using another spoon to scrape it off. Using a third spoon dipped in cold water or a spatula level the surface so that it is smooth. Add decorations such as half a strawberry or chocolate shavings.

Hope you enjoy them!