VANILLA & JAM CUPCAKES

As a ‘thank you’ for booking me and because I LOVE cake so much, here is a recipe for my mums cupcakes. They are perfect as nibbles at a birthday party.

• 225g self-rasing flour
• 225g caster sugar 
• 225g unsalted butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 100g salted butter
• 200 icing sugar
• 100g full fat cream cheese
• good quality strawberry jam

1) Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tray with cases

2) In a food processor cream together unsalted butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy

3) Crack the eggs in one at a time and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition

4) Add the flour using a sieve. Whisk until just combined then divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cases

5) Bake your muffins in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes, or until golden brown and a knife comes out clean from the centre to show they are cooked through

6) Leave to cool, meanwhile make the icing

7) Beat 100g very soft, slightly salted butter with 200g icing sugar until smooth

8) Add 50g full-fat cream cheese and beat well, then add another 50g (drain the cream cheese if needed)

9) Cut a circle in each cup cake, fill with cream cheese icing and strawberry jam

10) Dust lightly with icing sugar and serve 🙂