Nigella Lawson's Cupcakes

For my sister-in-law's baby shower, I was responsible for making cupcakes for her guests. I wanted to make something sweet but not overbearing, simple yet cute. So I turned to the queen (in my eyes) of baking, the divine Nigella Lawson.

Serves 12 | Ready in 20 minutes

Ingredients

125g self-raising flour

125g caster sugar

125g soft unsalted butter

2 eggs

Half a teaspoon real vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

1 packet instant royal icing

1 x 12-bun muffin tin with 12 muffin papers

1. Preheat the oven to 200⁰C ab and line the tin with the muffin cases. 

2. Put all the ingredients, except for the milk, in the processor and then blitz till smooth.

3. Pulse while adding milk, to make for a soft, dropping consistency, down the funnel. 

4. Spoon and scrape the batter into the muffin cases.

5. Put in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cupcakes are cooked and golden on top. As soon as bearable, take the cup cakes in their cases out of the tin and let cool, right way up, on a wire rack.

6. To achieve a flat-top cupcake, I cut off a portion of the top of the cupcakes when they had cooled down. Don't throw away the muffin tops though - they were great to munch on while continuing the recipe ;)

7. I was a bit short on time so I resorted to packet fondant icing and food colouring to decorate the cupcakes.  I followed the packet instructions of Orchard's White Icing packet.

8. For a finishing touch, I used sugar roses. :)

** Original recipe from Nigella Lawson's Cupcakes Recipe **