Butterfly Cupcakes

I felt like taking a quick break from studying today and whip up a batch of cupcakes. This is my (Elise) first post so I hope you enjoy it! This is a very easy recipe (basic vanilla cupcakes) and fairly simple assembly in the decorating part. All you need are cupcakes, frosting (I make my own) and any other little decorations (I used rainbow coloured sprinkles).

Basic Vanilla Cupcakes - Makes 12
Ingredients:
125g butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup milk

Method:
Cream butter, vanilla and sugar with an electric beater until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time beating well after each egg is added.
Sift in flour and baking powder and fold into creamed mixture.
Stir in milk.
Place 12 paper cases into muffin tins.
Spoon mixture evenly into paper cases.
Bake at 190° C (375 Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes or until cakes spring back when lightly touched.
Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients:
75g butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar) (average, just a rough guidline)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:
Cream together (using either a fork or spoon) butter and icing sugar until frosting turns pale in colour (Note. the more you cream together and the more icing sugar you add, the whiter the frosting will become).
Once at desired consistency, add vanilla essence and mix through.

Assembly

Using a blunt knife, cut a circular slice from the top of each cupcake. Cut this piece in half.

Then, either using a blunt knife again, or a piping bag, put some frosting in the hole you created.

Position the two halves of the cupcake lid back on the cake to resemble butterfly wings.

Dust with icing sugar.

Then, again using either a knife or piping bag, put some frosting in the middle of the two wings and put rainbow sprinkles on the line of frosting.

Hope you enjoy! Elise