Makes 18
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
280g caster sugar
280g butter, room temperature
4 eggs
125g ground almonds
185ml milk
280g self-raising flour
For the icing:
250g unsalted butter, room temperature; 500g icing sugar
1 tspn good quality strawberry flavouring or essence, or vanilla extract
To decorate:
Handful of strawberries, quartered
Jubilee decorations, flags, cake toppers, roses etc
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 160°C. Line a 12-hole and 6-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
Mix the caster sugar and butter together in a stand mixer or using an electric whisk, for around 5-7 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and gently mix between each addition.
Stir in the ground almonds and milk and mix. Sift in the flour and gently mix with a metal spoon until incorporated.
Divide the mixture into cupcake cases, up to about two thirds full. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a cocktail stick comes out clean. Take out and leave to cool fully before icing.
To make the butter cream icing, beat the butter for 2-3 minutes until pale, add the strawberry flavouring or vanilla extract and then slowly add the icing sugar until it is incorporated to make a thick butter cream.
Pipe the butter cream onto the cakes and decorate.
