Vanilla Cupcakes

Heat the oven to 170*C/gas mark 4.

Remove the all of the ingredients from the fridge and let them come to room temperature before commencing baking.

Weigh the eggs in their shells and record their weight.

Weigh out the margarine, sugar and SR flour equal to the weight of the eggs (e.g. if the two eggs weigh 115g- Weigh out 115g of flour, 115g sugar, 115g margarine).

Place the margarine and sugar into a mixing bowl and cream together using the back of a heat proof or wooden spoon.

When all of the sugar is combined, mix very briefly 20-30 seconds, with an electric mixer until the sugar is fully incorporated, the mixture has become fluffy and the colour has lightened slightly.

It is important that you do not overbeat your mixture. This should take no more than 30 seconds depending how vigorously you move the mixer as the margarine may split.

Add the eggs and vanilla to the sugar and margarine bowl.

Sieve the flour into the wet ingredients

Mix using an electric hand mixer until the ingredients are just incorporated and still 'fluffy', again about 30 seconds, do not over mix (mixing for longer will make a silky/shiny batter BUT this is a sign of lengthened gluten strands that will mean tougher cakes).

Use a spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure there are no unmixed pockets of ingredients and give the mixture a final very brief beat by hand.

Place about 9 muffin cases in a deep muffin tin.

Using a metal spoon, fill the muffin cases with about 50g of the batter until they are just over half full.

Place the tray onto the middle shelf of the oven and leave to bake for at least 20 minutes before checking.

The cupcakes are cooked when :

1. They are light golden brown

2. They bounce back when lightly pressed with a finger

3. A skewer pushed into the cake and held for 3-5 seconds emerges clean.

When the cakes are cooked (you may need to add an extra 5 minutes, depending on your oven), transfer the cakes to a cooling rack until completely cold.

While they are cooling, place the room temperature butter in a large bowl and soften with the back of your spoon. If it is too hard to soften with only moderate pressure, place the bowl in the microwave for 10 seconds.

When softened, beat slightly.

Add the icing sugar and vanilla to the butter, using a fork, mash the butter into the sugar ( this is still creaming in, but a fork speeds up the process) until the sugar has mixed with the butter.

Swap to an electric hand mixer and beat the buttercream until it is lighter in colour and fluffy, the longer you beat the buttercream the lighter and fluffier it will get.

When the cakes are cool, use a palette knife or a piping bag and nozzle to apply the butter cream to your cakes .