These delicious cupcakes are my no-fail, go-to recipe for any occasion. Cupcakes are great as they’re so diverse and you can change the flavours and colours to suit any theme. I mean, who doesn’t love a good cupcake?!

I made them a while back for my twins’ spring picnic birthday party and they were a big hit.

The recipe comes from some ancient recipe book of my mother’s from the 60s – but cupcakes never get old, they just continue to be yummy!

Ingredients for cupcakes

½ cup (120g) butter

¾ cup (180g) sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1¾ cup (210g) flour

2 eggs

2 teaspoon baking powder

¼ to 1/3 cup milk

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

Method

Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla essence.

Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the butter and sugar mixture alternatively with the milk.

Half fill cup cake cases with the mixture.

Bake on 180 degrees C for 15 to 20 minutes. (Make sure the rack is not too low as it’s easy to burn the bottom if left too long). All ovens vary so it’s worth testing it out first with a small batch.

Ingredients for icing

100g butter

200g icing sugar

10-15ml milk

1ml vanilla essence

Optional for a different flavour – add 1ml of almond essence

Optional – food colouring

Method

Mix the butter and icing sugar together, adding the milk and vanilla essence slowly to ensure the right consistency.

Ice and decorate the cupcakes as you wish, sit back to admire your work, and then gobble them up!