Picnic Treats
Bake these delicious cupcakes, perfect for a summertime picnic!
What you'll need:
Ingredients
- 250g/9oz plain flour
- 250g/9oz caster sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large free-range eggs
- 240ml/8¾fl oz milk, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean past
For the buttercream
- 200g/7oz unsalted butter, softened
- 320g/11½oz icing sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Method:
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cupcake cases.
- Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using an electric whisk or in a stand mixer, beat until the mixture looks like fine, sandy breadcrumbs.
- In a separate jug, mix together the eggs, milk and vanilla bean paste. Slowly pour into the dry ingredients while mixing on a low speed. Once all the liquid is added, increase the speed to medium and beat for another 30 seconds.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the cupcake cases and bake for 18–22 minutes or until the cupcakes are lightly golden on top and toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the buttercream, place the butter in a bowl and beat on a medium–high speed for a minute or so until really pale and creamy.
- Sift in the icing sugar and salt and beat on a high speed for 2–3 minutes until the buttercream is thick and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl every so often. Add the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds. (At this point you can add any colouring you'd like.) Fill a piping bag with the buttercream or just spoon straight onto the cupcakes.