Cups of Cake

My sister, Emma, and I set out to make the best damn cupcakes imaginable yesterday. We were pretty happy with the results. The pretty chocolate hearts and floral arrangements are the fruits of Emma's creativity.I tried making some chocolate leaves but they fell apart (the dodgy, broken parts are hidden in the meringue).

You'll need the following ingredients for delicious, fluffy cupcakes. I think this might just be the best cupcake mixture I've ever tried. This recipe will make about 12 cupcakes.

150g Self-Raising Flour (replace 2 tbsps with sifted cocoa powder if you prefer the chocolate variety)
150g Caster Sugar
150g Sugar
3 Eggs
A splash of Vanilla Essence
A drop of low-fat milk (can be omitted if desired consistency is reached)

Method:

Preheat oven to  375°F, 190°C. Line a cupcake tray with bun cases.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until beautifully pale and fluffy. Do this with an electric mixer unless you want to build up some kick-ass bicep muscle. I pump enough iron everyday, so I chose the easy way out in the fear that my extreme muscles might in fact change the mixture into a different form or even break a defenseless whisk. Next, add the eggs gradually, whisking well in between. After the addition of the eggs and a splash of vanilla essence, your mixture should be delightfully glossy. Now is the time to add your flour. I like to fold in half of the required amount first. Make sure it's well combined, then add the remaining flour. If the mixture seems too dry, add a splash of milk to loosen it up. Your desired consistency is a thick batter that will gloop off your spoon with a gentle tapping.

Divide mixture between 12 bun cases. Each case should be 3/4 full. I like to swirl the mixture, creating a little peak.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow to cool and ice with your topping of choice. I chose a meringue topping with raspberries, white chocolate and strawberries for my little cakes. I found great directions for meringue topping here.

We lost one in the process of icing. Please do be careful as this can be devastating for any cupcake lover. You can't afford to lose any of these precious cakes. I considered licking it off the floor but I was being watched.

Because the cupcakes were devoured so quickly, I didn't have the chance to make some lemon meringue-inspired ones. I had planned to cut out a tsp of cupcake, fill with lemon curd, replace sponge, then add meringue topping. But ravenous hunger ensued and resulted in satisfaction of the belly and the senses...and crumbs.