Airy Fairy Almond Cupcakes

(MAKES 12)

INGREDIENTS

200g Caster Sugar

200g Self -Raising Flour

200g Butter (Very soft)

4 large eggs

1tsp baking powder

½ teaspoon Almond extract

40g Ground Almonds

(All above ingredients at room temperature!)

METHOD

• Preheat your oven to 180
• Prepare your cupcake tray (I used tulip cases)
• Beat your butter and sugar until completely blended, just for a minute or two
• Add your almond extract and mix again
• Now add your flour and baking powder (sounds daft but it prevents your mix splitting or curdling)
• Gradually add your eggs one by one and mix until combined, scrap down the mixer to make sure you have a smooth batter.
• Using an ice-cream scoop or spoon, scoop or dollop out your batter and fill your cases, filling the cases 2/3 up and watch those beauties rise!
• Bake for 20 minutes possibly 25minutes depending on your oven.
• Once baked cool on a rack for a few minutes before dusting with a cloud of icing sugar, you can also use buttercream if you wish but I love the simplicity of the dusting as you can taste the background flavour of almond and its discreet sweetness.
• If however you are an icing fiend, recipe outlined below.

BUTTERCREAM

250g Soft Butter

500g Icing Sugar

2-3 Tablespoons milk (Start with two, you may not need it depending on how soft your butter is)

Beat the living daylights out of your buttercream for at least five minutes, once icing has changed to a pale colour, smear or pipe a swirl on your cupcake and devour!