Good Luck Naomi Cupcakes

No words can describe how much I'm going to miss one of my nearest and dearest friend. In fact I really wish that she wasn't going away for the year and just abandoning me in London! 
How dare you just leave me here Naomi! With all these normals?! 
I'm joking of course.
No one is normal in London.
Anyways, Naomi I do hope you enjoyed the cupcakes I whipped up for you. I'm sorry that I couldn't make a cupcake to describe how wonderful you are and how much your friendship means to me (and how mad you really are). Just so you know that your'e going on an amazing adventure and you'll be older, wiser and maybe a little jetlagged afterwards. 
In short, Naomi I wish you the best of luck in your new job, which you are going to be amazing at. I am dearly going to miss you and you must promise me that you will send me a postcard from all the places you fly too. 

Recipe:

• 110g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 225g golden caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 150g self raising flour, sifted
• 125g plain flour, sifted
• 120ml semi-skimmed milk at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.    Pre-heat the oven to 160c fan/180c/350f/Gas Mark 4 and line a cupcake trays with cupcake cases.

2.    In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until pale and smooth, which should 3-5 minutes using an electric hand mixer.

3.    Combine the two flours in a separate bowl and combine the milk, and vanilla extract in a jug. Add one-third of the flours to the creamed mixture and beat well.

4.    Pour in one-third of the milk mixture and beat again. Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk has been added.

5.    Carefully spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until slightly raised and golden brown. To check they are cooked, insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cakes-it should come out clean.

6.    Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool. Once they are completely cool, you can ice the cupcakes.

Buttercream

·       110g unsalted butter, at room temperate

·       60 ml semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature

·       1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract

·       500g icing sugar, sifted

·       Food colouring-Purple and Pink

Recipe:

1.    In a large mixing bowl  beat the butter, milk, vanilla extract and half the icing sugar until smooth. This can take several minutes with an electric hand mixer. Gradually add the remainder of the icing sugar and beat again until the buttercream is smooth and creamy.

2.    If you want to colour your buttercream, always start with one drop of colouring and beat thoroughly. This will be all you need to achieve a very pale hue. To achieve the effects in the pictures put the two colours in a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. 

Bake on!

Penny