Easy Strawberry Cupcakes with a Light Strawberry Icing

Thank goodness for the bank holiday weekend.

3 fab days of sunshine and just taking it easy. 

However the baking itch was too much to bare. I wanted to make something with minimal fuss but yummy too. Because, even for me, there are some days want you just want a lazy day. You know the ones where the dvd box set of Supernatural comes out and isn't switched off until you have watch every single episode, despite knowing them mostly off by heart.

So, going through my recipe books and papers I found the most insanely easy cupcake/old school fairy cake recipe ever. 

I mean it took an hour. For everything. Yups, I talking about getting the ingredients weighed and equipment, baking, etc. It really takes no time at all. 

I have come up with an impromptu runny fairy cake style icing to top the cupcakes with, but honestly the cupcakes are just as heavenly without it. The oil in mixed into the batter, makes the cake moist so don't replace with butter. I know it's a little odd, but just go with it. The theme of this blog post, is take it easy. 

Recipe: Makes 12 Cakes (Adapted from Bake Yourself Happy by Marian Keyes)

•        200g fresh strawberries
•        100ml olive oil
•        90g golden caster sugar
•        2 eggs
•        180g plain flour
•        ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

      

      For the icing: (Optional- Original Recipe by Me )

•      240g icing sugar sieved
•      55g unsalted butter, room temperature
•      110g fresh strawberries

      Equipment: 

•    Masher
•    Sieve
•    Electric hand whisk
•    Muffin cases lined with 12 cupcake cases 
•    Chopping board
•    Sharp knife

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c/350f/Gas Mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tray with cupcake cases.

2. Wash and hull the strawberries and mash until they’re pulpy.

Step 3. Add the oil, sugar and eggs together..

Step 3. And whisk until caramel like.

3.  Beat the oil, sugar and eggs together for a few minutes until the mix starts to look caramelly. Add the pulped strawberries, sieve in the flour and bicarbonate of soda and fold through.

Step 3. All the cake batter with all the ingredients mixed through.

Step 4. Fill the cupcake cases until about 3/4 full 

4. Pour the thinnish batter into the cases and bake for about 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

      5.  While the cupcakes are cooling, make the icing by mashing up the strawberries in a bowl and set aside.

     6.  Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and beat with the warm butter. Add the strawberries to make a runny icing and spoon onto the cupcakes for a traditional fairy-cake style cake. 

I hope that you've had a lovely long sunny weekend!