CUPCAKES

This is a recipe from Nigella Lawson. The cake came out soft and moist but her suggested baking temperature was not agreeable so I adjusted the baking time and temperature.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

125g all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
125g caster sugar
125g soft butter
2 eggs
Half a teaspoon vanilla extract
Approximately 2 tablespoons milk 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line the tin with the muffin cases.
2. Cream the butter and sugar, beat in the eggs one at a time with a little of the flour.
3. Then add the vanilla extract and fold in the rest of the flour, adding the milk to get the dropping consistency. 
4. Spoon the mixture on to the cupcake cases trying to fill each case equally, judging by eye.
5. Put in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cup cakes are cooked and golden on top. As soon as bearable, take the cup cakes in their cases out of the tin and let cool, right way up, on a wire rack.
6. Once they're cool, spread the top with royal icing.

Royal Icing Using Egg Whites:
Makes about 3 cups

2 large (60 grams) egg whites

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the lemon juice until combined. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.

Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/RoyalIcing.html#ixzz19m30TPhs