Mother's Day Cupcakes:

Mother's day. Cards, Flowers, Chocolates. Stereo-typical gifts to show your mum you love and appreciate her a heck of a lot on a particular Sunday every March. This year, my mother Christine  has gone on a Yoga workshop to find 'inner peace' and tranquillity. I'm running her a bubble bath and cleaning the house (I know, I know, I deserve the daughter of the year award) for when she arrives back from her retreat :) I've decided to not buy flowers or chocolates, but to bake cupcakes!! If you know me you'll know I'm big on baking and cooking, though I never eat it the things I produce, so the things I make usually go to waste, boooo :(

The website where I found the recipe for my cupcakes is here, but I've adapted the recipe slightly so if you want to find out how I made these delish (I presume) cakes, read on;

(my picture) 

This recipe makes 12 good sized cupcakes :)

You will need (for the batter): 

110g (4oz) butter

225g (8oz) caster sugar

2 large eggs

150g (5½oz) self-raising flour, sifted 

125g (4½oz) plain flour, sifted 

120ml (4fl oz) semi-skimmed milk,

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

PS. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/160 degrees fan oven.

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth a large mixing bowl.
2. Add one eggs and mix in well, Add the other and beat until the whole mixture is creamy.
3. In a separate bowl, roughly mix the two types of flour together.
4. Put the milk into a container and add the vanilla extract, 'swirling' slightly.
5. Sift half of the flour mixture and half the milk mixture into the creamed butter and mix well.
6. Add the other half. :D
7. Spoon the mixture into a 6 (or twelve) holed muffin tin, lined with cupcakes cases.
8. Place the tin into the oven for 20-25 minutes (mine took exactly 23 minutes).
9. Stick a knife into the cooked cakes and if it comes out clean they're ready to cool COMPLETELY! 
10. Repeat the whole oven step if you're cooking in two batches.

For the butter-cream you will need: 

100g of butter

Some icing sugar (this step will become clearer as you read on)

Red food colouring 

Okay, I didn't measure the ingredients for the filling so I'm going to assume these amounts of grams are right :)

1. Mix the butter slightly so it's easier to blend later.
2. Add a moderate sprinkling of icing sugar (sorry about the in-accuracy) and mix again.
3. Repeat this step many times (I did it about 7) until your mixture is thick and creamy. 
4. Add a dash (remember you can always put more in, but never take it away) of food colouring and blend until you get a bright pink colour. 

Finally, cut the tops of your cupcakes off and spoon a generous amount of butter cream into the middle and sandwich together. Store your cakes in the fridge so the filling stays firm and yummy! 

I hope you enjoy these cakes as much as my mum will!