Musk Stick Cakes

Makes 12, Prep and Cook: 50 mins

160g packet musk sticks, finely

chopped

²⁄³ cup milk

125g unsalted butter, chopped,

at room temperature

½ cup caster sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1½ cups self-raising flour Liquid pink food colouring, to tint Extra thinly sliced musk sticks,

to decorate

ICING

75g unsalted butter, chopped,

at room temperature

1½ cups icing sugar mixture

1 Line a 12-hole muffin pan (¹⁄³-cup capacity) with paper cases.

2 Place musk sticks and milk in a medium saucepan over a medium to low heat. Stir often until musk sticks are melted and mixture is smooth. Reserve 2 tablespoons mixture in a small bowl for frosting. Transfer remaining mixture to a heatproof jug. Cool to room temperature.

3 Beat butter and sugar in the small bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined.

4 Stir in half the flour, then musk stick mixture. Stir in remaining flour until combined. Tint light pink with colouring. Spoon mixture evenly into paper cases.

5 Cook in a moderate oven (180C) for about 20 minutes, or until light golden and just firm in the centre when lightly touched. Remove. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

6 To make frosting, beat butter, sugar and reserved musk stick mixture in same, clean bowl of electric mixture, on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium. Beat until light and fluffy. Tint pink with colouring.

7 Spread frosting over cakes. Decorate with extra musk sticks.