WATERCOLOUR CUPCAKES

MAKES 12 PREP 20 MINS COOK 20 MINS + COOLING

✦ 125g butter, softened ✦ ²⁄ 3 cup caster sugar ✦ 1 tsp vanilla extract ✦ 2 eggs ✦ 1¾ cups self-raising flour ✦ ²⁄3 cup milk

WATERCOLOUR BUTTERCREAM

✦ 250g butter, softened ✦ 2 tsp vanilla extract ✦ 3 cups icing sugar mixture ✦ 1 tbsp milk ✦ purple, pink and green food colouring

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper patty cases.

2 In a large bowl, beat butter and caster sugar together until creamy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

3 Fold in flour, alternately with milk. Spoon mixture into cases. Bake 15-20 mins until cooked. Cool in pan 5 mins, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 4 WATERCOLOUR

BUTTERCREAM In a small bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and vanilla until pale. Gradually beat in icing sugar until pale. Beat in milk.

5 Divide buttercream between 3 bowls. Tint each very pale using one of the food colourings. Dollop buttercream colours into a separate bowl and gently swirl with a toothpick to create a watercolour swirl effect (don’t over-swirl). Using a dessertspoon, dollop icing on top of cupcakes.