Cupcakes! Im sharing a secret recipe ;-)

125g unsalted butter
200g caster sugar (I use home steeped Vanilla Sugar)
225g plain flour
2tspn baking powder
1tspn salt
2 medium eggs
120ml milk
1tspn vanilla extract

Sooo after much tickling with recipes this is my never fail recipe for the tastiest Vanilla Cupcakes you can make.

• cream sugar & sugar till pale and fluffy
• add in flour, baking powder & salt
• mix briefly
• add milk, eggs & vanilla extract
• whisk thoroughly till light & fluffy

And thats it! Spoon into cupcake cases and bake on 180 for 15 - 20 mins (depends on your oven) till firm & bouncy. If you're not sure slip a sharp knife in & if it comes out clean they're done.

Take out of the oven and leave in the pan for 10mins or so. Then put onto a cooling wire.

Simple eh? It may not be rocket science but that recipe took me some time to create. Use the best ingredients you can afford but if you're going to skimp the one thing you cannot skimp on is the Vanilla Extract. Final taste in comparison to Vanilla Flavour is vast.

Vanilla Sugar

Grab a bag of normal sugar, a pack of vanilla pods stick both into the blender and wizz away!

A cheaper & just as good a method (but takes longer) is to stick the vanilla pods into the sugar and store in an airtight container for at least a week. If you bake regularly rotate 3/4 tubs of the sugar. Re-use the pods and when they reach the end of their use stick them into the blender!

Enjoy & if you give them a try I'd love to hear what you think of the results!