Yummy Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter or margarine, softened
150g castor sugar
175g self-raising flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Put all the cake ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with a hand held electric whisk for one to two minutes until light and creamy.
Line a 12-section bun tray with paper cake cases.
Divide the mixture evenly among the cakes cases.
Bake in a preheated oven at 1800C or gas mark 4 for 18 to 20 minutes until risen and just firm to touch.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Kitchen tips

For variations, you can add one of the following:

Chocolate: Substitute 15g cocoa powder for 15g of the flour
Chocolate chip: Add 50g plain milk or white chocolate chips.
Coffee: Add 1 tablespoon espresso or strong coffee powder.
Lemon/orange/citrus: Add finely grated rind of 1 lemon or 1 small orange, or combine the rinds of ½ lemon and ½ orange.
Cranberry or blueberry: Add 75g dried cranberries or blueberries, chopped if large.
Ginger: Add 2 teaspoons ground ginger and use light Muscovado sugar instead of castor sugar.
Sultanas: Add 75g sultanas.

*If you don’t have an oven, you can use the three stone method with Jikokoa

Kitchen safety

Always do an oven safety check before using it.
Be sure you do not smell gas leaking from a gas stove. If you do, open a window and leave the room.
An oven should never be used for storage.
Make sure that there are no food particles or grease residue on the stovetop.
Position your oven racks before pre-heating to prevent scalding.