Glorious Cupcakes...

I have to admit, I have never really been a big cupcake fan. Never really thought I do them very well, just not the light bouncy sponges that I like. BUT ! I have a recipe that I now love... unlike the traditional victoria sponge recipe I use, with equal amounts of butter, sugar and flour, this uses a lower proportionate amount of butter, and uses milk instead and only 1 egg! Surely that must be healthier! The result is a moist light sponge, keeps pretty well too! 
Try for yourself:
120g caster sugar
40g butter (room temperature)
120g Self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
120ml milk
1tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

Preheat the oven at around 160 degrees, and line a muffin tin with large cupcake cases. 

Mix together sugar, butter, flour, salt together till it is well incorporated and sandy like... You can do this with a hand mixer on a low speed. Mix the milk with the vanilla extract, pour into the dry ingredients and mix till just blended, then crack in an egg, and mix in with a spatula till JUST incorporate. Do NOT overmix.  Divide into 12 cupcake cases and bake for about 17-22 minutes depending on your oven. Test after 17mins, cakes should be lightly browned and bounce back when pressed.  Cool and then add desired topping and decorations!

Topping suggestions:
Cream cheese frosting
Marscapone Vanilla Cream
Passionfruit cream topping


Variations: 
Coconut Cupcakes:
Substitute milk with coconut milk for a lush coconut cake cupcake, top with a coconut topping with toasted dessicated coconut...YUM!
Chocolate Cupcakes:
Take out about 20g of flour and substitute with cocoa powder
Walnut Coffee:
Take out 20g of flour and subsitute with roughly crushed walnuts, substitute the vanilla extract with about a tablespoon of coffee.  Top with frosting flavoured with coffee, or Tia Maria for a grownup kick and extra walnuts on top.