Valentines Cupcakes

Once again this is my standard cupcake recipe that I use, taken from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. This time I have adjusted it by adding some rose water to make them rose flavoured cupcakes, perfect for Valentines Day. Feel free to change the flavouring to whatever you like.

For the icing I did half of my cupcakes using the rest of the Royal icing I made for the Valentines Cookies and the other half was rose buttercream. The quantities below for the buttercream are for 12 cupcakes but can easily be halved if you want to do a variety like I did.

Makes 12 cupcakes

120g plain or all-purpose flour

140g caster or berry sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

40g unsalted butter, softened

120ml milk

1 egg

½ – 1 tsp rose water (depending on how strong your particular brand is)

Buttercream Icing:

250g icing sugar

80g unsalted butter, softened

25ml milk

a few drops of rose water

Decorations of your choice

Preheat your oven to 170C/ 325F/ GM 3 and line a cupcake tin with medium sized paper cases.

Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter into the bowl of a KitchenAid (or other freestanding mixer) and using the paddle attachment mix slowly until everything is combined and you have a sandy consistency (if you don't have a KitchenAid use a hand-held electric beater). While the mixer is running, slowly pour in the milk and mix until it's just incorporated, then add the egg and rose water and continue beating until it's mixed in. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is properly mixed but be careful not to over beat the mixture.

Evenly spoon the cake mixture into the cupcake cases (book says until two-thirds full) and bake for 20-25 minutes until the sponge bounces back when touched (with my oven 22 minutes works perfectly every time) and a skewer comes out clean with put into the centre of the cake. Leave to cool for a few minutes then transfer the cupcakes onto a wire rack.

To make the icing sift the icing sugar into the bowl of a free-standing mixture or large bowl, then add the butter and beat on a low setting until it comes together. Turn the speed up a little and continue beating until it is well mixed. Turn it back down to low then add the milk and the rose water and mix until it is well combined and smooth. Add a little food colouring then turn up to a higher setting and beat for roughly 5 minutes until the icing is light and fluffy.

Once the cakes have completely cooled ice and decorate them as you please. I used a variety of decorations including edible wafer roses, edible glitter hearts, sugar diamonds and sugar hearts.