Vanilla Cream Cupcakes

Serves 24

Ingredients
200g (7oz) plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
200g (7oz) caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
100g (3 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
150 ml (5 fl oz) milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing
200g (7oz) icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g (3 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, softened
sugar sprinkles

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Place the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Mix together with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla extract together until well blended.
3. Slowly pour the egg mixture in to the dry ingredients, whisking all the time. Whisk until smooth, being careful not to over mix. Too much beating toughens cakes.
4. Pour all the batter into a jug to make it easier to handle. Place the cupcake cases into the holes in the cupcake trays. Carefully pour the cake mixture into the papers, filling each one only half full. 
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until springy to the touch. Test the cakes are done by inserting a skewer in to the centre of one cupcake. Leave for a few minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. 
6. To make the icing, combine the icing sugar, vanilla extract, and butter in a bowl. Beat with an electric whisk for 5 minutes until very light and fluffy. Check the cakes have cooled completely.
7. If icing by hand, add a teaspoonful of the frosting mix to the top of each cake, and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. To pipe the icing, transfer the icing to a piping bag. Pipe by squeezing out the icing with one hand. Starting from the edge, pipe a spiral of icing that comes to a peak in the centre. Decorate with sprinkles.

Taken from Step-by-Step Baking