cook with the season

Strawberry cupcakes

Chopping the strawberries into little pieces and folding through the batter ensures these dainty cupcakes stay beautifully moist.

45 MINUTES | MAKES 12 | EASY

salted butter 100g, softened
golden caster sugar 100g
eggs 2, room temperature
self-raising flour 100g
vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract ¼ tsp
baking powder ½ tsp
strawberries 100g, hulled and finely chopped, plus six halved to decorate
whole milk a splash (if needed)

ICING

freeze-dried strawberries 3 tbsp
butter 150g, softened
icing sugar 250g
whole milk a splash (if needed)

1 Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases. Beat the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl using electric beaters for a couple of minutes or until it turns pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, along with 1 tbsp of the flour with each egg, and beat for 1 minute between each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

Tip in half of the remaining flour with the baking powder