Strawberry Swirl Cupcakes

For the cupcake mixture

• 200g of soft spread (not stork) or butter at room temperature
• 200g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla exact
• 200g of self-raising flour
• 4-5 tablespoons of strawberry jam

For the buttercream icing

• 250g butter, room temperature
• 500g of icing sugar
• 1-2 tbsp water
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla exact
• A few drops of food colouring (optional)

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and mix them into the butter mixture along with the vanilla extract.

Fold in the flour; if the mix is slightly thick you can add a little milk or water to loosen a little. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until they are three-quarters full. Then take a teaspoon and pop half a teaspoon of jam onto each cupcake. Use a cocktail stick or thin knife to swirl into the batter.

Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean. Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes. Then place on a wire rack

For the buttercream icing, beat the butter until soft. Add half the icing sugar and beat until smooth.

Add the remaining icing sugar with 1 tsp of vanilla exact and 1 tbsp water, adding more water if necessary, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add food colouring (optional) and mix well.

Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag and add a nozzle of your choice. Pipe in a swirl motion, ruffle morion and then enjoy! The cupcakes will last 2-4 days in an airtight container or 4-5 days in the fridge.

I’ve used nozzles which create a rose, ruffle and blob effect. These can be bought from many places and are called many different names but the best place for me is a company called "Sugar and Crumbs".