Pretty celebration cupcakes for any occasion. Cupcakes freeze well, so make extra and freeze them (without icing) until needed. Defrost at room temperature, ice and decorate before serving.

Ingredients

• 250 ml (1 C) buttermilk
• 125 ml butter
• 125 ml  honey
• 5 ml (1 t) vanilla essence
• 4 eggs
• 375 ml caster sugar
• 500 ml (2 C) cake flour
• 20 ml (4 t) baking powder
• pinch of salt

Method

1. In a saucepan, heat the buttermilk, butter and honey together.
2. Whisk well and remove from the heat and add the vanilla essence.
3. Beat the eggs and sugar together until light.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
5. Whisk the flour mixture into the egg mixture, alternating with the milk mixture.
6. Pour the batter into the cavities of a muffin pan that you’ve lined with paper cupcake cases.
7. Bake in the oven preheated to 180 C for 12 – 15 minutes.
8. Cool.
9. Make the honey butter icing by beating together the butter and the honey until smooth, pale and light.
10. Add the icing sugar and beat until well mixed and smooth.
11. Add 15 – 30 ml (1 – 2 T) milk to soften the consistency if required.
12. Ice the top of each cupcake with a generous serving of the honey butter icing and decorate as desired.