Swirled cupcakes with whipped vanilla buttercream

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350

Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Next beat in the eggs one at a time letting each egg mix in completely before adding the next one. Scrape down the bowl, add vanilla and beat until fully incorporated

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Either by hand or with the mixer on low, stir in ⅓ of the flour mixture into the egg and butter mixture followed by half of the milk. Repeat with another ⅓ of the flour mixture and the rest of the milk. Then add the final ⅓ of flour and stir until just combined.

Scoop half of the batter into a different bowl and tint with your choice of food colouring. The colour will bake lighter than the batter so make it a little brighter.

Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers. Using a regular teaspoon, put a small spoonful of the plain batter in each cupcake paper. Then put a small spoonful of the coloured batter right in the centre of the plain batter. The cupcakes look best with 4 to 5 layers of alternating colours. Don’t worry about making the batter lay flat, it will even out in the oven.

Bake for 17-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before decorating.

Whipped vanilla buttercream

Beat ½ cup of icing sugar into the butter. Once mixed, turn your mixer on high and beat until fluffy.

Beat in vanilla and milk until combined.

Repeat the first step until all the icing sugar has been beat in and the icing is smooth and fluffy. Icing can always be adjusted to the sweetness level that you prefer so taste it after each few additions of sugar to make it to your liking. Don’t forget to beat it on high after each addition of sugar because that’s what gives it the fluffy texture.

Divide the icing into bowls and tint with food colouring. Spoon the different colours into Ziploc bags, seal the bags and cut off one of the bottom corners. Pipe icing onto cooled cupcakes. Top with sprinkles and enjoy.