Vanilla Cupcakes

Once you have children there is one recipe that you have to add to your repertoire.  Kids and adults alike love cupcakes.  This is a basic sponge cake recipe, so you can also bake it in a oven pan.  I always use this recipe when baking cakes for kiddies birthday parties.  So especially for those of you with little ones, try this recipe this weekend! Makes 36.

6 egg yolks

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

1 cup warm water

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups self raising flour

3 tablespoons cornflour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 egg whites

Whisk together the first 5 ingredients until all the sugar is dissolved, approximately 8 minutes.  Sift the dry ingredients together three times and then gentle stir into the egg mixture.  Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks from and fold gently into the batter.  Fill cupcakes 3/4 full and bake at 180 degrees until well risen, approximately 20 minutes. 

Basic vanilla icing:

125g butter at room temperature

500g icing sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon lemon juice

milk

Beat the butter until soft then add the icing sugar gradually.  Add vanilla and lemon juice and thin down with a little bit of milk if necessary.

Variations:

For chocolate cake, use 3 tablespoons of cocoa instead of cornflour

For coffee cake, use strong black coffee instead of water