Basic B!tch Vanilla Cupcakes

 I am basic. I love simple foods. I will always order a margherita pizza when I go out and I find these oreo stacked triple chocolate trillionaire cakes too much. So when I had a craving for something sweet to eat whilst I'm watching Miss Marple with a cup of tea after work I wasn't bothered by my lockdown larder only having the ingredients for vanilla cupcakes. Plus they are really easy to make so what's not to like. I already had some dried strawberry flakes and 100's and 1000's at home but you could use any toppings, or just keep it simple and only have butter icing.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes
175 g margarine
175 g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
3 eggs
175 g self-raising flour

For the buttercream
140 g unsalted butter softened
280 g icing sugar
1-2 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 160ºC (fan assisted, 180ºC non fan) and line a cupcake tin with paper liners
Beat the butter and sugar together for roughly 5 minutes until light and fluffy
Add the vanilla extract and eggs and mix again
Add the flour and mix until it is combined. Spoon into 12 cupcake cases filling each 2/3 full

Bake in the oven for 16-18 minutes. Check they are cooked by piercing them with a cocktail stick, if the stick comes out clean they are cooked

Leave on a wire rack to cool completely
Once the cakes have cooled completely, make the buttercream. Start by beating the softened butter for a minute or two
Add in the icing sugar and beat until mixed. Gradually add the milk a little at a time until you get a smooth but still quite thick consistency
Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe onto the cupcakes. Finish with any decorations.

Serve with a cup of tea and Miss Marple!