lovely little cupcakes

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 170 C / Gas 3.
Put the butter and sugar into a mixer and whizz up until light and fluffy.
Pour in the vanilla essence and add the eggs - whizz again to make a yellow batter.
Add the flour and mix until it is smooth, about 5 minutes. Stop once in the middle of this and scrape the sides down using a spatula. The longer mixing time enables air to get into the mixture which will make it lighter. Pour into fairy or cupcake cases.
Bake for about 14 minutes. Keep an eye on them. They will be perfect when they bounce back to the touch and the top still looks slightly sticky. This will ensure they keep their moisture.
Leave on a cooling rack for 30 minutes