Strawberry cupcakes

Method

• step 1

  Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases. Beat the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl using electric beaters for a couple of minutes or until it turns pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, along with 1 tbsp of the flour with each egg, and beat for 1 minute between each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

  

• step 2

  Tip in half of the remaining flour with the baking powder and a pinch of salt. Use a large metal spoon to gently fold it in, being careful not to knock out any air.

  

• step 3

  Fold in the remaining flour and the chopped strawberries. The mixture should drop off the spoon easily – if not, add 1 tbsp of milk and gently fold again.

  

• step 4

  Divide the mixture equally between the cases and bake for 10-12 minutes or until risen, golden and a skewer poked into the centres comes out clean. Put on a wire rack to cool completely.

  

• step 5

  Put the freeze-dried strawberries in a blender and whizz to a rough powder.

  

• step 6

  Whizz the butter using an electric whisk until light and fluffy, then add the icing sugar, a spoonful at a time, whisking well between each addition.

  

• step 7

  Stir in the strawberry powder and add a splash of milk if it’s a little thick.

  

• step 8

  Spoon onto the cupcakes, or use a piping bag to pipe the icing onto each, then top each cupcake with a strawberry half. Will keep for two days in an airtight container (without the strawberry halves).