CAKES BUTTERFLY RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a cupcake tin with 10 cases. To make the sponge, tip the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder and milk into a large mixing bowl and beat with either a hand whisk or electric mixer until smooth, pale and combined. Divide the batter between the cases and bake for 15 mins until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle of a cake comes out clean. Leave on a wire rack to cool.
• While the cakes are cooling, make the buttercream by beating together the icing sugar, butter and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Mix in the extra milk if the icing feels too stiff.
• Once the cakes are cool, use a sharp knife to slice off the tops, then cut the tops in half. Pipe or spread the buttercream on top of the cakes, then gently push two semi-circular halves into the buttercream on each cake, doing this at an angle to look like butterfly wings. You can serve the cupcakes at this stage, or decorate them with a little blob of jam in the centre and a scattering of sprinkles, if you like.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a muffin tin with medium-sized cupcake liners.
• Combine 3/4 cup butter and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat in flour gradually. Divide batter evenly among the cupcake liners.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 20 minutes.
• Beat 1 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract together in a bowl to make buttercream filling.
• Scoop some of the center out of each cupcake, keeping it in one piece. Fill each hole with raspberry jam. Top cupcakes with buttercream. Cut the scooped-out centers into 2 pieces and position them in the buttercream to look like butterfly wings.