Cupcakes Fit for The Queen!

Encouraged by The Queen's Visit...see Thursday's postng below...I got in touch with Nigella...by book, I mean...and used her recipe for what she calls "fairy cakes." They seem smaller than regular cupcakes and are very cute. The cupcakes are pretty easy to make...everything goes into the food processer!

Then, I saw some "spring cupcakes" made by Martha with this cool lavendar icing....which turned out to be delicious! It is kind of like royal icing, really shiny!



Layla is looking especially regal tonight....mailnly because The Queen is in town. Layla may be going to the White HOuse for dinner tomrrow night...who knows?

Recipes are below...enjoy!

Rock On!

CQ

Nigella Cupcakes:

Ingredients:
125g unsalted butter, softened
125g caster sugar
2 large eggs
125g self-raising flour
half teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons milk
500g packet instant royal icing
12-bun muffin tin lined with 12 muffin papers

How to Make:
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6.

It couldn't be simpler to make fairy cakes: just put all the ingredients except for the milk in the processor and then blitz till smooth. Pulse while adding milk down the funnel, to make for a soft, dropping consistency. I know it looks as if you'll never make this scant mixture fit 12 bun cases, but you will, so just spoon and scrape the stuff in, trying to fill each case equally.

Put in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the fairy cakes are cooked and golden on top. As soon as bearable, take the fairy cakes in their cases out of the tin and let cool on a wire rack. I like my cherry-topped fairies to have a little pointy top, but for all floral and other artistic effects, darling, you need to start with a level base, so once they're cool, cut off any mounded peaks so that you've got a flat surface for icing.

Makes 12

Martha Stewart's Lavendar Icing

Ingredients

Serving: Makes enough for 2 dozen cupcakes
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dried lavender
3 cups confectioners' sugar
Violet gel-paste food coloring
Directions

Bring milk and lavender just to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, and let steep 10 minutes. Strain, and discard lavender. Whisk in sugar until smooth. Strain again. Add food coloring until desired shade. Use immediately.