Mother's Day Iced Cupcakes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C, gas mark 4) and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with cupcake cases.

2. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs one by one mixing well between each, then add the vanilla bean paste.

3. Carefully fold in the flour and spoon into the paper cases until they are about 2/3 full. Place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes until the cakes are golden brown in colour and a skewer comes out clean. Then leave to cool completely.

4. To decorate, roll out the white icing and using a round biscuit cutter cut discs of the icing, lightly brush the surface of the cupcake with warmed apricot glaze and place the disc of icing on top of the cake. Repeat this with the blue and pink icing for the rest of the cakes.

5. Using smaller flower or butterfly cutters, or a cutter shape of your choice, cut shapes from the remaining rolled out icing and leave to one side.

6. Make up the royal icing according to the instructions on the packet then spoon some into a small piping bag with a small round nozzle. You can use this to stick the icing decorations to the cupcakes by piping a small blob onto the icing then placing the decoration on top. You can also use the royal icing to pipe spots onto the coloured icing.