Father's Day Super Hero Cupcakes

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

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs on at a time, mixing between each addition and adding a spoonful of the flour if necessary. Follow by adding the vanilla extract.

Carefully fold in the flour then spoon into the cupcake cases, until they are about 2/3 full.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Leave to cool completely on a cooling wire.

To make the buttercream, beat together the icing sugar and butter until light and fluffy, then add the vanilla extract and food colouring.

Fill a piping bag with the icing and pipe swirls on top of the cupcakes.

Roll out the sugar paste icing for your topper and using a knife or a circular cutter (depending on the design) cut out the shapes approximately 2.5 inches in width.

Cut out the designs and letters (if using) with a sharp knife and brush the back lightly with water to stick to the other sugar paste icing.

Place the sugar paste decoration on top of the buttercream swirl and serve.