Galaxy Cupcakes

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

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the eggs, baking powder, flour and vanilla extract and beat until fully combined. 

Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases filling each of them 2/3 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cupcakes are golden and springy to touch.

Whilst the cupcakes are baking make the buttercream by beating together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract.

Before filling the piping bag with the buttercream, insert the nozzle, then holding the nozzle fold the piping bag over your hand or place the piping bag in a tall glass. Using a small clean paintbrush paint thick stripes of food colouring up the inside of your bag starting with the pink, then a stripe of blue, then purple until the whole bag is covered.

Carefully fill the piping bag with the vanilla buttercream, snip off the end of the bag and pipe swirls onto your cupcakes. 

To finish dust or spray the buttercream lightly with edible gold lustre.