Vanilla Cupcakes in a Jar

First make the cake. Preheat the oven to 190ºc/170ºc fan/Gas 5. Grease and line a square 20cm/8 inch tin. 

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and then bake for 25 minutes. To test if it's baked, insert a skewer to the middle, if it comes out clean it means it's ready. If not, just keep baking until it is. 

When the cake is cooked allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

To make your buttercream, mix together in a clean dry bowl the icing sugar. butter, milk and vanilla bean paste. 

When you are ready to make the cupcake jars. Cut circles from your cooled cake with the cutter and then divide into quarters. They will easily fit through the neck of the jar to be reassembled within.

Once the cake layer is in the jar, add a table spoon of jam and then pipe the buttercream on top of that. Top with another layer of cake, then jam and then buttercream. Finally add the lid of the jar and tie a ribbon around the jar neck.