Vanilla Cupcakes

We start with quite a basic recipe, vanilla cupcakes (for who doesn't know these?!). This recipe was taken from a book by Fergal Connolly an it's called 500 Cupcakes.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) sweet butter,
softened
1 cup superfine sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place
18 paper baking cups in the muffin pans.
Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl
and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and pale, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Spoon the mixture into the cups. Bake for
20 minutes.
Remove the pans from the oven and cool for
5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3
days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Tips:
If you can get vanilla sugar, use half regular superfine and half vanilla superfine. This will enhance the vanilla flavor. [from the book]
If you don't have any paper cups, just remember to grease the pan before you pour the mixture or else the cupcakes will stick. [the Jay tip]

Variations:

Saffron
cupcake:

Prepare the basic recipe. Add a pinch of
saffron to 2 tbsp. boiling water. Infuse for 5 minutes. After creaming the
cupcake ingredients, stir in saffron and water.

Almond cupcake:

Prepare the basic recipe, adding 3 tbsp. ground almond to the mixture and
substituting 1 tsp. almond extract for the vanilla extract.

Vanilla & raisin cupcake:

Prepare
the basic recipe. After creaming the cupcake ingredients, stir in 1/2 cup golden
raisins.