CuupPCaaKEesSS!

Btw, I didn't go to the Open House Lunch without bringing anything. I had my ang pows in one hand and a plate of cupcakes in the other. I know cupcakes haven't got anything to do with CNY, but I was craving one and I had the ingredients at hand. Cupcakes are kinda the 'in' thing at the moment. Everywhere I go, cupcakes are in the shelves of bakeries calling out to little (and not so little) children. How can anyone resist those beautifully decorated mini cakes? I have seen many wedding cakes made of cupcakes too.
So that very morning, I decided to make some cupcakes. I thought I'd make a basic vanilla recipe, and add some chocolate and cocoa powder to half the batter. Therefore, half a dozen cupcakes would be choc flavoured just to mix things up a bit. Gee, I do walk on the wild side dont I? The cupcakes turned out better than I expected (if I may say so myself- but self praise is no recommendation!) To be honest, they do taste fresher and you feel good because you made them!
So here's the recipe and some helpful hints.

Basic Vanilla Cupcakes
(makes 12)
Ingredient:
110g butter
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/4 cup self raising flour, shifted
Icing:
250g butter
2 cups icing sugar
3-4 tablespoon milk
(colouring of your choice)
sugar flowers (optional)

Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Line muffin tray with your choice of cupcake liners. I used yellow for the vanilla flavoured and pink for the chocolate flavoured.
Beat butter, vanilla essence and sugar using a kitchen mixer until pale and fluffy (at least 5-6 mins) Then add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add the flour and milk and mix gently until combined.
Divide batter in half ( if you want to make chocolate ones as well). Add 3 tbsp of cocoa powder and 50g of melted chocolate to the other half.
Spoon batter into prepared tin. Bake for 18-20 mins. Check with a skewer, if it comes out clean at 18mins, it's done.
For the icing, beat the butter until pale and fluffy (again 6 mins at least). Then add icing sugar and milk to the mixture and whip until light and fluffy.
Divide icing mixture in half (if making chocolate ones) and mix a couple of tbsp of cocoa into one of the halves.
Pipe icing onto cupcakes and decorate with sugar flowers. Make sure you taste test one :)

Hints:
To make sure the cupcakes are light and fluffy, make sure the butter is always whipped until it looks pale.
Do not pipe icing onto warm cupcakes, or it will melt! (I would know, because I was so impatient!)
The cupcakes wil last for three days, and they don't have to be refrigerated. But trust me, they will be gone before your eyes, if you have little children around!