Raspberry Ripple Vanilla Swirl Cupcakes

Based from a normal vanilla cupcake recipe, I edited the ingredients with raspberry infusions to create some scrummy treats!

Ingredients:
110g butter, softened
110g caster sugar
2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
110g self-raising flour
1-2 tbsp milk

2 tbsp Seedless Raspberry Jam

For the buttercream icing;
140g butter, softened
280g/10oz icing sugar
1-2 tbsp milk
a few drops of red food colouring

Dried raspberry pieces and other to decorate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale. Beat in the eggs a little at a time and stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Fold in the flour using a large metal spoon, adding a little milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency.

4. Spoon the raspberry jam into the mixture and fold, making sure that the jam does not mix with the cake mixture entirely - a subtle marble effect wants to be achieved.

5. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until they are half full.
6. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
7. For the buttercream icing, beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half the icing sugar and beat until smooth.

8. Then add the remaining icing sugar with one tablespoon of the milk, adding more milk if necessary, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

9. Add the red food colouring until a very pale, light pink colour is achieved.
10. Ice the cupcakes using a knife (can also use icing bags). 

11. Decorate the tops of the cakes with the dried raspberry pieces and other decorations such as milk chocolate stars. 

Recipe altered from - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/cupcakes_93722