These delicious cupcakes would be perfect for a lazy summers day.  The creamy topping is what gives this cupcake its ‘cheesecake’ title.  Try it out and let us know how you get on…

Vanilla Cupcakes (makes 12-15 cupcakes)

Ingredients

• 4 medium eggs
• 225g slightly salted spreadable butter, at room temperature
• 225g caster sugar
• 225g self-raising flour
• 1tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C and line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake cases
2. Crack the eggs into a jug and lightly whisk with a fork then set aside
3. Beat together the butter and the sugar on high speed for 3-4 minutes until it looks like whipped cream. (I thoroughly recommend using an electric mixer for this as it can take a while doing it by hand.  At baking college we had to use only a wooden spoon to get the mixture as white as possible and the baker insisted we keep beating.  This is part makes your cakes light and fluffy)
4. Keep the mixer on medium speed and gradually add the egg, a little at a time.  If you add too much, too quickly, your mixture will curdle.
5. Gently fold in the flour, using a spatula a little at a time.
6. Divide the cake mixture into the cases.  I use an ice-cream scoop to do this!  It means there’s no mixture dripping all over the tray!  Try it, it’s great.
7. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 15minutes, or until the tops feel firm but ‘springy’.  A good way to check is to prick a toothpick into the centre of the cupcake.  If it comes out clean then they are ready!
8. Leave to cool slightly in pan before turning them out onto a wire cooling wrack to cool completely.

Strawberry Cheesecake Frosting

Ingredients

• 100g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 50g soft unsalted butter
• 300g icing sugar, sieved
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 12 fresh strawberries. cut into small pieces.
• 1 or 2 digestive biscuits, crushed

Method

1. Put the cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer and start to beat together.
2. Add the icing sugar one spoonful at a time, making sure that you stop every now and then to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Once all the icing sugar has been added, gently fold in the chopped strawberries using a spatula.
4. Ice your cupcakes with the cheesecake frosting, then when you’re ready to eat them, sprinkle on the biscuit topping.  (I recommend doing this just before you eat them so you get the nice crunchy biscuit texture!)
5. Sit back, relax and enjoy your little taste of summer…