Jeeny's summer flower cupcakes: Today

Ingredients

Serves: 10-12

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or red/white wine vinegar)
• 2 cups of milk, or any milk (480mL), room temperature
• 2 cups of sugar (400g)
• 3 cups of self-raising flour (or GF flour), (360g)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder, (6g)
• 1 teaspoon bread soda, (5g)
• Pinch of sea salt, (2g)
• ⅔ cup butter, melted and cooled, (or veg. oil) (145g)
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste, (10 ml)
• ½ tsp orange essence or orange zest, (2.5 ml)
• 2 drops of any food colouring (optional) pink, red, lilac, blue, purple.

Buttercream:

• 2 cups icing sugar, (400g)
• 2 cups butter, softened (430 g)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange essence
• 1 tablespoon milk, add more if needed
• Pinch of sea salt, only if using unsalted butter

Method

For the cupcakes

1. Heat oven to 165º C — 175º C. I tend to use lower setting to prevent my cupcakes from getting too dark on the outside before the inside is done baking.
2. Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
3. Sift dry ingredients (including sugar). Whisk to combine.
4. In another bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.
5. Combine wet and dry mixtures. Whisk until combined. (Add a few drops of food colouring if using) mix & fold gently until a desired consistency is reached. If the batter is lumpy, it's okay! Do not over mix.
6. Evenly distribute batter into cupcake liners, fill them with ¾ of batter. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the centres are set and springy to the touch. Use the toothpick method.

Buttercream

1. In a stand mixer or with an electric whisk, cream the butter until fluffy and pale.
2. Sift in half of the icing sugar. Mix, then add the rest, continue whipping for 5 minutes.
3. Add milk, vanilla, and orange essence, continue whipping for 5-10 minutes, until icing sugar it’s completely incorporated and smooth.
4. Transfer 2 cups of the buttercream to a bowl. Add food colouring if desired.
5. Transfer buttercream to a piping bag. Snip off the tip.
6. Use a piping tip to make your edible flowers with the buttercream, start at the centre of your cupcake or cake to make the center of the flower, from there work your way out with beautiful petals, enjoy this relaxing skill and take your time, let your creativity guide you. Enjoy the process!

Perfect piping tips to create beautiful flowers for beginners:

• Wilton 1M Open Star Tip.
• Wilton 199 Open Star Tip.
• Wilton 12 Round Tip.
• Wilton Tip 21 Open Star Tip.
• Wilton Tip 5 Round Tip.
• Ateco 846 Closed Star Tip.
• Ateco 808 Round Tip.