Raspberry Heart Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients:

For the cakes:

125g unsalted butter, softened

125g caster sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

125g self-raising flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp milk

300g raspberries - fresh or frozen depending on the season

For the raspberry sauce:

250g raspberries

1 tbsp caster sugar

Half a lemon, juice only

For the buttercream:

250g unsalted butter, softened

500g icing sugar

1 tbsp milk

Instructions:

1. For the cupcakes: Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Pop your cake cases into the 12 holes of a muffin tin.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together, ideally with a hand mixer, until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, followed by the vanilla, mixing well and then add the flour via a sieve. Mix thoroughly then add the milk and mix again.

3. Using two teaspoons divide the mixture equally between each case, add one dollop of mixture before adding a raspberry to each case, then topping with a final spoon of mixture.

4. Nestle a marble in between each case and the side of the tin to achieve the V of the heart.

5. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes - they are done when a toothpick comes out clean once poked inside the cake. Allow to cool.

6. For the raspberry sauce: Put the remaining raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in a pan and heat gently until the fruit breaks down.

7. Allow to cool then blitz in blender and pass through a sieve and set aside in the fridge until needed.

8. For the buttercream: Using a mixer combine the butter and icing sugar and milk until you have a super creamy and light buttercream.

9. Spread each cupcake with enough buttercream to give it a smooth layer, making sure you keep within the lines of the heart-shaped case.

10. To decorate: Fill a disposable piping bag with some raspberry sauce and pipe a heart on each cupcake then serve on pretty plates.

Tip: If you have surplus buttercream and raspberry sauce simply package up and freeze for another day.