Positive Action on Cancer - Lavender Cupcakes

Anyone who is planning a 'Tea Party for PAC' may want to try making these. They add a 'splash of purple', the colour of the charity. They may not quite be seasonal just yet but you can easily get the ingredients. Also they are easy to make and taste good too!

As with most of my recipes they have been partly pinched from better chefs than myself. The original recipe comes from Nigella Lawson's 'Forever Summer'. This makes at least 12 large cupcakes or around 20 smaller ones.

Ingredients:
5 oz self raising flour
5 oz very soft butter
5 oz caster sugar
2 eggs
Lavender water (I got mine from Mendip Lavender but you can get in some supermarkets, Millers in Frome or Herbs on the Hill)

for the icing:
250g royal icing
more lavender water
lilac food colouring

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C / Gas Mark 6, line your cupcake tin with cases and make sure your butter is soft before starting

Chuck all the ingredients bar the lavender water in the food processor and whiz till smooth. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and whiz again

Fill the cases (but not totally, remember they will rise and you want to be able to ice them without it running over the edge of the case!) and bake for about 20 mins. Cool on a rack and slice of any 'humps' to level off before icing.

Follow the packet instructions to make the icing but add some lavender water in place of tap water. You might want to do this to taste as some waters are stronger than others and not everyone wants a strong flavour. Add colouring a bit at a time to get the shade right. Decorate the cakes. You may want to add lavender stalks to the tops (if you have any!) or spray with shimmer spray, or just leave as they are, they are pretty enough!

Place on a tiered cake stand for maximum effect. For a guide to the perfect the party see my other blog post. Click here