Two boys and a tray of cupcakes

Expectant faces, James and Finlay patiently waiting... 

Ta Da!  Rose Cup Cakes for my daughter's birthday.

 Sadly they are finished now, but I will share the recipe, which can be found in the book Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery, by Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas.

Ingredients (makes 12 quite generous cup cakes)

110g unsalted butter at room temperature

225 g caster sugar

2 large eggs

150g self raising flour

125g plain flour

1/2 teasp rosewater, or to taste (mine was stronger )

10 ml milk at room temperature

Oven at 180 deg C/350deg F/Gas mark 4

Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs one at a time.

Combine 2 flours in a separate bowl.  Mix rosewater into the milk, and test - add more if you think it needs it.

Add 1/3 flour to the creamed mix, beat well and then add1/3 milk.  Repeat until all has been added.  

(I always fold the last third in by hand,until it is just incorporated as I have found that overbeating a sponge mix means it doesn't rise well - learned that from Ina Garten, my food heroine.)

Spoon the mix into the cupcake cases and bake for around 25 minutes until they are golden brown and delicious.

Cool them,  top with rose buttercream and decorate as desired.

Rose Buttercream

115g unsalted butter at room temp

4 tablespoons milk at room temp

1 teasp vanilla extract (much as I love this, I would leave it out next time and go for the taste of straight rosewater.)

500g sifted icing sugar

1/2 teasp rosewater (again I used more, but maybe if I had left out the vanilla it might have been enough)

pink food colouring - optional (I had some raspberries in the freezer, which I defrosted and pushed through a sieve, a little bit of the juice made a lovely pink, and no Eeees)

Beat butter, milk, vanilla and half the icing sugar until smooth.  - takes a while, so use an electric mixer if you have one

Gradually add the rest of the sugar, and beat again until smooth and creamy

Add the rosewater at the very end and beat thoroughly - adding a bit more if need be.

I hope you enjoy these if you decide to give them a go.