Nigella’s Royal Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 160C and line a 12-hole muffin tin with the muffin cases.

Put all the ingredients except for the milk in the processor and then blitz till smooth. Pulse while adding milk, to make for a soft, dropping consistency, down the funnel.

Alternatively, using a bowl and wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar, beat in the eggs one at a time with a little of the flour.

Add the vanilla extract and fold in the rest of the flour, adding the milk to get the dropping consistency as before.

Divide batter among 12 muffins.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cup cakes are cooked and golden on top. As soon as bearable, take the cup cakes in their cases out of the tin and let cool, right way up, on a wire rack.

Once they’re cool, use teaspoons to coat the cupcakes with icing and leave each a moment to dry only slightly, on the surface, before sticking on a rose, daisy or whole stash of decorations.

Add in juice of lemon and continue whipping till glossy and of spreading consistency.

Top cupcakes with icing. Serve