Name: Fairy cakes
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 37 min
Yield: makes 20-24
Ingredients: 75g/2½ oz butter softened; 50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil; 125g/4½ oz caster sugar; 2 large eggs; 125g/4½ oz self-raising flour; 2 tbsp/30ml milk; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 250g/9oz icing sugar; food colouring (optional); Your choice of sprinkles such as hundreds and thousands, sugar stars, berries or small sweets

75g/2½ oz butter
softened
50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil
125g/4½ oz caster sugar
2 large eggs
125g/4½ oz self-raising flour
2 tbsp/30ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

To decorate

250g/9oz icing sugar
food colouring
(optional)
Your choice of sprinkles
such as hundreds and thousands, sugar stars, berries or small sweets

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line 2 x 12 hole bun tins or mini muffin tins with paper cake cases. Put all the fairy cake ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together with electric hand beaters until smooth. If you don’t have these you can use a wooden spoon or balloon whisk (see tip).
step 2
Dollop the mixture into the prepared cases until it’s all used up. Bake for 10-12 mins or until golden and springy. To be sure they’re cooked through, poke a cocktail stick into the centre of one of the cakes in a middle row – if it comes out cleanly, it’s cooked. Leave to cool in the tin for 5-10mins then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
step 3
Mix the icing sugar with enough water to make it the consistency of thick cream. Colour some or all of the icing with a few drops of your chosen food colouring(s) then drizzle over the top of the cooled fairy cakes. Sprinkle with your chosen toppings while the icing is still wet. Leave to set firm before serving. Will keep for 2 days in an airtight container.