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• 110g unsalted butter – remove from the fridge at least an hour before you start cooking
• 180g sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 125g self-raising flour
• 120g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons of jam (we used raspberry)

Ingredients for the icing

• 140g butter, softened
• 280g icing (powdered/confectioners’) sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• few drops food colouring, if you like

1. Turn the oven on and heat to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4
2. Line a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases.
3. Put the sugar and butter in to a mixing bowl and cream together using a wooden spoon or electric mixer. The mixture should look pale and fluffy.
4. Add one egg and beat in to the mixture. Add the second egg and beat in to the mixture.
5. In a separate bowl, sift and mix the self-raising and plain flour.
6. In a jug mix the milk and vanilla essence.
7. Add about 1/3 of the flour to the butter and sugar and beat well. Then add about 1/3 of the milk mixture and beat well.
8. Do this until all the flour and milk has been added.
9. Now carefully mix in the jam. It should not be completely mixed in – you should still be able to see streaks of jam in the mixture.
10. Spoon the mixture in to the paper cases – do not fill right to the top of the case.
11. Put in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown.
12. Leave the cakes in the tray for about 15 minutes, then move the cakes to a wire rack and leave to cool.
13. When they are cool, use a sharp knife (we used a gadget that takes the core out of an apple) and cut a small circle out of the top of each cake. Fill with jam.

Now make your icing:

1. Beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
2. Add the remaining icing sugar and one tablespoon of the milk and beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Beat in more milk, if necessary, to make the mixture softer.
3. Stir in the food colouring if you are using colour (we divided the mixture in half and left half plain and added purple food colour to the other half.)
4. Decorate the cakes with the icing and flowers – we made flowers out of sugar paste.
5. Arrange on a stand or plates, decorate with ribbon….and enjoy!