• Preheat oven to 160° Fan. Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases and set aside.
• Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together using an electric hand mixer until pale, light and fluffy.
• Crack eggs into a jug, pour in 1 egg yolk and thoroughly mix in. Repeat this with the remaining eggs and the teaspoon of vanilla paste.
• Gradually add in the sieved flour bit by bit gently folding in between each addition.
• Add a few tbsp of milk if needed to loosen mixture.
• Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon, evenly divide the batter between the cases and bake for 15-20 minutes (or until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean).
• Leave to cool for a 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Buttercream

• When the cupcakes are completely cool, whisk the butter together using an electric hand mixer before adding in the vanilla paste.
• Sieve your icing sugar a little by little and mix inbetween each addition. I do this in 2-3 stages.
• Whisk once again until pale, light and fluffy.
• Make sure it's the right thickness. If its too runny you won't get a nice swirl shape so add a little icing sugar. If it's too thick it will be difficult to pipe so add a tsp of boiling water or milk.
• If you're going to pipe place a snipped piping bag with the nozzle inside so its poking through into a pint glass with the nozzle at the bottom and the edges folded over the glass.
• Spoon the buttercream into the bag and push down the bag and twist.
• Use your top hand to squeeze the buttercream down NOT your bottom hand.
• In a spiral, keeping the bag vertical not diagonal, squeeze from the centre and go round until it reaches the edges.
• It may take a few goes but you'll get the hang of it! Enjoy!