Strawberry Clouds

Ever since Christmas we've had storm after storm here in the UK ~ gales and rain and floods. I suppose we are luckier than our neighbours across the pond, with their record-breaking low temperatures and snowstorms. While I adore storms and wintery weather I realise that most people yearn for summer sunshine, so just for you I've crammed summer into a cake, so you can all have a little sunshine no matter how gloomy the day may be outside.

These cakes are so light and fluffy, and such a delicately creamy shade of pink ~ it's like taking a bite of a strawberry cloud, hence the name!

 

Strawberry Cloud Cupcakes

For the cake:

200g self raising flour

225g sugar

50g strawberry nesquik powder

1/2 tsp salt

100g margarine

2 eggs

150ml milk

few drops vanilla essence

few drops pink or red food colouring (optional)

For the icing:

75g cream cheese

25g butter

250g icing sugar

25g strawberry nesquik powder

 

Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas 4

 

Sieve the flour and mix together with the sugar, salt and nesquik. Rub in the margarine. Beat the eggs and milk together with vanilla essence and food colouring (if using). Stir the wet mixture into the dry and beat well until light and creamy.  Fill cupcake cases two thirds full and bake for approx. 25 mins until just golden brown. While they cool on a rack, make the icing.

Beat together the cream cheese and butter until well blended and creamy, then beat in the nesquik. Add the icing sugar about a third at a time and beat until thoroughly mixed. Ice your cakes.

 

This recipe will make approx. 12 large cupcakes, or 24 fairy cakes, or 6 large and 12 small! The icing should generously coat 12 large cupcakes, and was enough to top 6 large and 12 small with a little leftover for the cook ;)

 

Why not whip yourself up a batch, crank up the heating, and remind yourself what summer was like.