cupcakes and lime icing

cupcakes:

2 1/4 cups self raising flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder (optional)
1/2 cup butter (I use nuttelex)
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs


1. beat butter/nuttelex and sugar for 30 seconds or until it's well combined and a bit fluffy.
2. add the eggs, milk, and vanilla and beat until combined.
3. add the flour (and baking powder if you want) and gently mix it in - either use a wooden spoon, or mix with electric beaters turned off until the flour is mixed in enough that it won't create a dustcloud.
4. don't mix for so long that you beat all the air out of the mixture.
5. line a muffin tray with patty pan cases, and gloop the mixture into the patty pan cases (half full or two thirds full, depending on how big you want the muffins).
6. cook in a moderate oven for as long as they take to cook (a skewer should come out clean when they're done).
7. let them cool down and then ice them.


lime icing:

icing sugar
a small lime
water

1. put more icing sugar than you think you need in a smallish bowl (it's easier to use the icing if there's a smaller surface area on top for the liquid to evaporate).
2. cut a lime in half and squeeze some lime juice (less than you think you'll need) into the icing sugar.
3. mix the icing sugar and the juice.
4. if the mixture is too runny, add more icing sugar.
5. if the mixture is too dry, add water or more lime, depending on how limey you want the icing.
6. fiddle with the proportions until you get icing that's firm but with some amount of give in it - if it's too dry, the icing won't smooth out and set properly and they'll look ugly.
7. use a knife to ice the cupcakes once they've cooled.