Vanilla Cupcakes with Jam Center and Raspberry Jam Buttercream

So I've got a bit of a baking bug and decided that letting M eat 9/12 cupcakes wasn't enough, so I made some more. I decided to go forth with the piping bag once more and not let the grey frosting put me off, so I thought Amie, keep it more simple. Which is exactly what I did.

my other love.

Ingredients

Cakes
110g Unsalted Butter
110g Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract 
110g Self Raising flour
1 'blob' (that is the technical term!) of jam per cake.


Buttercream
140g butter
280g Caster sugar
A few 'blobs' jam



Method:
1. Preheat your ovens to 180 and line your cupcake tray with cases. It is now that I found that I have lost one of my newly purchased by dearly loved cupcake cases. RIP green case.
2. Beat together the sugar and butter until pale and creamy, then gradually add in the eggs and vanilla extract. 
3. Fold in the sifted flour with a large metal spoon, keeping those precious air bubbles inside the batter. Then pour even amounts into cupcake cases.
4. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes whilst resisting the temptation to open the oven beforehand! Insert a skewer into the middle of the cake to check if they're done and leave to cool.
5. Core out the middle of the cupcakes - I'm sure there's a technical way to do it, however I just took off and promptly ate the top, and made a nice hole ! Add a delicious blob of jam.

nomnomnom.

6. To make the buttercream, mix together the butter, vanilla and half (140g) of the icing sugar, once thick, add in the extra half (oh how i did make a mess!) and whip up until thick. 

Here is where I made my 2nd frosting error. The mixture was perfect, I did a couple practice stars which were gorgeous but I wasn't happy with the natural colour of the buttercream, and as I don't currently have any food colouring, I added Jam. Foolproof, I thought. No Amie, it isn't. 

Of course I didn't count for the extra liquid e.g. jam, within my buttercream so it turned from the beautiful textured delight, to a bit more runny texture. Amazing to eat but still, annoyed at myself none the less. I WILL finally get it right one day!!!

Recipe idea from BBC Food