125g butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ cup Chelsea Caster Sugar
2 eggs
1 cup plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ cup milk

Variations:
2 tsp orange zest
2 Tbsp cocoa powder

Icing:
125g butter (room temperature)
1½ cups Chelsea Icing Sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 190°C. Place 12 paper cases in a cupcake tin.
Beat butter, vanilla and Chelsea Caster Sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift flour and baking powder together then fold into creamed butter mixture. Stir in milk until combined then spoon mixture evenly into paper cases.
Bake for 15 minutes or until cakes spring bake when lightly touched.
Transfer to a cooling rack to cool. Decorate with icing as below.

Orange Cup Cakes: Omit vanilla essence from basic recipe and replace with orange zest.
Chocolate Cup Cakes: Omit two tablespoons of flour from basic recipe and replace with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.

Icing:
Place butter in a small bowl and beat until it is pale and fluffy. Gradually add about half the sifted Chelsea Icing Sugar and one tablespoon of milk, beating constantly. Beat in the remaining icing sugar and remaining milk if necessary, until it is smooth and easy to spread.
For piping, the icing will need to be a thick consistency to hold its shape. Add food colouring if desired or create different flavours by adding vanilla extract, lemon zest and juice or orange zest and juice.