Lavender Trust Cupcakes

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 400F, line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and get butter, eggs and milk out of the refrigerator in time to get to room temperature before you start.

2. 2

   Make the cupcakes as usual: put all the cake ingredients, bar the milk, into the food processor and combine, adding milk to bind.

3. 3

   Using spoon and rubber spatula, fill the cake-cups equally and bake for 20 minutes or so, until cooked (see page 195).

4. 4

   Cool the cupcakes as for the lemon cupcakes, and slice off any humped tops.

5. 5

   Make up the icing according to package instructions, dyeing the mixture a faint lilac with a spot or two of food coloring: I like to use the solid pastes, for which you may have to go to a specialist cake decoration shop, Im afraid; the color youll want here is generally labeled grape violet.

6. 6

   Go carefully, though: we want pastel serenity here, not seventies record-sleeve murk.

7. 7

   Top each pretty-pale cupcake with a little sprig of lavender before the icings set dry.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.