Ice Cream Cupcakes in Association with Baking Mad

Those lovely folks at Baking Mad have sent us a goody parcel and asked us to have a go at one of the recipes off their website. As you know I love experimenting in the kitchen and fancied having a go at making their recipe for ice cream cupcakes. The easy cake recipe is a doddle to follow and the results  speak for themselves, my only comment would be that the buttercream quantity is way to much for the number of cakes you are creating. The recipe is here .
Rather than wrapping the cones in foil as in the recipe I didn't bother and just placed them on a baking sheet, this seem to work fine. I also couldn't locate any ice cream flakes so improvised and used sprinkles I had in the cupboard and had a go at creating a swirl effect in some of the buttercream topping with gel food colours.
What you need 
For the cupcakes

• 12 flat based ice cream cones - wafer type
• 170g caster sugar - I used Billingtons Golden Caster Sugar
• 170g butter - unsalted
• 3 eggs - free range
• 170g Self Raising flour - I used Allisons
• 1tsp vanilla extract - I used Neilsen Massey

For the buttercream icing 

• 125g butter - softened
• 250g icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Sprinkles of your choice, mini flakes, fudge sticks, chocolate sauce, etc

What you do 

• Preheat the oven to 160c fan / 180c normal oven
• Place the ice cream cones on baking tray
• Cream the butter and sugar together, whisk until fluffy and light.
• Add the eggs one at a time and beat well, add the vanilla, if the mixture looks like splitting then add a little of the flour. 
• Fold in the flour until you have a smooth mixture, divide between the 12 cases, do not fill to the top
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 mins or until tested cooked with a cocktail stick, they will be golden brown and well risen
• Leave to cool fully before decorating
• To make the buttercream, whisk the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract together until you have a smooth fluffy buttercream
• Place in a piping bag and pipe swirls on top of the cupcakes, decorate with sprinkles or flakes
• To make ripple buttercream, using food colouring gel, paint the inside of a disposable piping bag with your choosen color and pipe as before.

The cupcakes proved very popular with some friends little ones who thought they were great fun and thoroughly enjoyed licking the buttercream off the top before devouring the cake and cone.