Vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream & salted caramel

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 F)
2. ream the sugar and the butter in an electric mixer until light and fluffy
3. Add each egg one at a time, mixing well after each addition * TIP: I always break the egg in a small separate bowl in case any shell breaks off you can fish it out before adding to the mix
4. Its almost impossible to overmix at this stage - so I let it go until the mixture has become very light and fluffy
5. In another bowl sift together the flour and baking powder
6. Turn the mixer to a low setting and slowly add the milk and flour in 3 parts, allowing it to blend a bit before adding the next bit
7. Do not over-mix! I literally mix until all the ingredients are just combined
8. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula and mix by hand a few turns to get it all in
9. I use an ice cream scoop which makes this step so much easier. Scoop the batter into muffin pans that have been lined with paper cups. You want to fill the liner to roughly 3/4 of the way up
10. Bake for 20 minutes until the cupcakes are just turning golden brown
11. Allow to cool on the pan before removing to decorate

To make the icing:

1. Place all the icing ingredients into a bowl and mix on medium to high until it becomes white and fluffy.