Best cupcake recipe?

[Nightfall1983]

Looking for a good cupcake recipe for my sons birthday party. I'm a decent baker, but by no means an expert. Ideally I think plain/vanilla is the way to go.

Also what's best to do about icing? I never quite seem to get it right, I'd love to see the big swirly icing you get on professional cakes - am I best getting icing-in-a-can from tesco? Should I do it myself - I have an icing bag/nozzles... Thanks!

Hi night, have a go yourself, dont go buying those already made buttercream in the supermarket.

For my buttercream I use 250 grms soft butter, beat that till almost white, then add 400,450 grms of icing sugar and beat till light and fluffy, about 10mins in my mixer.

These are mine I made few weeks ago, have a practise with your nozzles you wont know til you try.

Cream your icing for longer than you think you need to, then it really fluffs up. I love the Hummingbird Bakery recipe for vanilla cupcakes but I find the one dozen is only ten, and I can halve the icing amounts.

Was about to,recommend hummingbird too - great cakes and frostings.

Nanny cook - your cupcakes look amazing. Can you share the recipe and what icing nozzle did you use please? Im a novice baker and practiced cupcakes this weekend for a birthday party next weekend - a Mary berry recipe. They looked and tasted ok but not great - a bit too sweet and the sponge was quite dense....

Don't buy the ready made stuff in a can - I tried it once for quickness and it was disgusting!

Nanny cook, I can't see the pictures, where do I click? Thanks!