I like baking. But I would, you see I don't follow Delia's precise instructions or worry if Nigella's Chocolate Gingerbread are going to work. I have a secret weapon - like a long lost notebook of essential recipes for the New Zealand farm, The Edmond's 'Sure to Rise' Cookery Book is a classic in New Zealand, the fastest selling book ever, still given to newlyweds and my battered go-to recipe book. It's simple and still in print after over one hundred years, can not be argued with.

So, today's bake is cup cakes. I'm not talking about dry, mean little patty cakes of vanilla essence flavour, jazzed up with sickly sweet icing. Nor anything with preservatives, these are cup cakes you can make right now.

My version of the Sure to Rise cupcakes are chocolate, soft, moist and ready in 15 minutes. Here goes..

CUP CAKES
125g butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 free range eggs
1 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Cream butter, vanilla and sugar with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift flour and baking powder and cocoa powder for chocolate cup cakes. Fold into creamed mixture. Stir in milk.

Place paper cases in your muffin tin and spoon mixture into each case. I use a dessert spoon for each of my cup cakes and get 12 large cup cakes.

Bake at 190 degrees C for 12-15 minutes, until cakes spring back when lightly touched.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

VARIATIONS - You can make plain cupcakes by following the ingredient list above.

To easily adapt the cup cakes: ORANGE - omit the vanilla and add 2 teaspoons of grated orange.

CHOCOLATE For my favourite, chocolate, remove 2 TBsp flour and replace with 2 generously heaped tablespoons of cocoa powder (pref. Cadbury or Green & Blacks). Add a tablespoon of soured cream too if you have it in the house.

Feel free to use margarine in place of butter or low fat milk, medium or large egges as this is a very forgiving recipe that you can play around with. Note - a cup contains 250 mls.

ICING In these pictures I have melted milk chocolate in the microwave then drizzled it over the cakes with a spoon, but mostly I make a ganache in a small non stick saucepan with chocolate (your choice, dark or milk or even white) with single cream and a splodge of golden syrup. Melt together then ice the cup cakes. The ganache will harden slightly as it cools.

Enjoy!