So simple but really effective. You can make this with the vanilla cupcake mixture below or leave out the vanilla and stir in 2 tablespoons of coca powder, 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and the grated zest of 1/2 an orange for delicious chocolate-orange cupcakes.

Makes about 36 mini cupcakes (you will need 30 for the flag)

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter or 1/2 cup of soft margarine
1/2 cup of superfine sugar
1 cup self-raising flour
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Glacé Icing:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Blue & red food colouring

Decoration:
Mini white sugar stars or piped white icing stars

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Put all the cupcake ingredients into a bowl or food processor and beat together until smooth. Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners and fill each liner about two thirds fill with batter.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until well risen and the cakes spring back when you press them with your fingertips.

Mix the sugar with 3 1/2 to 4 tablespoons warm water until you have a good spreadable consistency – it should not be runny. You may need to add a little extra water. Remove 1 1/2 tablespoons of the icing and colour it blue. Remove two thirds of the remaining icing and colour it red.

Ice six of the cupcakes blue, fifteen of the cupcakes red and nine of the cupcakes white. Stick white sugar stars on to the blue cupcakes. Arrange cupcakes into the American flag.