Few things delight the senses quite like a moist, fluffy vanilla cupcake topped with creamy, dreamy buttercream frosting ...

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.

The simple frosting is light, fluffy, and ideal for piping pretty swirls atop cupcakes, decorating sugar cookies and cakes, ...

For the orange buttercream variation, omit the milk and vanilla from the basic recipe ... omit the milk from the basic recipe. Cream the butter and sugar, as above, also adding the cocoa powder.

In a mixing bowl or jug, combine eggs, yoghurt, water, oil and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients ... Allow to cool completely before preparing with the buttercream. Beat together the egg whites ...