Cherry Vanilla Red Nose Day Cupcakes

I think this has been the longest gap I have had blogging-wise for quite some time! It’s been a week since I posted a recipe but I have an iron-clad excuse: I was ill with a stomach bug (beware of cute babies bearing germs) AND my temporary kitchen was dismantled and I was without a stove for a couple of days. But the real reason is that my kitchen is finally F I N I S H E D!!!! The builders cleared out on Friday evening – 6 months to the day since the work started – and we found ourselves staring at our lovely new space in disbelief and awe. I posted a couple of sneak peaks on Twitter and Instagram but I will do a big reveal on a proper blogpost soon – I am so in love with my new kitchen!

My husband and I spent all of Saturday and Sunday moving our belongings in, cleaning endlessly and dodging the kids who were both gleefully running in circles around us and persistently pestering me about making Red Nose Day cupcakes. In the end I had to give in and do a little baking with them – on the floor since none of the countertops were free! By the way it has taken us all of two days to make the new kitchen look as if we have been using it for years. And one thing is abundantly clear – you can never have enough storage space…

Taking a break to do some baking was absolutely the right move – even though it felt like an imposition at the time. These are uncomplicated little cupcakes that can be made entirely by hand – although you will need a stand mixer for the frosting. In reality they are a friand variation and they are light and absolutely delicious! I used cocktail cherries because they look exactly right for Red Nose Day but you can use fresh raspberries if you prefer.