Heat the oven to 180C, 160C fan, gas 4. Line 10 deep, cupcake tins with paper cases.
In a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients with a pinch of salt.
Whisk together the egg, milk and vanilla with 50ml boiling water.
Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and beat until smooth. The mixture will be quite runny at this stage. Pour into the cupcake cases, filling no more than halfway up.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.
Meanwhile make the frosting. Beat the butter with about a third of the icing sugar, until smooth. Gradually add the remaining icing sugar, beating well after each addition. Beat in the raspberry conserve*.
When the cupcakes have cooled, use a small, sharp, pointed knife to cut a teaspoon-sized hollow in the centre of each cake. Fill with a generous teaspoon of raspberry conserve.
Pipe or spoon the frosting on top of the conserve and top with a fresh raspberry.
The mixture will make 8 – 10 cakes, depending on the size of your cupcake cases.
Keep the cupcakes in a cool place until ready to eat, or freeze (without the raspberries) for up to 1 month.
*If piping the frosting on top, make sure there are no large pieces of conserve fruit in the frosting to clog up the nozzle.
