• Preheat oven to 180C/356F and line a cupcake tin with paper liners.
• In a medium bowl, beat butter for 1 minute with a hand/stand mixer. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy (for advice on creaming, see ‘The Creaming Method’ in the ‘Baking Secrets’ tab). Whilst beating, very slowly (we don’t want to loose any air we have just made) pour the oil in to the butter and sugar mixture and continue beating for another minute.
• In a smaller bowl, crack eggs and whisk to combine. Add almond and vanilla extract. Slowly add the egg mixture into the butter mixture, incorporating as you pour until well combined.
• In a medium sized bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Add ground almonds and whisk to combine. Fold this mixture into the butter and eggs until just combined.
• Soon mixture into cupcake tin, filling just half way. Place a dollop of jam on each cupcake then spoon more batter on top to cover the jam. The cupcake liners should be ¾ full.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted (mine take exactly 18 minutes to bake).
• Cool in tin for 10 minutes before inverting on a wire rack to cool. Once cool, ice with royal icing (or any icing of your choice) and top with a glacé cherry.

ROYAL ICING

• In a medium sized bowl, beat egg whites and icing sugar with a hand/stand mixer until large in volume and shiny (about 3 minutes). Add lemon juice to create a thinner consistency.
• Store cupcakes in an airtight container. They are best eaten the day they are made but will keep for 3-4 days.