To make the royal icing decorations, add the egg whites and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer and mix on low speed until well combined.

Split into two bowls and colour one blue using blue food gel and the other pink. Mix until well combined.

Place the two coloured mixtures into two separate piping bags fitted with a Wilton #4 round piping tip.

Line a baking tray with baking paper and pipe little blobs of the pink mixture. Pie little lightning bolts using the blue mixture.

Preheat a fan-forced oven to 140°C (275°F) or a conventional oven to 160°C (320°F). Line two cupcake tins with the cupcake liners.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix with a hand mixer until well combined.

Next, add the softened butter and mix on low speed until the mixture reaches a crumbly, sand-like texture.

Add the eggs, milk, oil, yoghurt, strawberry flavouring, pink food gel and vanilla, and mix on low speed until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Scrape down the side of the bowl and mix for a final 20 seconds.

Fill each liner three-quarters of the way. Using an ice-cream scoop to transfer the batter to the cupcake liners makes this a quick and easy process, and ensures each liner contains exactly the same amount of batter and that the cupcakes will bake evenly. Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Fit the end of two piping bags with a Wilton 1m piping tip and frosting alternating swirls of the yellow and black food gel.

Finish by placing the decorations around each cupcake.