Happy Cupcakes

Recipe by April Carter

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INGREDIENTS

For the cupcakes:

  1. 175g plain flour
  2. 50g cocoa powder
  3. 2 teaspoons baking powder
  4. 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  5. 110g unsalted butter, softened
  6. 200g caster sugar
  7. 2 large eggs
  8. 180ml milk

For the buttercream:

  1. 125g unsalted butter, softened
  2. 250g icing sugar
  3. 1 tablespoon milk
  4. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  5. blue paste or gel food colouring

For Happy decoration:

  1. 200g green fondant
  2. small amount of black, white and blue fondant

Note: A grown-up must supervise and help with preparation.

METHOD (Makes 12)

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
  2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined. Add the milk, continuing to beat, and then add the remaining flour mixture beating until just combined.
  4. Spoon into the lined muffin tin until each case is two-thirds full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean.
  5. To make the Happy crocodile decoration, kneed the green fondant briefly and shape into 12 rectangles. Shape 12 pairs of blue fondant discs to create Happy’s glasses and attach white fondant discs with black dots to create his pupils.
  6. Roll out 12 thin white sausage shapes to create Happy’s smile and 12 pairs of small black balls for his nostrils.
  7. Using the recipe photo as a guide, attach Happy’s features to the green rectangles, dampening with water to stick if needed. The fondant decoration can be made up to a week in advance.
  8. To make the buttercream, beat the butter, icing sugar, milk and vanilla until pale and creamy. Gradually add the blue colouring and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Ice the cooled cupcakes by starting to pipe from the centre of each cake and spiral outwards. To finish, place the fondant Happy heads on top.