Reindeer Cupcakes
Equipment
Tala Performance 12 Cup Bun Tin
Ingredients
110g softened butter
110g golden caster sugar
2 large eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
110g self-raising flour
For the buttercream
150g softened butter
255g icing sugar
45g cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk
To decorate
giant chocolate buttons
Smarties
mini pretzels
White chocolate chips
Method
- Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and fill a 12 cupcake tray with cases.
- Beat 110g softened butter and 110g golden caster sugar together until pale and fluffy then whisk in 2 large eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
- Add ½ tsp vanilla extract, 110g self-raising flour and a pinch of salt, whisk until just combined then spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases.
- Bake for 15 mins until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the buttercream, whisk 150g softened butter until super soft then add 225g icing sugar, 45g cocoa powder, 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
- Whisk together until smooth (start off slowly to avoid an icing sugar cloud) then beat in 3 tbsp milk.
- Add some chocolate buttercream to the cupcake, position a milk chocolate button on top of each cake, then 2 white chocolate chips above it. Use a little icing as glue to stick a red or brown Smartie onto the milk chocolate button for a nose. Then use your icing bag to draw dots of chocolate buttercream onto the white chocolate chips for eyes. Stick 2 pretzel top halves into the top of each cake for antlers.
