Christmas cupcakes
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- + chilling
- Easy
- Makes 12
Ingredients
- 200g caster sugar
- 200ml vegetable oil
- 2 medium eggs
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 200g plain flour
- 20g cocoa powder
- ½ heaped tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 150g natural yogurt
MARSHMALLOW ICING
- 150g white marshmallows
- 90ml milk
- 250g full-fat soft cheese
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 75ml double cream, whipped
SNOWMAN DECORATIONS
- 12 white marshmallows, medium
- black icing pen
- 12 candied peel, pieces
- 36 M&M’s, of different colours
- 12 Matchmakers, snapped in half
Method
- STEP 1
To make the icing, melt the marshmallows in the milk over a very low heat. Stir to stop them from sticking – be careful not to burn the mix. Spoon into a bowl and cool completely. Meanwhile, whip the cheese with the vanilla until smooth. When the marshmallow mix is cool, fold together, then fold in the whipped double cream and chill for at least an hour.
- STEP 2
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases. Beat together the sugar and oil, then beat in the eggs one at a time, adding the vanilla with the second egg.
- STEP 3
Mix the flour, cocoa and bicarb, then add half to the oil mixture. Beat in well before adding the yogurt. Add the remaining dry ingredients. Divide between the cases and bake for 20 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- STEP 4
Put the marshmallow icing into a piping bag, snip off the end, and pipe without a nozzle straight onto the top of the cupcakes to make the snowmen’s bodies.
- STEP 5
Draw a face on each marshmallow with black icing, stick in a bit of peel for the noses then pop on top of the icing. Add M&M’s for buttons and halved Matchmakers for the arms.
