Crushed candy cane cupcakes

ingredients

• Cupcakes

  • 125 gram butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup caster sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 1 1/2 cup self-raising flour
  • 2/3 cup milk

• Buttercream icing

  • 100 gram butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon milk

• To decorate

  • 15 candy canes, crushed

method

• Cupcakes

  • 1

    Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line a 12-cup muffin tray with paper or foil cases.

  • 2

    Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy.

  • 3

    Add eggs, one by one, beating lightly after each addition until combined. Stir in essence, flour and milk.

  • 4

    Spoon into prepared holes. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted at centre comes out clean.

  • 5

    Stand in tray for five minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

  • 6

    Meanwhile, to make the buttercream icing, use an electric mixer to beat the butter in a large bowl until as white as possible. Gradually beat in icing sugar and milk until fluffy.

• Decoration

  • 1

    Spoon buttercream in to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm star-shaped nozzle; pipe onto cupcakes.

  • 2

    Place crushed candy canes in a shallow bowl. Press tops of cupcakes into candy cane to lightly coat.