Name: Christmas pudding cupcakes
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: Cupcakes; 125 gram butter, at room temperature; 3/4 cup caster sugar; 2 eggs, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla essence; 1 1/4 cup self-raising flour; 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted; 2/3 cup milk; Buttercream icing; 100 gram butter, at room temperature; 1 cup icing sugar, sifted; 2 tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted; 1 tablespoon milk; To decorate; 12 choc mint biscuits; 150 gram white fondant icing, bought; 50 gram green fondant icing, bought; 50 gram red fondant icing, bought

Christmas pudding cupcakes

These chocolate cupcakes are the perfect alternative to traditional Christmas pudding, and look cute to boot!

Makes 12

Prep

30M

Cook

20M

Total

50M

Ingredients

Cupcakes

125 gram butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup caster sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 1/4 cup self-raising flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted

2/3 cup milk

Buttercream icing

100 gram butter, at room temperature

1 cup icing sugar, sifted

2 tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted

1 tablespoon milk

To decorate

12 choc mint biscuits

150 gram white fondant icing, bought

50 gram green fondant icing, bought

50 gram red fondant icing, bought

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, cocoa powder 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, cocoa powder and milk until fluffy.

To decorate

7.Spread cupcakes with buttercream, reserving 1/4 cup for assembling. Top each with a chocolate biscuit.

8.Roll out white fondant between two sheets of baking paper until 0.5cm thick. Using a 5cm round cookie cutter, cut 12 discs from fondant.

9.Spread one side of fondant discs with reserved buttercream. Place discs, buttercream-side down, on chocolate biscuits.

10.Roll out green fondant between two sheets of baking paper until 0.5cm thick. Using a small leaf-shaped cookie cutter, cut 24 leaves from green fondant.

11.Roll red fondant into 12 small balls (berries). Attach leaves and berries to white fondant using a little buttercream.

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