Christmas Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 160°C (180°C fan, gas mark 4). Line a cupcake tin with cupcake cases.

Cream together the butter and sugar until pale & fluffy, add the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, beating until mixed. Gently fold in the flour. Spoon the mixture into the cases until 2/3 full.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown or a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

To make the snowman roll out white icing and cut a disc the same size as the cake and stick onto the cake using some warmed jam. Roll out some red icing and cut into a semi circle place this on the cake for the snowman’s hat, use a ball of white icing for the bobble and a strip of white for the brim of the hat. Use small balls of black icing for his eyes and a small cone of red for his nose. Give him a smile using the knife.

To make a snowflake cover the cake with a disc of red icing then using a knife or snowflake cutter cut a snowflake shape and stick to the top using water.

To make a tree use a sharp knife to cut a Christmas tree shape in the green sugar paste icing and place on the cake using water to stick, decorate the tree with silver balls.

For Santa mix together some white and red icing to make a pink face, then roll out some white icing and cut out shapes for his beard and hat, then use a red semi circle for his hat, stick to the face using water then use balls of black for his eyes, red for his nose and white for the bobble on his hat.