Cupcake Bouquet

Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 4). Line 2 cup cake trays with 24 paper cupcake cases.

Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs a little at a time until smooth, adding a little flour if the mixture curdles.

Stir in the flour and vanilla extract until smooth.

Place heaped dessertspoon full in each cupcake case and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and just firm to the touch. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely. They are best made the day before if possible.

To make the buttercreams, mix 200g of the softened butter with 250g of icing sugar in two separate bowls until smooth. In one bowl add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract and a few drops of yellow food colouring, in the other bowl add 1/2 teaspoon of rose water and a few drops of pink food colouring.

Place each butter cream in a large piping bag fitted with a large star shaped nozzle.

Place the polystyrene ball into the bucket or vase and push down firmly so that it sits securely and the bucket is cutting into the ball to hold it in place. Make a little slit with the point of a knife in the base of each cupcake case and insert a wooden lollypop stick into the cake. Push the lollypop stick into the polystyrene ball, and start arranging the cakes first in a circle around the edge of the bucket, then another circle of cakes on top until all the ball is covered. You may not need all the cakes.

Pipe the cakes with a swirl of butter cream on each cake to make it look like a rose.

Cut small squares of green tissue paper , bring up all 4 corners to make a scrunch of paper and push in between the cakes.

Keep the bouquet in a cold place and serve within 1 day. Wrap in cellophane when the icing has dried and tie with a ribbon if desired.