Cupcakes for Christmas

The rising star of the baking world is famously adaptable – and lends itself perfectly to seasonal re-invention.

The Basics
Double Chocolate Sponge
75g dark chocolate, chopped
50g unsalted butter, softened
175g light brown soft sugar
2 eggs, beaten
½ tsp vanilla extract
150g plain flour
1 rounded Tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
A pinch of salt
125ml soured cream
75ml boiling water
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the side of the mixing bowl from time to time. Add the vanilla and melted chocolate and stir well. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together. Add to the mixture in alternate batches with the soured cream. Add the boiling water and mix until smooth.

Buttermilk Sponge
175g unsalted butter, softened
200g caster sugar
2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
125ml buttermilk
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the side of the mixing bowl from time to time. Add the vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and add to the mixture in alternate batches with buttermilk. Mix until smooth.

Meringue Buttercream
200g caster sugar
3 egg whites
250g unsalted butter, softened and chopped
1 tsp of vanilla extract
Put the sugar and egg whites in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until it reaches at least 60°C (140°F) on a sugar thermometer. Pour into the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use an electric whisk and mixing bowl). Beat until the mixture has doubled in volume, cooled and will stand in stiff, glossy peaks. This will take about three minutes. Gradually add the butter to the cooled meringue mix, beating constantly, until the frosting is smooth. Fold in the vanilla and use immediately.
Chocolate Variation
Melt 150g chopped dark chocolate, then leave to cool slightly before stirring into the buttercream at the same time as the vanilla extract.

Candy Canes
These chocolatey red velvet cupcakes are topped with minty meringue buttercream, marbled red and white to match and complement the stripy candy canes perched on the top. Makes 12.
1 quantity Meringue Buttercream, but made with peppermint extract instead of vanilla
12 stripy candy canes
Red velvet cupcakes
175g unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
Red food colouring paste (ruby or Christmas red)
175g plain flour
2 Tbsps cocoa powder
A pinch of salt
125ml buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1-2 muffin tins, lined with 12 stripy paper cupcake cases
Large piping bag, fitted with a large star shaped nozzle
Pre heat over to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4
To make the red velvet cupcakes, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and light. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the bowl from time to time with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla and ½ teaspoon of the food colouring paste and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt. Gradually add to the egg mixture in alternate batches with the buttermilk.
In a small bowl, mix together the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Add to the cake mixture and mix again until smooth. Divide the mixture between the paper cases, filling them two thirds full.
Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Divide the peppermint Meringue Buttercream between two bowls and tint one red using the food colouring paste. Using a large metal spoon, very lightly stir one colour into the other so that they become marbled. Fill the piping bag with the frosting and pipe swirls onto each cold cupcake. Top with a candy cane.

Christmas Trees
Here’s a forest of sparkly, festively adorned trees topped with silver and gold stars. All they need now is a pile of gifts underneath them. You’ll need to be reasonably confident with a piping bag for these, but practice makes perfect! Makes 12.

1 quantity Buttermilk Sponge
1 quantity Meringue Buttercream
Green food colouring paste
Edible green glitter
Coloured sugar balls
Gold and silver sugar stars
1-2 muffin tins, lined with 12 brown paper cupcake cases
Large piping bag, fitted with nozzle

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4
Divide the Buttermilk Sponge between the cupcake cases, filling them two-thirds full.
Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden, well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Put three-quarters of the Meringue Buttercream in a bowl and tint it green using the food colouring paste. Leave the rest untinted and spread some of this over the top of each cold cupcake.
Fill the piping bag with the green frosting and, working from the centre, pipe pointed branch shapes towards the edges of the cupcake. Keep doing this, turning the cupcake as you go, until you have the bottom of a tree. Repeat with the next layer up, making the branches shorter. Carry on with more layers, making the branches even shorter as you get to the top of the tree.
Dust with green glitter and decorate with coloured sugar balls. Top with a gold or silver star.

Flock of Robins
Look out for pretty, feathered bird ornaments to perch on top of these cakes. I have used robins but if you’re lucky you may spot some really special, sparkly exotic birds in the shops at this time of year. Makes 12.

1 quantity Double Chocolate sponge
1 quantity Chocolate Meringue Buttercream
12 short chocolate flake bars
Icing sugar for dusting
1-2 muffin tins, lined with 12 brown paper cupcake cases
12 feathered robins

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4
Divide the Double Chocolate Sponge between the cupcake cases, filing them two-thirds full.
Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Spread the Chocolate Meringue Buttercream generously onto each cold cupcake. Sit a chocolate flake in the middle of each cupcake, perch a robin on top, and dust with icing sugar.