Strawberry cupcakes

Strawberry cupcakes (makes 30 mini size cakes)

Ingredients
125g (4.5 ounces) butter, softened
1 teaspoon (1/3 ounces) strawberry flavouring
150g (5.2 ounces) caster sugar
2 eggs
150g (5.2 ounces) self-raising flour
40g (1.4 ounces) mini white chocolate chips
60ml (2 fluid ounces) semi-skimmed milk
2 tbsp strawberry jam

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat oven to 160-180 deg C (325-350 deg F).
2. Line baking tray with silicone cases.
3. Beat flour, butter, milk, eggs and strawberry flavoring in a bowl with an electric mixer until the mixture turns a pale colour.
4. Stir in the choc chips and strawberry jam and mix thoroughly.
5. Spoon mixture into cases.
   
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
7. Place cakes on a wire rack to cool.

Decorating the cakes

You will need:
Vanilla butter frosting
Roll-on icing (sugar paste)
Black concentrated food colouring paste
Edable art cake glitter in Disco Mulberry
Bird cutter
Rolling pin
Small paintbrush
Piping bag and nozzle
Sieved icing sugar (confectioners sugar)

1. Fill piping bag with vanilla butter frosting and pipe in peaks on top of the cakes.
2. Sprinkle glitter on top using a small paintbrush.
3. Lightly dust work surface with icing sugar.
4. Place roll-on icing onto surface and gradually add food colouring to roll-on icing with a cocktail stick (as it is very concentrated), and knead colour in. Keep adding food colouring until you get desired colour.
5. Roll out icing so it is about 5mm thick, and cut out bird shape using cutter.
6. Place on top of cake, and with a damp brush lightly paint the top to bring back the blackness and shine.

See Halloween cake stands and cases for where to buy the cupcake wrappers and stand.

As I have to have a gluten free diet, I substitute the self raising flour for gluten and wheat free self raising flour.

Have a sweet day!