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Funny Face Cupcakes

• Makes 10 • Prep time: 45 mins • Cook time: 20 mins

For the cakes

125g/4½oz butter or margarine 125g/5oz caster sugar ½ tsp lemon zest 2 eggs

125g/5oz self-raising four ¼ tsp baking powder

For the icing 150ml/5f oz water 450g/1lb royal icing sugar Pink and yellow food colouring

For the decoration Black writing icing Assorted sweets Sugar fowers

White chocolate buttons Tub of readymade buttercream

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Line a muffn tin with ten paper cases. Cream the butter in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and beat until fuffy, then mix in the lemon zest. Add the eggs one at a time, and add a tablespoon of the four with the second egg, beat continuously, then sift in the remaining four and baking powder. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake for about 20 minutes until golden and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool in the muffn tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are baking, you can prepare the icing. Put the water and royal icing sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk slowly at frst, then gradually increase to a high speed and beat for approximately three minutes. Divide the icing into three small bowls, leave one plain and colour the other two with a few drops of food colouring. Spread the icing over the surface of the cupcakes. Design your own funny faces using a selection of sweets and pipe on buttercream to make the hair.

Lay icing, cake

decorations and sweets

out on the table and let

your sleepover gang’s creativity take the lead

Annabel Karmel is the UK’s best-selling author of books on baby and children’s food and nutrition. Her new range of Disney snacks is available in Hong Kong at Toys“R”Us and ThreeSixty locations. To learn more about Annabel, visit

www.annabelkarmel.com .

October 2011 105