These fun bakes are perfect for party animals! Once your cakes are baked and cooled, why not create pups, pandas and cheeky monkeys? Or you can decorate them with your own favourite animals.
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cakes
2 large eggs
100g soft butter
100g caster sugar
150g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the icing
200g soft butter
1 tbsp milk
300g icing sugar
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Measure all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat together using an electric whisk until light and fluffy.
3. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden.
4. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
5. Meanwhile, to make the icing, place the butter, milk and icing sugar in a large bowl. Beat together using an electric whisk until fluffy and pale.
6. Once the cupcakes are cool, spread or pipe the icing on top and serve.
Puppy dogs
Add 25g cocoa powder to the icing and pipe it onto the cakes. Cut ear shapes out of brown fondant and add edible eyes, a jellybean nose and a piece of pink lace for a tongue.
Pandas
Dip the iced cupcakes in desiccated coconut (you will need about 75g for all 12 cakes). Cut noses, mouths and oval shapes from black fondant and place edible eyes on top. Add mini Oreos for ears.
Monkeys
Turn the icing brown with 25g cocoa powder and ice the cakes, then dip them in chocolate sprinkles. Use half a mini Jaffa Cake for each ear, and a whole one for the face, drawing on nostrils and a mouth with black fondant. Lastly, add edible eyes.
Annabel Karmel’s Fun, Fast and Easy Children’s cookbook is out now (Welbeck, £14.99) – the perfect Christmas gift for your budding little chefs!
Buy Annabel Karmel’s Fun, Fast and Easy Children’s cookbook
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