Wiggly Cupcakes

Serves 12, Prep 40 mins, Cook 20 mins

410g packet vanilla cupcake mix 50g red ready-to-roll icing 50g yellow ready-to-roll icing 50g blue ready-to-roll icing Coloured sugar strands, to decorate

FROSTING 375g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature 3½ cups icing sugar mixture 1 tblsp milk Super red, violet and blue food colouring gel Yellow liquid food colouring

Line a 12-hole muffin pan (¹⁄³-cup capacity) with paper cases. 2 Prepare cupcake mix according to packet directions. Divide evenly among cases. 3 Cook in a moderate oven (180C) for about 20 minutes, or until cooked when tested. Remove from oven. Stand 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 4 To make frosting, beat butter in a small bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar, 1 tblsp at a time, beating until combined. Beat in milk. 5 Divide frosting evenly among four bowls. Tint one quantity red, one purple with violet gel, one blue, and one yellow. Place each in a separate piping bag fitted with a 1½cm plain nozzle. Pipe

onto cakes. 6 Knead red icing on a clean bench until smooth. Roll out between two sheets baking paper until ½cm thick. Repeat with yellow and blue icing. 7 Using 2.5cm letter cutters, cut out letters as pictured. Arrange onto cupcakes. Decorate with sugar strands.

TIP Food colouring gels are available at cake decorating stores or online. Ready-to-roll icing and coloured sugar strands are available from major supermarkets or from cake decorating stores.