Get creative with KID'S CUPCAKES

Have fun creating and eating these yummy treats

FUDGY FRECKLE CUPCAKES

MAKES 12

PREP AND COOK: 1 HOUR, 15 MINS

175g butter, chopped

150g dark cooking chocolate, chopped

1⅓ cups caster sugar

1 tblsp vanilla extract

1 cup plain flour

¼ cup self-raising flour

¼ cup cocoa powder

2 eggs

½ cup hundreds and

thousands

12 Chocolate Freckles

FROSTING

200g butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

2½ cups icing sugar mixture

Green, blue and yellow liquid

food colouring

1 Line a 12-hole muffin pan (⅓-cup capacity) with paper cases.

2 Combine butter, chocolate, sugar and ¾ cup of hot water in a large saucepan. Stir over a low heat until chocolate and butter are melted. Transfer to a large bowl. Add vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Cool for 15 minutes.

3 Whisk in combined sifted flours and cocoa until smooth. Whisk in eggs until combined. Transfer mixture to a large jug. Pour evenly into paper cases.

4 Cook in a moderately slow oven (160°C) for about 30 minutes, or until just firm in centre when lightly touched. Remove. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

5 To make frosting, beat butter and vanilla in the large bowl of an electric mixer until very pale and creamy. With motor operating on low speed, gradually beat in icing sugar. Continue beating on medium to high speed until light and fluffy. 6 Divide frosting evenly among three bowls. Tint each with a different colour. 7 Spread a thin layer of green frosting over four of the cupcakes (about 1 tsp on each). Dip in hundreds and thousands.

8 Spoon remaining green frosting into a disposable piping bag fitted with an 11mm star nozzle. Pipe a swirl of green frosting in the centre. Top with a Freckle.

9 Repeat decorating remaining cupcakes with blue and yellow frostings, hundreds and thousands and Freckles.