Yes, they really ARE cupcakes — proving that for this wildly popular patissiere... ANIMAL MAGIC IS A PIECE OF CAKE!
PAINT they sweet! You could describe these mini-masterpieces as the ultimate in creature comfort-eating. Wildlife lover and Great British Bake Off fan Kitty Peels combines her two guilty pleasures to make stunning animal cupcakes.
From foxes and badgers to your favourite pet, Kitty can whip up a tasty treat which would make Paul Hollywood proud. Kitty, 41, says: ‘I’ve been passionate about animals my whole life. It’s exciting to combine my two loves.’
Having begun making her culinary creations when lockdown hit her day job as an aerial circus performer, she now sells her vegan sweet treats on kittygirlbakes. co.uk. She says: ‘My cupcakes have a vegan buttercream swirl then I freehand-sculpt fondant icing to form the animals to go on the top, giving them a 3D effect.
‘As a wildlife lover, I wanted to raise money to help the Australian animals affected by the bushfires. I made a lot of cute koala cupcakes and raised more than €1,000 for charity Animals Australia. After that, a lot of people asked if I had my own business or suggested I start one, so not long after that Kitty Girl Bakes was born.’
Decorating each cake can take from 15 minutes to an hour for the more complicated ones. ‘Cost varies depending on the detail and how long it will take.’
Kitty adds: ‘I’ve been blown away with the lovely responses. My owls and birds especially received a lot of attention.’