Juliet Sear's comic book cupcakes
It's cake straight out of a comic book! If your little ones are staying at home today because of the teacher strikes, Juliet Sear has just the thing to entertain them. Her cartoon cupcakes don't just look impressive, but they’re deceptively simple to make too.
Juliet’s comic book cakes
Serves: Makes about 20 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes (makes about 20 cupcakes):
300g salted butter, at room temperature
300g golden caster sugar
1.5 tsp vanilla extract 6 medium eggs, beaten
300g plain flour
1 level tsp baking powder
White paper muffin cases
For the vanilla buttercream:
375g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
750g white icing sugar
Food colourings of your choice - we used blue, green, white, red, yellow, and black
Ready to roll sugar paste/fondant in different colours (to form the cherries and edible candles)
Any large sprinkles of your choice (or make your own with fondant!)
Piping bags
Method
To make the cupcakes:
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C Fan, Gas Mark 5). Line a muffin tin with paper cases. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar together until pale, soft and fluffy.
2. Add the vanilla and then the beaten eggs, about a quarter at a time. Mix this in slowly until combined.
3. Add the flour gradually, a quarter at a time, mixing gently on slow speed – fold in with a metal spoon if you are doing this by hand.
4. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases so they are about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for 16-18 minutes until risen, lightly golden and just firm to the touch.
5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
For the cupcake toppings (edible candles & cherries):
1. Use a table or flat surface to roll out and form the sugar paste/fondant into edible candle sticks, candle flames, and cherries. Once you’re happy with your shapes, allow to harden for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight.
For the vanilla buttercream:
1. Beat the butter and vanilla until soft, pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the icing sugar (using an electric or stand mixer if the easiest way, but it can be done by hand) beating well between each addition, until the butter cream is pale, light and fluffy.
2. Divide the buttercream and use food colours of your choice to make different shades. Make sure you have one small piping bag filled with black buttercream for the comic book-style outline.
To assemble:
1. Decorate all your cupcakes using piping bags and different colours of buttercream, forming a swirl on top of the cupcakes.
2. Place the hardened sugar paste/fondant cupcake toppings in the buttercream, as well as the large sprinkles.
3. Pipe the black buttercream carefully around the cupcake and toppings, in solid thin lines, to create the comic book-style outline.
4. Eat and enjoy!