Christmas Sprinkles & Candy Cane Cupcakes

As the festive season is nearly upon us, I thought these little Christmas cupcakes would be appropriate. The candy canes are very simple to make with a little white fondant and red fondant. The Christmas sprinkles add that finishing touch and can be purchased in most supermarkets.

Christmas Sprinkles & Candy Cane Cupcakes

Makes 12 medium cupcakes

Ingredients

175g (6 oz) Self-raising flour

175g (6 oz) softened butter

175g (6 oz) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp milk For

The Icing

110g (4 oz) icing sugar, sieved
1 egg white - see note

Few drops of lemon juice

Approximately 50g (2 oz) white fondant Icing, for the candy canes

Edible red food colouring

Sugar Christmas sprinkles

12 foil baking cups – I used Wilton Gold

Method

Preheat oven 200°C/fan oven 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Line a cupcake tin with 12 foil cupcake cases.

In a bowl cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg, milk and vanilla extract a little at a time to the mixture until all combined. Fold in the flour making sure all the mixture is smooth and well combined together.

Place approx a dessertspoon of the mixture into each cupcake case (I like mine to be no more than three quarters full of mixture).

Place into the preheated oven on a middle shelf for 15 – 20 minutes or until firm to the touch and golden in colour. You can also check by using a skewer inserted into the middle of a cake, when it comes out clean the cakes will be cooked. Place the cupcakes onto a wire rack to cool.

For The Candy Canes. Divide the fondant icing into two and with the red colour paste add a little onto a cocktail stick and then onto the half of fondant icing. Work the fondant until the colour is an even red colour and roll into a sausage shape. Take the white fondant icing and roll this into a sausage shape too. Lay each sausage of red and white fondant side by side and pinch together at each end. Twist the strands gently so they resemble candy canes then cut into lengths and curve one end.

For the icing: In a bowl place the sieved icing sugar and add few drops of lemon juice and egg white. Beat until the icing becomes smooth and a good spreadable consistency. Take a teaspoon of icing and ice each cake then sprinkle on the Christmas sprinkles and add a candy cane in the middle.

Note: You can find the Christmas sprinkles in most supermarkets. I used Edible Sugar Flare colour paste in this recipe. You could always use powdered egg white for the icing if you do not want to use fresh egg white.