Serving size: Serves 10 or more
Special options: Kid friendly
Course: Dessert

Flower cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

cake
340g packet buttercake mix
125g butter, softened
1½ cups (240g) icing sugar mixture
2 tablespoons milk
yellow and pink colouring
40cm x 50cm cake board
decorations
2 x 250g packets coloured marshmallows
5 giant purple Smarties
7 giant pink Smarties
icing sugar mixture
350g ready-made soft icing
green colouring
pink bow
16 spearmint leaves

METHOD

Preheat oven to moderate; line 12-hole (1/3 cup/80ml) muffin pan with paper patty cases. Make cake according to directions on packet, pour ¼ cup mixture into each hole; bake in moderate oven about 20 minutes. Stand cakes in pan 5 minutes; turn onto wire rack to cool.

Beat butter in small bowl with electric mixer until as white as possible. Gradually beat in half of the icing sugar, milk, then remaining icing sugar.

Tint ½ of the butter cream with yellow colouring; spread over five cakes. Tint remaining butter cream with pink colouring; spread over remaining cakes.

Using scissors, cut 24 yellow marshmallows and 18 pink marshmallows in half. Squeeze ends of each marshmallow together to form petals, as shown. Decorate yellow cakes with six or seven pink marshmallow petals and pink cakes with six or seven yellow marshmallow petals.

Position purple Smarties in pink flower centres; position pink Smarties in yellow flower centres. Position flowers on a cake board that has been covered with greaseproof decorative paper, contact, or any type of patterned foil-like gift wrapping.

On surface dusted with icing sugar; knead icing until smooth. Knead green colouring into icing; divide icing into quarters. Roll ¼ of the icing into 5mm thick cord. Enclose remaining icing in plastic wrap; reserve.

Cut icing cord into three uneven lengths; position on board. Repeat with reserved icing to make 12 stems in total.

Pinch stems together near ends; secure bow with a little butter cream. Position spearmint leaves along stems; secure with a little butter cream.