Christmas Cupcakes

Is there any time of the year more about decoration and glitz than Christmas? So when everything from houses, trees and Christmas jumpers are adorned with lights, baubles and bells, why not also decorate some cupcakes to fit into the generally merriment?

These little chocolate cupcakes decked with Christmas lights make a wonderful addition to the Christmas fare. They look delightfully festive whilst also being a crowd pleaser; not many people can resist a delicious chocolate cupcake. The decoration is pretty effective but very easy: vanilla buttercream is piped into a smooth swirl, which is then drizzled with a ‘string’ of melted chocolate along which colourful decorations or sweets are placed to represent the twinkling lights on a tree.

Christmas Lights Cupcakes

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes 18

350g self-raising flour

200g caster sugar

50g cocoa powder

200ml sunflower oil

300ml oat milk

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade/Gas Mark 5
2. Mix together the oat milk, lemon juice, vanilla and oil. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Stir in the sugar.
4. Add the bicarb to the wet ingredients and stir.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix to thoroughly combine.
6. 2/3rds fill the cupcake cases and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
7. Cool on a wire rack.

Fluffy White Buttercream

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, gluten-free, soya-free, vegetarian and vegan)

enough to ice 24 cupcakes

1/4 cup vegetable fat

3/4 cup dairy-free margarine

3 cups icing sugar, sifted

1 or 2 tbsp dairy-free milk

1/2tsp vanilla extract

1. Whisk together the spread and vegetable fat.
2. Add the icing sugar, 1/2 cup at a time with a splash of the oat milk and the vanilla, until fully combined and nice and fluffy.
3. Pipe or spread onto the cupcakes.
4. Melt 20-30g chocolate, pipe a line onto the buttercream. Stud with decorations or sweets.