Did you read my post for fondant fancies and think ‘ooh they look nice, but what a faff to cut the cake, nappage and ice all sides’. Well, after making them I did too! They were a real labour of love, but the girls found them so pretty that they wanted to take them in as a Friday treat for their school friends. I didn’t have the time to spend another entire afternoon making about 40 fondant fancies, but at the same time didn’t want to disappoint – I want my girls to be proud of the food they eat and to experience their friends enjoying it too.
So thats where this brainwave of an idea came from – cupcakes that look just like, and taste just like fondant fancies, but without the labour intensive icing. And they were a BIG hit! Such a big hit, I’ve already had to make them again, hence the fluoro and pastel versions in the photos!
Fondant Fancy Cupcakes (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)
makes 12
for the sponge:
- 200g self-raising flour
- 100g caster sugar
- pinch of salt
- 100ml sunflower oil
- 150ml oat or other non-dairy milk
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
– Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade/Gas mark 5
– Line a cupcake tray with liners.
– Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Stir in the sugar.
– In a separate bowl, mix together the oat milk, bicarb, lemon, vanilla and oil.
– Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix, until well combined.
– 2/3rds fill each cupcake case and bake for 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden and a knife comes out clean.
– Cool on a wire rack.
for the buttercream blobs:
- 2 tbsp vegetable fat (such as Trex)
- 1/3 cup dairy-free spread (such as Pure)
- 1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp cup oat milk
– Whisk together the spread and vegetable fat.
– Add the icing sugar, 1/2 cup at a time with a splash of the oat milk, until fully combined and nice and fluffy.
for the icing:
- 2 cups icing sugar
- water
- food colouring
– Gradually add little bit of water at a time until you have a thick but pourable icing
– Place 2 tbsp in a icing bag with a narrow tip
– Colour the rest with a lovely pastel food colouring
To assemble:
- Pipe or spoon a dollop of buttercream onto the top of each cupcake, set aside for a while to firm up
- Spoon some water icing over each cupcake. Drizzle over white icing lines.
- Leave to set
- These fancies keep well for up to 4 or 5 days