Duggee birthday cupcakes

Recipe by April Carter

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 175g plain flour
• 2tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1tsp cinnamon (optional)
• 150g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 150g soft light brown sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 apple, coarsely grated

For the buttercream

• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 250g icing sugar
• 1tbsp milk
• ½tsp vanilla extract
• Pink paste or gel food colouring

For the decoration

• 100g chocolate flavoured fondant
• 100g light blue fondant
• Small amounts of light brown, black, dark pink and yellow fondant

Method

Makes 12 cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
2. Whisk together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon. Set to one side.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the butter, sugar and eggs until pale. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined. Fold in the grated apple.
4. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases until each one is two-thirds full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean.
5. To make the buttercream, beat the butter, icing sugar and milk together until pale and creamy. Spread a small amount on to the top of each cooled cake.
6. Knead the light blue fondant briefly and roll out on to a work surface dusted with icing sugar. Cut out 12 circles using a 6.5cm cutter. Smooth a circle over each cake.
7. To make Duggee’s face, knead the chocolate flavour fondant briefly and roll out as before. Cut out shapes for Duggee’s head and ears and place on to the cakes, dampening with water to stick if needed. Roll and cut out shapes for Duggee’s features in the same way.

Note: the fondant decoration can be made up to a week in advance.