BRANDY BUTTeRCReAM CUPCAKeS
MAKES 12 ✷ PREP 30 MINS (+ COOLING) ✷ COOKING 20 MINS
INGREDIENTS
300g (2 cups) self-raising flour
100g (½ cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
100g (½ cup) caster sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
95g (½ cup) glacé cherries, halved
90g (½ cup) sultanas
45g (⅓ cup) pecans, toasted, finely chopped
1 egg
250ml (1 cup) buttermilk
125g butter, melted
Brandy buttercream
250g butter, chopped, at room temperature
230g (1½ cups) icing sugar mixture
60ml (¼ cup) brandy
Queen Giant Chocolate Stars Milk & White, Dollar Sweets Gold Lustre edible gold glitter, bought caramel sauce, and gold, silver and white star sprinkles, to decorate
METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan forced. Line twelve 80ml (⅓ cup) muffin pans with paper cases.
2 Combine the flour, brown sugar, caster sugar, mixed spice and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the cherries, sultanas and pecans. Stir until combined.
3 Whisk together the egg, buttermilk and butter in a large jug. Pour the egg mixture over the flour mixture and fold until just combined (do not overmix). Spoon evenly among prepared pans.
4 Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5 To make the brandy buttercream, use electric beaters to beat the butter and icing sugar in a bowl for 5 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the brandy and beat until combined. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large fluted nozzle.
6 Place chocolate stars on a plate. Dust with glitter. Pipe swirls of buttercream onto each cupcake. Drizzle over caramel sauce then scatter over sprinkles. Top each cupcake with a star.
GET AHEAD
Make the big day a cake walk! Freeze undecorated cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. Thaw, pipe and decorate on the day of serving.
ROCKY ROAD HOUSe
MAKES 1 HOUSE ✷ PREP 40 MINS (+ SETTING)
INGREDIENTS
2 x 600g plain chocolate mud cakes
2 x 290g pkt dark chocolate melts, melted
180g pkt Life Savers Duos Gummy Rings lollies
200g chocolate finger biscuits
2 x 30g Cadbury Flake chocolate bars
30g (½ cup) mini pink and white marshmallows
190g Allen's Ripe Raspberries lollies
45g (¼ cup) whole blanched hazelnuts, roasted
2 mini star-shaped pretzels
80g white chocolate melts, melted
Icing sugar, to dust
METHOD
1 Use a large serrated knife to gently trim and discard icing from cakes. Cut each cake in half horizontally. From the cake, cut 2 side wall pieces (5 x 8cm), 2 roof pieces (8 x 13cm) and front and back wall pieces (5 x 7cm with 7cm gables).
Line a tray
